By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
MANILA, Philippines — Although the Philippine Azkals rank way above Mongolia in the international rankings, German coach Michael Weiss said they are not discounting the Mongolians when they clash in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifier on February 9 in Bacolod City.
The Azkals boast of a No. 153 FIFA rankings compared to Mongolia’s 182, but Weiss remains wary of the Mongolians, who according to scouting reports, are planning to train in Guangzhou, China to acclimatize for one week before coming to Bacolod.
“There seems to be a transition in their team. We heard that some players are young and less experienced, while others are injured,” said Weiss at the PSA Forum in Shakey’s UN Avenue.
Weiss, who succeeded British coach Simon McMenemy is not underestimating their rival, adding they could also pull an upset the same way the Filipinos did against the heavily-favored Vietnamese at the AFF Suzuki Cup last December.
Weiss expects Fil-foreign players that include Neil Etheridge, Chris Greatwitch, Jason de Jong and Rob Gier to arrive on February 6.
“It would be better if we have the group complete on an earlier time. Still, I’m trying to squeeze out the best of the team as much as I can,” said Weiss, who has helped in developing the football system in Rwanda before joining the Azkals.
“But with the mix of cultures and the way they are responding as far as training, conditioning and technical aspects are concerned, there is a good possibility of developing a well-balanced team,” he said.
Skipper Ali Borromeo, meanwhile, said the transition to a new coach has brought a new dimension to squad.
“He knows the potential of the team and gives a variety of techniques in our conditioning. We’ve been working and stepping up on our attacking style of approach, while trying to put pressure on our opponent to commit more mistakes,” Borromeo said.
“On paper, we look really strong. Everyone’s in good spirits, but we haven’t been really tested. We’ll see against Mongolia,” he added.
The second tie will be held on March 15 in Mongolia.
Photo by Bob Dungo JR
Manila Bulletin
Jay,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Coach Weiss believes in letting the best players play regardless of where they came from. The players seem to be responding positively to his instructions and conditioning seems to be more of a priority now than previously.
We need to win by a big margin in the first game in order to make the away leg moot and academic so I like his emphasis on attacking. The average high in Ulan Bator Mongolia in the second leg is -2C with a low of -11C. This plus the high altitude will make it difficult for our locals to play. Bring on the Northern Europeans.
BTW, Check my response on the previous Weiss article. I think we agree on most issues. It is just a matter of perspective.
BTW here is a scouting report on the Mongolian team I found on another website usapang football by mark del valle:
ReplyDeleteThey got 5 main key players,
1. Garidbagnai Bayasgalan, who is a left footed defender (has recently played mid on their last games, has a good long range kick that has been successful with helping their attack.
2. Lumbengarav Donorov, Captain, he is offensive free attacking defender who is the main motivator of the team. according to some notes, good on the air, and is experienced (32 y.o.) however his age might become a factor for this aws he would have to catch up against younger players. This experience factor has also allowed him to score goals against several teams that they have faced.
3. Khurelbaatar Tsend-Ayush, a young (20y.o.) attacking midfielder who has good technicality and great shooting style, and creativity.
4. Bayazorig Davaa, at 35 years old, he has been a part of the Mongolian National team since 1998. He is their main striker, and with a body that can be mistaken as sprinter he aggressively aims for the goal with outstanding power and physicality. Hard defense from the front and powerful dribbling are also his trademarks. When he gets the ball, he always goes towards goal.
5. Togsbayar Gaanbataryn, along with Lukmhengarav, they are the top scorers of this national team.
based on their historical data, they will be fielding a 4-4-2, they claim to have a sturdy defensive line, however it is pretty obvious that they attack on the flanks.... Considering that the Mongolian league (and Mongolian people, in general) is a very physical league, expect them to constantly foul. With an average of 1.7 yellow cards a game, they will be playing hard, hopefully wont injure any of our players.
B. Mendbaatar
L. Donorov (HAS TO BE MANNED, HE HAS SCORED 4 GOALS IN HTE LAST 4 GAMES)
O. Selenge (this guy has been frequently subbed, might not have that much stamina?)
G. Bayasgalan
E. Tserenjav (ANOTHER SCORING THREAT, 3 GOALS IN LAST 4)
M. Chimeddorj (SCORED 1 IN THE LAST 4)
D. Gongorjav
T. Norjmoo
B. Sukhbaatar (1 GOAL IN LAST 4)
M. Altankhuyag
T. Ganbaatar
potential used subs:
B. Zorigt (MID/WING)
T. Khurelbaatar (FW)
A. Batchuluun (DEF)
I. Munkhtogtokh (Another DEF but has only been used 1 the last 4 games)
N. Sharav (GK)
footnote: Bayagzorig Davaa is B. Zorigt on the scout report, and T. Khurelbataar is an attacking mid/forward