Azkals, Palestine clash for crown

The magic number of the Philippine Azkals to achieve their ultimate dream of winning a major trophy and play in Asia’s most prestigious tournament is down to just one game.

In a match that needed an extra time to decide, the Azkals scraped past the relentless challenge of host Maldives with a thrilling 3-2 victory to arrange a title duel with Palestine for the AFC Challenge Cup early yesterday at the jampacked National Stadium in Male.

Substitute Chris Greatwich supplied the much-needed goal in the 104th minute as the Azkals progressed to the final against the Palestinians at midnight tomorrow for the championship and a ticket to next year’s AFC Asian Cup in Sydney.

A win over the Palestine, which relatively had an easy 2-0 win over Afghanistan in the other semifinal affair, will complete the Azkals’ amazing journey that began when they stunned Vietnam, 2-0, in the AFF Suzuki Cup in Hanoi in December 2010.

“We want to play at the next level, that is not a secret. We came over here to win the Challenge Cup. We want to play at the next level which is the Asian Cup so we want to play against those big guys, not to win something, but to play with them and that is our biggest goal,” said coach Thomas Dooley.

Fittingly, Greatwich, who launched the Azkals into prominence against Vietnam with an opening goal, was the one who secured the winner, tapping in a failed scoring attempt by Patrick Reichelt from close range.

Greatwich’s goal triggered a raucous celebration by the Azkals, hundreds of supporters in the stands and perhaps millions more back home who stayed up late to watch the exciting match on television.

But the goal of the veteran Greatwich wouldn’t have been possible without several frantic sequences.

The Azkals never trailed in the grueling match, with Phil Younghusband delivering the opening goal in the 19th when he turned after a strong defense by a Maldividan to launch a strike past keeper Imran Mohamed.

Maldives responded to even the score at 1-1 in the 36th as Mohamed Umair beat two defenders before lofting an equalizing shot off Azkals goalie Roland Muller who was a few yards away from the net.

However, the tie proved to be short and sweet as the Azkals’ Jerry Lucena answered back by stabbing a 39th minute goal from close range to put the away side up 2-1.

Muller later produced a redux of his penalty kick save against Turkmenistan last Saturday by stopping Ibrahim Fazeel in the 53rd to keep the Azkals ahead.

The Filipinos, though, failed to preserve the lead in the 66th after Abdulla Asadhulla leveled the match at 2-2 after netting from a corner kick. From there, Maldives had strong chances to win through several counter attacks only to be denied by late clearances by the away side.

The closest came in the 91st minute when Maldives team captain Ali Ashfaq, who has scored 41 international goals, curled a shot that could have been a deserved winner if not for Muller who batted away the precise attempt.

“Both teams should have won today if this can exist in the rules. But unfortunately the rules are very clear that who scores more goals will be the winner,” said losing coach Drago Mamic.

By JONAS TERRADO
source: sports.tempo.com.ph

Muller keeps faith, hope of PH side

MALE – Two penalty saves in two big games and Roland Muller has clearly shown who’s the boss in between the sticks.

“We maybe have the best keeper in the tournament,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley, referring to his star custodian who played a key role in their 3-2 verdict over Maldives in the semis of the AFC Challenge Cup and an earlier 2-0 victory over Turkmenistan in group play.

“You can see he has some great saves, got another penalty today. And I’m not actually afraid of a penalty shot because of the goal keeper. He is a real football player, great timing, so I’m very pleased with him,” he added.

Muller actually didn’t play in the opening game against Afghanistan, a 0-0 stalemate, as first choice keeper Neil Etheridge took the job.

“I respect the coaches’ decision and I knew my time would come. And I’m always ready when the team needs me,” said the Fil-German.

Muller got to take the place of injured Etheridge and didn’t disappoint. His back-to-back penalty saves make a new high for the keeper who traces his roots from Mindoro.

“It’s really luck but it makes me happy I saved two penalties. Yeah, I decided to go one corner based on gut feel and luck was on my side,” he said.

Dooley had said once that Muller won the game for the Azkals but the keeper declined to take credit.

