Azkals pull another surprise
The Philippines men’s national team was pretty much written off after that awful 8-1 of a loss against China in a friendly last week but just like in the past, the team pulled its latest rabbit out of its bag of tricks.
Playing in Danshube, Tajikistan against a determined home side that was eager to get its Asian Cup campaign back on track, the Azkals took the lead, 2-0, before settling for a morale-boosting 4-3 win against the host for their second win in the qualifiers.
Javier Patino, the prolific striker whose family traces its roots to Dumanjug, Cebu, was his deadly self again, scoring two goals. Ironically, Patino, who plays in China, missed the China game but I guess, all’s well that ends well. Daisuke Sato, the for- mer Global FC player who now plays football in Romania, also showed his long-range touch, dousing Tajikistan’s comeback hopes with a goal from beyond the box.
And, just to show that everything’s back in the program for the national team, the country’s leading scorer and team captain Phil Younghusband opened the floodgates with a picture-perfect free kick. The team was without no. 1 keeper Neil Etheridge, who is working on a transfer from Walsall FC to Cardiff. Such a move may have caused a maelstorm in the past but I guess it shows a growing maturity when fans understand such a move (or perhaps, the fans who jumped are no longer in the bandwagon?)
The latest twist in the Azkals campaign remind me of the 2018 World Cup qualifi- ers when we got humiliated at home, 5-1, by Uzbekistan only to surprise everybody with a scoreless draw against North Korea in Pyongyang!
Though Tajikistan managed to rally late, pouncing on a couple of miscues to make it a close game, the Philippines held on for the win to keep the No. 1 spot in their group. And that latest win, of course, erases the stigma of that 8-1 loss, the worst we’ve had in 15 years.
So, what’s next for the Philippines? It’s going to be back at home and unlike the empty seats of Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Sept. 5 home game against Yemen will be at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, making it a real home game.
No word, though, if we plan to play China a week before that match.
After speaking to my team and doctor, I have decided my body needs to rest if I am going to be ready to play Wimbledon. RAFAEL NADAL, on skipping Queen’s tournament.