JAKARTA (15 Dec 2010) – Everything seems to be working in Indonesia’s favour. Tickets are sold out which means up to 90,000 fans will be at the Gelora Bung Karno to watch their team in action in the first leg semifinal of this year’s AFF Suzuki Cup. Indonesia President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, along with a host of dignitaries will be on hand to lend their support.
Indonesia also do not have any players suspended or injured, which means coach Alfred Riedl will have all options open to him. Even the weather seems to be holding out, allowing the pitch to be in the best of conditions ahead of the game tomorrow.
Then there’s also the best incentive of all, the USD 550,500 that has been promised to the team if they bag the prestigious trophy for the very first time in the history of the event.
“We are optimistic of delivering a good result to the fans. While we are all fit and ready to play tomorrow, we have to respect them too. They have nine naturalised players who are good. They are no longer the Philippines of before,” said assistant coach Wolfgang Pikal at the Pre-Match Press Conference today.
He said that the team had watched their opponents’ game and have identified their strengths and weaknesses.
When asked about the Younghusband brothers (James and Philip), Pikal warned that they could be dangerous. “They performed well in the previous matches and we have to contain them.”
Indonesia have been impressive in the run-up to the semifinals and look to have their best chance to not only make the final but go on to record a historic win at the end.
Earlier today, with tickets for the first match sold out, thousands of fans lined up for hours to try and get their hands on the tickets for the second match. In fact, it’s selling so fast, local officials are confident it will also be sold out by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, it was revealed at the team managers’ meeting today that over 2,000 security personnel which includes police, army, secret service and internal security, will be mobilised for the match.
aseanfootball
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"naturalised"?...ayan na naman... mga ignoramus talaga!
ReplyDeletePikal should watched how we will massacre his team 3 nil today. I will bite his back and the azkals will have a feast with their defense. Unfortunately for Pikal, he will also lost the 2nd leg and he will carry all the blame. You will suffer the consequences of taking away the 1st leg for the azkals.
ReplyDeleteWhoever wrote this article did not do their homework. All the players playing for the Philippine football team are all Filipinos although nine of its players are half Filipinos and half Europeans. None are naturalized.
ReplyDeleteignorant indos
ReplyDeleteindonesia vs filiphine = 3-0 , believe me...
ReplyDeleteit's Philippines dumb ass. not filiphine. dumb ASS!
ReplyDeleteCoach tell your team to "Attack"- Football is not all Defense...
ReplyDeleteWho the hell is anonymous? the vietnamese coach? If the Indo keeper wasnt alert we would have been 2 goals up instead of one down. Were you watching the same game?? Even the commentator said they were surprised at how open it was. The Philippines was NOT all defence. Just because they are more organized than Indonesia and that they had never met a team like the Azkals so far doesnt mean we were too defensive. I think we have Indonesia right where we want them. Theres no away goal rule anyway.
ReplyDeleteI agree. We do attack well, we just conceded 1 goal but look, were also facing a very dificult team to beat. That just mean we had improved well. The team frustrates the Indons that they werent able to do short passes because they were afraid of our counter atacks. They were simply beaten by us at this moment.
ReplyDeleteI just wish we can do well on the 2nd leg with a fit midfielders and forwards. And hopefully score goals, 4 goals perhaps.
Until then,
Mr.Jay and Hyena , maybe i am stupid in football but can you ask the coach what was his "ATTACK SYSTEM" and the Tactic he used throughout the game.
ReplyDeleteIt could have been more systematic play add on the spirit of the Philippine players if your coach used a good "Tactic" and "System" to the game play. It was quite tiring for the players to run back and forth the stadium trying their defense system if you can call it that.
ReplyDeleteTeam is good - Coach is not ... or are they even listening to him.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, no man in Europe loves to play defensively, and thats what Calisto gets mad at us. And our coach lives in and grown up in the EPL and believe me a win without ball possession means nothing to them, ask our Fil Am players for that. The coach knows that. I have a friend from Tottenham who dont give a damn about Thai football and infact we cant give a hell of a fight with the Thais.
