2 Tiger booters join PH Azkals

TWO members of the University of Santo Tomas Tigers will join the Philippine Azkals national football team when it sees action next week in the Group Stage of the 2012 Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup.

David Basa and Yannick Tuason, members of the UST Tigers football squad which placed runner-up to the University of the Philippines Maroons in the 73rd season of the University Athletic Association, are among five new players who will suit up for the Azkals.

National coach Hans Michael Weiss said Basa and Tuason, along with Fil-Germans William Espinosa and Patrick Hinrichsen, and 6’3” Fil-Spanish Angel Aldeguer Guirado, are a welcome additions to the team.

“I want to go with young players so they can learn valuable experience from playing with the team,” said Weiss.

Guirado will take the place of the injured Phil Younghusband, who will miss the team’s opening game against Myanmar.

According to the Azkals’ strength and conditioning coach Josef Malinay, the 23-year-old Younghusband will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging scan and if the results are favorable, the ace striker could rejoin the team after four days.

“We are double-checking. Nagsi-siguro lang kami,” said Malinay.

Sports medicine specialist Dr. Randy Molo had earlier examined Younghusband to find out the extent of his injury.

Younghusband pulled his hamstring in the 65th minute of the Azkals’ game against Mongolia last March 15.

Malinay said the coaching staff remains hopeful that Younghusband may still be able to play during the Group Stage after the game against Myanmar.

“We expect him to play by then. We are keeping our fingers crossed,” Malanay said.

Also back in the Azkals’ line-up are Fil-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and Rob Gier.

Etheridge was given the greenlight by his mother team Fullham to rejoin the Azkals, while Gier will be back after finishing some work with a real estate company in England.

The Azkals play host Myanmar on Monday, 3: 30 p.m., at the start of hostilities in Bracket A of the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup Group Stages.

They will next meet Palestine on Wednesday, and against Bangladesh on Friday. Peter Atencio

Manila Standard Today