MANILA—The Philippine Azkals will not only be fighting to keep their World Cup dreams alive but also protect their impressive home record against Kuwait in the second leg of their second round World Cup Qualifying showdown at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Thursday.
The Azkals will be looking to overhaul a 0-3 deficit against the , who looked every bit the powerhouse team they are in the first leg in Kuwait City last Saturday.
But if there’s one factor going for the Azkals, it’s the fact that they will be playing in the comforts of home.
The Azkals have not lost a home game since November 2006 when they bowed to Laos, 1-2, in the Asean Football Championships at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.
Long before they reached superstar status, the Azkals have been drawing big crowds during their home matches in Bacolod and Iloilo and team manager Dan Palami hopes it will become a factor again against their strongest opponent yet in Manila.
About 13,000 people watched the Azkals demolish Sri Lanka, 4-0, in the first round last July 3.
“We need a miracle,” Palami said during the PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue in Manila.
“We haven’t actually lost at home yet, this is partly because of the crowd factor. We also haven’t conceded a goal for a long time.”
The unbeaten and shutout streak started in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in Iloilo, where they logged two wins and a draw. The Azkals also beat Mongolia, 2-0, early this year in Panaad.
Palami hinted that the counterattacking approach against Kuwait may not change despite the return of creative midfielder Stephan Schrock and skipper Aly Borromeo.
“We’re playing to win and at the same time defend,” Palami also said at the forum sponsored by Shakey’s, Outlast Battery, Pagcor, Smart and Accel.
Palami said that the Azkals, win or lose, can take consolation at the fact that they have already faced one of the best teams in Asia.
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Why is Palami always the one that we're hearing from in the media?!?
ReplyDeleteI don't really give a crap what he has to say. Yes he's financially backed the national team so it can be active and continue to do so but at the end of the day, he's not the one that's in charge of the team it's MICHAEL WEISS!! Therefore it should be him that we should be hearing from!
This isn't a club team like Global FC where he gets to play the big boss! Even then, he's not a coach. He's the team manager aka the general manager and the duties of that role are suppose to be behind the scenes and doesn't involve blabbering in the media all the time like he's the head coach!
The national team is really becoming a farce, it really is and it's untrue!!
Innocence is bliss. Who do you think picks the first team and decides all these expensive training trips are necessary. Weiss??
ReplyDeleteKuwait is good, and they once was actually one of the best teams in Asia long ago, but these days they're not THAT good. Their recent match results at some friendlies and regional minor tourneys might be good, but who really cares such games? Remember how they performed in major tourneys recently such as Asian Cup 2011, where they lost all 3 games of group round against China, Uzbekistan and Qatar. And see their WC qualification history. They've never even come close to qualifying for WC for 30 years. 1982 was the only event they made it.
ReplyDeleteSo don't let it over-hyped. Kuwait is just one of better teams in Asia, not one of the best.
^^ Kuwait is a very strong team. They are the current gulf champions if you don't know. They won the 4 nation cup just recently. IMHO, Kuwait lost to China mainly because they were down to 10 in the first half because their defender (the player who scored the 2nd goal against the Azkals) was issued a red card. Football is so unpredictable. Sometimes teams wont do well in other tournaments, but that doesn't mean they are not good or one of the best. Take for example Brazil and Argentina, they didn't make it to the semis in the copa america 2011. This doesn't mean they are weak now, just unlucky perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI didn't say Kuwait is not strong. Yes they're strong, obviously stronger than us and many other Asian so-so teams, but one of the BEST in Asia? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteI say again, see their World Cup qualification history for last 30 years. They usually fail to reach even the final qualifier round, not to mention eventually making it to the WC. And don't say World Cup is just one of many tournamens. It's the one and only dream tourney in the football world and you MUST do well at that if you want to be regarded as a strong team. Brazil and Argentina? At least they never fail to make it to the WC.
Don't bring Gulf Cup here. It's only SEA countries who regard sub-confederation tournament seriously. Do you know who the current champion of East Asian Championship is? Japan? South Korea? No. It's China. And no one gives a s**t at that and everyone knows Japan and S.Korea are much stronger than China.
I think only 3 countries, Australia, Japan and South Korea, deserve the description of "one of the best in Asia(AFC)".
ReplyDeleteAnd if we have to add a few more teams, it should be Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Kuwait belongs to the next league with teams like North Korea, Qatar, UAE, Iraq, Bahrain, China, Uzbekistan and Jordan.
