Azkals pick up stride with Peace Cup, friendlies

WITH the AFC Challenge Cup only a few months away, the Philippine Azkals are set for a busy final quarter of the year with the Philippine Peace Cup and a series of friendlies against high-level teams to prepare them for the major tournament that dangles a spot in the Asian Cup.

Azkals manager Dan Palami said preparations for the Challenge Cup will already kick into high gear in the final quarter of 2013 as the team braces for a tough battle in the Challenge Cup in the Maldives in March.

“The target is to win the tournament and reach the Asian Cup,” said Palami, who hinted at regular training sessions for the Azkals even at the middle of the United Football League season just to whip the side into fighting form.

After the friendly match against Indonesia last Wednesday in Solo, Central Java, where the Azkals lost, 0-2, the Philippine Football Federation is now eyeing a friendly against New Zealand and its neighbor New Caledonia for September.

The Azkals will also be in action the following month when they defend their Philippine Peace Cup title from Oct. 11 to 15 in Bacolod City, which is hosting an international match for the first time since the Guam-Philippines game in June last year.

Philippine Football Federation general-secretary Ed Gastanes said they are looking at Challenge Cup qualifier Kyrgyzstan as a possible participant in the Peace Cup.

New Caledonia will also be invited for the five-day tournament if the friendly against the New Caledonians does not push through next month.

The Azkals ruled the Peace Cup last year, besting Chinese-Taipei, Guam and Macau at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Gastanes said the PFF will invite one of the teams that saw action last year to complete the cast in Bacolod.

source: http://sports.inquirer.net/115661/azkals-pick-up-stride-with-peace-cup-friendlies

PH Azkals failed to defeat Indonesia in friendly

The Philippines football team Azkals failed to defeat Indonesia in their friendly game late Wednesday night at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia. Azkals fell at the hands of Southeast Asian rival Indonesia and ended the game 0-2 .

Azkals renew rivalry with Indonesians today

THE PHILIPPINES steps up its preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup next year with a showdown with Southeast Asian rival Indonesia at Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia, tonight.

The Azkals, who arrived in the city early Tuesday after a 15-hour journey from Manila, will be fielding several new players with manager Dan Palami also using the match to expose standouts from the Under-23 side, which is building up for the Southeast Asian Games late this year.

Kickoff is at 9 p.m. with Indonesia looking to continue asserting its might against the Azkals, who have climbed three places to their highest ranking of No. 141.

It will be the fourth meeting between the two sides since 2010, when the Azkals lost two semifinal matches against the Garuda in the Suzuki Cup. The two squads also battled to a tense 2-2 draw at Rizal Memorial Stadium in June 2012.

“We are looking forward to jump-starting our preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup,” said Palami. “This time, we’re sending fresh faces as we try to take advantage of the occasion to test younger players.”

Mark Hartmann, Amani Aguinaldo, Paolo Bugas and Patrick Deyto were among the Under-23 standouts who were included in the squad by coach Michael Weiss, who also recalled veterans Angel Guirado, Rob Gier, Chieffy Caligdong and Phil and James Younghusband to strengthen the side.

Indonesia has shown a penchant of naturalizing foreign players to boost its squad.

The latest players who were given their Indonesian naturalization papers are the Nigerian pair of Gregory Nkwolo and Victory Ibonefo.

The Indonesians will also parade the fleet-footed Andik Vermansyah, a young midfielder who showed immense potential in the Suzuki Cup, and Patrich Wanggai, who scored against the Azkals in the friendly last year.

“We know that they have put naturalized players in their roster and I’m sure this made them stronger,” said Palami.