6 Germany-based PH Azkals begin training with team

SIX Germany-based Filipino players, led by prized find Stephan Schrock, have started training with the Philippine Azkals, who are currently in Duren, Germany for a series of tune-up matches against German football clubs as part of their preparation for the 2014 World Cup Qualifying matches against Sri Lanka.

Already recovered from his injury, the 25-year-old Schrock has started scrimmaging with the Azkals, who will play their first tune-up game against Juni Association, a team based in Duren on June 15, Wednesday.

Coach Hans Michael Michael Weiss said Schrock’s presence will be a big boost to the Azkals.

“He is a fantastic player,” said Weiss of Schrock, who plays right back for 2nd Bundesliga club SpVgg Greuther Fürth.[

Schrock, a former mainstay for Germany’s national squads in the under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, expressed his desire to play for the Azkals, while he was in Manila last March to fix his passport.

The Azkals also welcomed five other Fil-Germans in Mark Drinkuth, Patrick Hindrichsen, Manny Ott, Patrick Reichelt and Oliver Potschke.

Meanwhile, all is not well in Sri Lankan football, following reports that the Football Federation of Sri Lanka is set to make major changes in the line-up of the Brave Reds. The planned revamp stemmed from the recent news that three members of the team remained suspended over allegations of game-fixing since May.

In an online article of Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror, the football federation said that veteran forward Kasun Jayasuriya and another club player have been suspended over their involvement in the alleged match fixing within their Premier League.

Peter Atencio

MAnila Standard Today