“It contributed to the victory but it’s a team effort,” he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Azkals defeat Maldives in Challenge Cup semis on Greatwich goal

The Philippine men's national football team is AFC Challenge Cup finals bound after a 3-2 victory over Maldives in which Phil Younghusband, Chris Greatwich and Jerry Lucena scored

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine men's national football team is AFC Challenge Cup finals bound after a 3-2 victory over Maldives in the early hours of Wednesday, May 28 in Male’, Maldives.

With both teams tied in extra time, Chris Greatwich once again displayed his clutch heroics, coming on as a substitution to score the go-ahead goal in the 104th minute of play. The goal, which was the 10-year Azkal veteran’s seventh international score, was reminiscent of Greatwich’s deciding goal against Vietnam in the 2010 Suzuki Cup.

The Azkals will now face Palestine at midnight on Friday, May 30 with the winner to earn a spot in the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia. Palestine defeated Afghanistan earlier in the day by a 2-0 tally.

Phil Younghusband opened the scoreline after he turned and shoot in the 19th minute. The Azkals' superb play and passing had left Maldives banking mostly on counter plays, paying dividends as Mohammad Umair scored an equalizer in the 36th minute. Just 3 minutes after, Jerry Lucena scored his first goal for the national inside the box after a Patrick Reichelt miss bounced right in front of him.


Maldives wasn't going down without a fight, with Asadullah Abdhulla scoring another equalizer in the 66th minute. The game went to 30 minutes of extra time.

Azkals keeper Roland Muller also had his hands full, pulling important saves from a penalty kick and a straight shot at goal from Abdhulla in the 93rd minute.

The Philippines had 21 attempts compared to 12 from Maldives, while edging the host nation 8-7 in on target shots. Maldives earned 4 yellow cards compared to 3 for the Philippines.

The Philippines last played Palestine in 2012, defeating them 4-3 to earn third place in that edition of the Challenge Cup.

source: Rappler.com

PH Azkals outlast Maldives to make AFC Challenge Cup finals

MANILA, Philippines—Chris Greatwich struck in extra time as the Philippines outlasted Maldives, 3-2, to make the finals of the AFC Challenge Cup early Wednesday (Manila time) at the National Stadium in Male, Maldives.

One of the players who helped the Azkals spark the rise of football in the country in 2010, Greatwich delivered the clutch goal once again after he came in for Jerry Lucena in the second half.

Phil Younghusband opened the scoring for the Azkals in the 19th minute. The Fil-British striker also kicked off the Filipinos’ attack in the 2-0 win over Turkmenistan in the group stage.

The Fil-Danish Lucena followed it up with his first goal for the Philippines, giving the Azkals a 2-1 lead in the 39th minute.

But it was far from a safe lead for the Filipinos as the home team equalized in the 66th minute on a goal from Assadhulla Abdulla.

Ali Ashfaq led Maldives’ final stand in extra time, but the Azkals managed to hold their ground for the historical victory.

The Azkals and Palestine, which shut out Afghanistan, 2-0, in the semis, will meet in the Finals and dispute the coveted slot for the AFC Asian Cup on Friday.

Azkals go for historic finals vs Maldives

MALE’ – Holding the trophy in a photo op with the coach of the opposing team after the presscon for the semifinal matches of the AFC Challenge Cup, a smiling Azkals mentor Thomas Dooley blurted: “Can I take this home?”

It was said in jest but it pretty much expressed how much the former US skipper wanted the hardware for his Pinoy wards, who stand within striking distance of the title and a historic stint in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

The top semifinalist from Group B, the Azkals gun for a finals berth tonight (midnight of Tuesday in Manila) against Group A second-placer Maldives before an unfriendly crowd at National Stadium.

“It will definitely be very, very interesting game and a very difficult game for us because we’re not just playing (the) Maldives (team), we’re playing against the country (with) maybe 12,000 or 13,000 people in the stadium and their presence gives their team more energy, more power, and that’s always difficult to play in,” said Dooley.

But the Azkals believe they can take on the “super tough” challenge the home side is expected to give them.

“It’s going to be a super tough game; they’re going to have a lot of fans screaming for them but I’m confident this team has enough ability and mental strength to deal with it and hopefully, God-willing, we’ll come out with positive result at the end of it,” said captain Rob Gier.

Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Maldives coach Drago Mamic said they wouldn’t depend much on the so-called “12th man” to hurdle the visitors.

