Sato returns in rematch against Yemen

Fil-Japanese defender Daisuke Sato returns from suspension to help provide legs to injury-hit Philippine Azkals as they brace for their second match with Yemen in the Asian Cup Qualifiers on Oct. 10 in Doha, Qatar.

Sato, the energetic leftback who plies his trade for Danish club AC Horsense, sat out the Pinoy booters’ previous duel with Yemen, a 2-2 draw at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, due to accumulated yellow cards and can’t wait to get back in the fold.

Sato, along with Cardiff’s Neil Etheridge, Hansa Rostock’s Harry Foll, Anthong United’s Mike Ott, and Wolfsberger’s Stephan Palla are flying in from abroad to hook up with localbased stalwarts led by Davao Aguilas’ Phil Younghusband as they try to put Group F leader Phl closer to a historic entry to the Asian Cup.

Stallion Laguna forward Jhan Melliza, one of the leading scorers in the Philippine Football League, and JPV Marikina defender Sean Patrick Kane got their first call-up while FC Meralco Manila’s Curt Dizon returns for the first time since 2014, hoping to help plug in the holes left by injured mainstays Javier Patino, Amani Aguinaldo, Misagh Bahadoran and Luke Woodland.

Rounding out the 23-man team assembled by coach Thomas Dooley are James Younghusband, Simone Rota, Iain Ramsay, Manny Ott, Paul Mulders, Carly de Murga, Kevin Ingreso, Patrick Deyto, Pika Minegishi, Dennis Villanueva, Dylan de Bruycker, Dominic del Rosario, Nick O’ Donnel, and Jim Junior Munoz.

The Azkals sit atop the group with seven points, gaining from their 4-1 home win over Nepal in the opener and 4-3 away thriller over Tajikistan in Dushanbe.

Against Yemen the first time around, the Azkals banked on goals by the Younghusband brothers to secure a point and stay unbeaten. Running second, the Yemenis are two points adrift with their one-win, two-draw card.