So if Kuwait is to be tagged as one of the best in Asia, a total of 10 to 15 teams should be put in "the best" group, which i think would be a too rough classification.
"Why is Palami always the one that we're hearing from in the media?!?"
I always thought that too. We hear Palami way too much to the point it's even funny.
^^ Kuwait just handed Saudi Arabia their asses just recently in that 4 nation tournament I mentioned. So if you add Saudi Arabia in your so called best of Asia, then why not throw Kuwait in there. And when you say best, it doesn't mean just 3, 4 or 5 teams, it also could be top 10 best teams in Asia.
ReplyDeleteMY TOP 5 FOOTBALL NT IN ASIA
ReplyDelete1)JAPAN
2)SOUTH KOREA
3)AUSTRALIA
4)IRAN
5)NORTH KOREA
Don't add Saudi if you don't like to. Basically my picks for "the best" group in Asia are only three.
ReplyDeleteBut let me tell you this. You should consider overall career in recent decades, especially at major tournaments, when talking about this kind of topic.
Though it's true that Saudi has obviously been weakened in last few years, with a long term view, they fully deserve to be tagged as one of the best in Asia for last 20 to 30 years. They qualified to World Cup 4 times since 1990's, and they made 3 champion and 3 runner-up in last eight Asian Cup events. So now, what has Kuwait done in recent couple of decades? They have never qualified for World Cup since 1982 and they reached the final qualifier round only once in last 3 events. In Asian Cup, their best performance since 1990 is semifinalist only once, and they've never even make it through the group stage in last 3 events. Isn't it funny to call a team like this "one of the best" in the continent? Does it really matter that they beat who and who at some no-name tournaments recently ?
Well yes, you're right in a way. Calling Kuwait one of the best in Asia woudn't necessarily be "wrong" since, as you said, one can freely define it as top 10 best, top 20 best or whatever. But seriously, who calls Ukraine or Belgium one of the best in Europe?
"Innocence is bliss. Who do you think picks the first team and decides all these expensive training trips are necessary. Weiss??"
ReplyDeleteAre you implying that Palami is the one behind all that?!? If so, then if innocence is bliss then idiocy is...... well just plain idiocy and you're clearly an idiot!
The way Palami is always yapping on in the media and what and how he says things, it really seems like he's the one running things. From team selection to training camps, etc. And he's not suppose have any power in that respect!
"I always thought that too. We hear Palami way too much to the point it's even funny."
Let me fix that for you. We hear Palami way too much to the point it's becoming irritating and becoming a farce!!
Yes Dan Palami, we do need a miracle............. to get you to shut up that is!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDid you not see the double question marks after Weiss in the first innocence is bliss comment. That's sarcasm meaning 'are you kidding?'.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand, thanks to Palami for financially supporting the team when no one was there to back them up from the start.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, perhaps the media should ask more from Weiss instead and give him more media mileage. Palami can talk all day but if the media gives him little attention, we would scarcely hear from him.
Go Azkals!
"On the other hand, perhaps the media should ask more from Weiss instead and give him more media mileage. Palami can talk all day but if the media gives him little attention, we would scarcely hear from him."
ReplyDeleteThat's another thing. If Palami is smart enough, he would tell the media to direct their questions to Weiss instead! Not this BS of soaking up all this media attention to stroke his ego.
"Did you not see the double question marks after Weiss in the first innocence is bliss comment. That's sarcasm meaning 'are you kidding?'."
Then you really are an idiot! Double question marks means sarcasm.... Wow!! How smart are you....
Sa ePL mas sikat ang mga managers kesa sa coach tulad ni Sir ALex ferguson ng MAnchester united, Wenger ng Arsenal.
ReplyDeleteFootball is a business , Media is also a business let both business men talk.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they will not divert from Football , and not to forget to assess their true motives and intentions , every now and then.
"There will be No Winners if there are no Losers"
Lets watch the game and have Fun ... Enjoy!!!
I would also just count as Asian top teams AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, SAUDI ARABIA; BAHRAIN and IRAN.....the teams coming close behind them (as 2nd forces) would be in my opinion KUWAIT, NORTH KOREA, IRAQ, JORDAN, USBEKISTAN, SYRIA, QATAR, UAE and maybe still OMAN & CHINA. The rest is still behind....especially the SEA teams (you saw the results again in the WC qualifiers) but at least the gaps getting loser....but that is just my humble opinion
ReplyDelete