“In football and in other sports, sometimes when fans cheer for you but you make mistakes and it’s neutralized. So you must play disciplined; you must know how to take advantage of this and to be careful because the opposing side is very strong and details can decide the game,” he said.

The Azkals expect to have their hands full against a quick and hardworking Maldivians led by their star striker Ali Ashfaq, who scored three goals in the group stages.

“Maldives is a good team. We watched their games during the group stages and they’re a quick team, they don’t give up, they keep on hustling. So it’s going be difficult and if we want to win, we have to play very well,” said Phil Younghusband.

Gier, one of the Azkals’ defensive pillars, said they will try to neutralize the threat from the charismatic Ashfaq.

“We’ve played against lots of good strikers throughout Asia. Obviously, he’s their star, their captain, their talisman. But we won’t be treating him any differently from how we treat everyone else. It’s kinda imperative we nullify his game. If we could do that, then we’ll have a successful game,” said the veteran.

Mamic said they have the luxury of having everyone in the team available for the game.

source: philstar.com

Azkals vs. Turkmenistan Challenge Cup highlights

Watch this Turkmenistan vs Philippines AFC Challenge Cup 2014 video highlights of the Azkals 2-nil victory over Turkmenistan, which clinched a semi-finals spot for the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines - Needing just a goal to advance to the AFC Challenge Cup semi-finals, the Philippine national football team set out to solidify their odds by trumping Turkmenistan 2-nil on Saturday, May 24.

Phil Younghusband and Patrick Reichelt scored goals for the Azkals, punching their ticket to the a showdown with host nation Maldives on Tuesday, May 27. That same day, Afghanistan and Palestine will battle for the other Challenge Cup finals berth.

The winner of the Challenge Cup will earn a spot in the Asian Cup in 2015.


Turkmenistan 0-2 Philippines: The Philippines secured a second consecutive appearance in the semi-finals of the AFC Challenge Cup at the expense of two-time runners-up Turkmenistan after recording a 2-0 win.

source: Rappler.com

Philippine Azkals finally beat Laos, 2-0

HITHADHOO, Maldives— The Philippines finally conquered an old nemesis in Laos on Thursday night and kept its semifinal hopes  alive in the AFC Challenge Cup at Hithadhoo Zone Stadium here.

Defender Simone Rota and Patrick Reichelt found the back of the net in each half as the Philippine Azkals nailed their first win of the tournament with a 2-0 triumph against a Laotian side that played with little attacking intent.

The Azkals have achieved little success against their Southeast Asian rivals in the past few years, losing two times since 2006 and battling back to secure a dramatic draw when they last met in a tournament in 2010 in the AFF Suzuki Cup.

But with the stakes higher, the Filipinos played with drive and urgency to take maximum points and hike their tally to four from two matches, which puts them on top of Group B.

Rota struck a thunderous volley five minutes from half time after Stephan Schrock’s effort was saved into his path by Laos goalkeeper Keodouangdeth Vathana. Reichelt doubled the lead with a glancing header from a Younghusband corner kick in the 63rd minute.


The two other teams in the group—Turkmenistan and Afghanistan—were slated to play later. But regardless of the result in the other match, a win by the Azkals on Saturday at the National Stadium in Male will be enough to secure passage to the next round.

Coach Thomas Dooley made six changes to the side that drew with Afghanistan on Tuesday, with injured players Neil Etheridge and Chris Greatwich replaced by Roland Muller and Jason de Jong, respectively, and Martin Steuble making way for Paul Mulders, who was a late scratch in the lineup of the last game due to seasickness.

Dennis Cagara also made his first start of the tournament, replacing Daisuke Sato, while Rob Gier and Phil Younghusband, back after serving suspensions, came in for Jerry Lucena and Ruben Doctora, respectively.

With Schrock playing up front, the Azkals looked more threatening but still lacked the cutting edge to constantly break down Laos, which refused to give them space to operate. The Laotians were limited to few counterattacking opportunities.

The Azkals’ first chance came after just nine minutes when Juani Guirado rattled the crossbar with a firm header off a Younghusband corner.

Younghusband had a couple of chances that went begging with the first one from close-range where he was unable to get solid contact on a Schrock cross. The usually prolific striker, who was top scorer of the tournament two years ago, skied a left-footed effort in the 76th minute with the goal at his mercy.


source: sports.inquirer.net