Dooley’s job up for renewal

The management of the Philippine Azkals will soon determine whether coach Thomas Dooley will stick around even after guiding the team to a historic berth in the 2019 Asian Cup with a 2-1 victory over Tajikistan Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Dooley's contract expired after the landmark victory but team manager Dan Palami stressed that the result won't be the sole basis in the decision.

“It wound be unfair to judge him based on this game,” Palami said. “This is a big result for us and we have to take a holistic approach. It's difficult to make movements when you're really happy, so we have to approach that objectively and see where we want to go.”

The former United States captain was hired by the Azkals in 2014 and found immediate success with berths in the AFC Challenge Cup Final and the semifinals of the AFF Suzuki Cup.

But football observers have questioned Dooley's ability to take the Azkals to new heights, citing the loss to Palestine in the Challenge Cup Final, the dismal exit in the 2016 Suzuki Cup on home soil and his on-and-off feud with former national team midfielder Stephan Schrock.

Dooley expressed hope that the Asian Cup berth may be enough for him to get an extension so that he can start the ball rolling for the continental tournament which will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates.

— JONAS TERRADO