Azkals release lineup ahead of difficult UAE test

MANILA, Philippines – Less than a month after defending their Peace Cup title in Bacolod, the Philippine National Football Team will face what would be one of their most formidable oppositions to date, the United Arab Emirates, in an international friendly on Saturday, Nov 9, 2013.

The Azkals will not have their strongest lineup in their visit to Abu Dhabi. Instead, the team will use the match as a springboard for the under-23 squad who will be missing much-needed exposure from this year’s edition of the South East Asian Games. (READ: No Azkals, Malditas in SEA Games)

Despite being perched atop Southeast Asia at an all-time high FIFA ranking of 137th, the Philippine Olympic Committee ironically decided not to field the Azkals’ U23 squad in the biennial regional meet to be held in Myanmar this December.

Jason de Jong, Mark Hartmann, OJ Porteria, Jeff Christiaens, Marwin Angeles, Patrick Deyto, and Amani Aguinaldo, who were all supposed to spearhead the U23 squad in the SEA Games, were included in the initial lineup that will face the 71st-ranked UAE.

Also making it to the provisional squad against the Middle Eastern powerhouse are local stars Phil and James Younghusband, Chieffy Caligdong, Ed Sacapano, Jerry Barbaso, Misagh Bahadoran, Chris Greatwich and Angel Guirado, while Jerry Lucena, Rob Gier, Juani Guirado, Ray Jonsson, and Patrick Reichelt will also be flying in from Europe and Thailand to join the team.

Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss will be missing some overseas-based players in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Stephan Schrock, Fulham’s Neil Etheridge, Buriram United’s Javier Patino, Dennis Cagara of Lyngby and Ronald Muller who plays for Servette FC.

The Philippines will then face India, ranked 154th in the world, on November 15 as they continue their preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup next year in Maldives. - Rappler.com