by rick olivares
This is the first match of the Philippines that I
have seen in a while and I came away – despite the scoreless draw – with a lot
of positive vibes and a feeling of hope.
There was word about the match delayed and the
inclement weather making the ride to the venue a little more exciting and
anxious than one should hope for. This is where you have to credit to the
coaching staff and management of both squads because they sure didn’t look like
they were affected by what had happened come kick-off.
A glance at the Afghanistan’s record since last year
shows that they are a tough team to defeat. When they win, they score a lot of
goals; when they lose, it’s by a goal. But the Azkals aren’t easy pickings
either.
Afghanistan started out with a lot of energy. They
pressed and forced the Philippines to be a little more defensive. Their passing
and speed were impressive. The Lions of Khurasan also gave the Azkals’ midfield
some fits and bagged a bonus when Chris Greatwich went out of the game pretty
early.
At first, I got a little worried because Greatwich is
a very good leader on and off the pitch. But this is where is where a team
shows its worth.
When nothing is going right, play defense (playing
4-4-2). And the defense, as led by team captain (nice) Juani Guirado, was
steadfast. There were some shaky moments but this is why you value good defense
and a good goalkeeper who can clean up mistakes. And the Afghans attacked and
looked to score early on.
This is where you value someone like Stephan Schrock.
He showed no fear and led the way. His forays in the attacking half and
willingness to battle for possession was that spark.
With Schrock, James Younghusband, and the others
going forward, that forced Afghanistan to leave some men behind to defend.
Now since the match started late, I wondered how both
sides could play at a certain pace meaning the body isn’t attuned to matches at
that time of the day. Again, this is where you appreciate the training and work
put in by the coaching staff.
Midway through the first half, the Philippines
established control (off their 3-5-2/4-4-1-1 offensive formation) and found its
passing game that is much much improved. The problem though was slipping in
that ball to a friendly face inside the final third.
If Afghanistan looked like they were going to score
in the match, the Philippines had just as many if not better scoring
opportunities. Luckily for the Afghans, they had a terrific goalkeeper in
Mansur Faqiryar who made some terrific saves all match long (he has to thank
the crossbar for a nifty save too in extra time in the first half).
In the second half, a more compact midfield by the
Philippines made for better passing. Furthermore, they pressed and gave the
Afghans a dose of their own medicine.
Here I felt that the Philippines had the speedy
players to cause some problems in Schrock and Patrick Reichelt (ditto with
Ruben Doctora Jr. as well). But this is where the team needs to work on its
attack -- the quick release to an open teammate and quick support behind an
attacker.
In the end, the resoluteness of the Afghans on
defense forced the Azkals to shoot from the outside. They launched some thunder
crackers coming from Martin Steuble, OJ Porteria, and Daisuke Sato but they
didn’t find the back of the net.
I felt that Philippines head coach Thomas Dooley made
excellent use of his substitutions. The conditions might have conspired against
both teams but I thought both countries played to the best of the situation.
Overall, it was a quality football match.
I would have wanted to see the Philippines come away
with the three points but I do not feel disappointed. I like the ground game,
the adjustments, the defense, and the spirit.
I’d say the Azkals will play much better in their
next fixture.
I wanted to take down notes but I have been attuned to Azkals just yet (after quite a spell). Will try to do so next time.
Excellent match and equal is your account of what happened Rick! I agree, I too came away and gone to my 4am bedtime not disappointed (ok, somewhat especially late in the 2nd half...those were good pops at goal and on target) and in fact quite optimistic. The Laos match should be a another cracker as the Laos/Turmenistan's scoreline does not tell the real story on how Laos is actually a threat. Especially that we actually have not beaten Laos and this is a good first time where it will matter most.
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