ReplyDeleteWe didnt have the ball control and possession. We cant create chances if we dont control the ball. Barcelona thrash my fave RMA simply because they had almost 80% ball possession. It was an historic 5 nil.
I mean we did a good job but I understand that the coach tactics werent applied well by the players and its because Indons are simply better than us in terms of experience. I mean this Azkal team were just new to each other. The good news is were learning from this.
Azkals were good, coach is good of course but we have to be more aggressive next time and do better in our midfields so that we can control the ball and create chances.
The Azkals needs a heart to heart talk about this since the coach already taught them everything.
how can the new coach build and develop the team in one month and transfer his football Tactics and system to them ... maybe he could have just given them the motivation. But i really do think the whole game should be credited to the players because of their spirit and will to win...Go Azkals !!!
ReplyDeleteGiven that chance the coach has a lot to prove , in time... Let your coach lay down his game plan "TACTICS" and "ATTACK SYSTEM" instead of asking everybody if he was seen on TV .
The coach has given them everything they need and the players were great. The coach want them badly to succeed which they already did since his aiming for future coaching job in Europe.
ReplyDeleteLets just see if they can execute their tactics next match and I hope the forwards and the midfields will play their best football for better chances of winning this, and the midfields shouldnt stick much on the defense since the defense were very solid already.
Were looking for more attacking azkals this time.
why do you make a big fuzz out of a defensive-based system - look Inter does it, Chelsea does it, my son's high school team does it. This is just sourgraping. Admittedly, the Philippine midfield line needs to be more cohesive. The team has only one good striker. However, if you are criticizing a team who only gave up one goal and one due to a 20-yr old keeper's miscue at that, in effect what you critics are admitting is that this team can become much deadlier team than Indonesia given enough time, training and coaching. Imagine if there were a proper professional league in the Philippines. Imagine if football were just half as popular as the sport is in Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.
ReplyDeleteMr. Hyena if the coach wants the team to badly succeed the game why are they shopping instead of practicing , and seriously talking about the game plan for the next game... the filipino attitude of "Puwede na yan" system and not aiming for perfection , precision and execution might cause our downfall... Or maybe the coach does not give a damn about the Philippine team , anyway he is aiming for a coaching job in Europe. But if this is the kind of coach he is , he sure will end up a career coaching the "Little League" . Wake up AZKALS !!! this is the real world , this is a dream for millions of Filipino Football Fans here and abroad... Put football in your heart and mind whether or not you have a game to play or not...PLEASE !!!
ReplyDeleteWe are not making a big FUZZ and we are not sourgraping , we are just merely suggesting... we don't give a damn if the highschool team of your son does it, and i don't think that the well funded Chelsea Team is that stupid not have a game plan.
ReplyDeleteOf course you are making a big fuzz. I made an example of my son's junior team doing it because you made this sound like a sacrilegious thing which it is not and pretty common. When you only have two strikers moving forward most of the time thats counterattacking and dont you consider this football. When the chips are down, you have to do your best to develop a strategy suitable for your team. I cant understand the logic of putting down this strategy?? A win is a win comment whatever you want.
ReplyDeleteJust dont take it to the heart my friends, were just against the Indons or I might say someone here is an alien...
ReplyDeleteAnd whats wrong with taking a short break???
The team just enjoy themselves, clear their minds and thats good but if someones telling me that they dont practice then kiss my butt.
WHO THE HELL WANTS TO PRACTICE 24 HOURS A Day?????
Lets just enjoy the wait, sit with thee friends and get ready for goals.
Excuse me, Being in the semis is already a success. Dont yah get it????
ReplyDeleteWin or loss, they already changed the history of Philippine football.
Irresponsible journalists don't do their homework. The Indonesian team has a naturalized player, but the Philippine doesn't. Some of the players in the Philippine team who look like Caucasians are Fil-Europeans, and so they have Filipino blood in their veins.
ReplyDelete