Neil Etheridge , Robert Gier , Jerry Lucena and Ray Jonsson were all missing in yesterday`s friendly against Bahrain Olympic (U23) .
Coach Weiss said in Bahrain that only 1 or 2 players is expected to strengthen the team in Saturday`s match against Kuwait, but did not mention any names...
Jerry Lucena, played yesterday for AGF Aarhus in opening match of the season where they beat Cagara`s club Lyngby 2-1. Cagara played for Lyngby. AGF Aarhus has second league match this coming Sunday. I dont expect him to come to Kuwait,
Ray Jonsson, his club Grindavik is playing league match on Sunday.
Robert Gier and Neil Etheridge : No news about them ?
Update Wednesday :
Rob Gier has arrived Kuwait today. Weiss is expecting also Etheridge and Jonsson, Lucena is not expected to go to Kuwait.
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It's only Tuesday... maybe something will come up in the next 24-48 hours.
ReplyDeleteWies is playing mind games...
ReplyDeleteWise move!
ReplyDeleteIf we can't beef up our squad we will go down in Kuwait...as they are from another quality then the Bahrain U-23 team. and then it is also no need to have all on board in Manila as the game is already decided......as long as we can't send our best team we have not that much chances I think. I always thought clubs must release the players for WC matches....as these pre-eliminaries are also mentioned as WC matches on the FIFA side....
ReplyDeleteAFC decided to play round 1 and Round 2 World Cup qualifiying matches on non FIFA match days.
ReplyDeleteThanx for the info Jonny...this is really a disadvantage for a team like ours with so many "legionaires" compared to the ones like Kuwait which have home based players in the starting line up only.....a really stupid decision by the AFC.
ReplyDeleteThe problem for AFC is that there are too many World Cup qualifier qualifying matches in Asia and too few FIFA match dayes. Round 3 start with matches on 2. September and 6. September, they are FIFA match days, so it would be easier to get players released if Azkals advance :)
ReplyDeleteNeil Etheridge is third choice in Fulham FC and should be released for Kuwait match. Rob Gier play in lower league and should also be released, but maybe other reasons if he cant come ... For Lucena and Jonsson it is up to the club`s to release them..
Lucena and Jonsson would be a big boost already to strengthen the defense....it's really a pity that we miss Schrock and Borromeo due to these yellow cards. But that's football.....hope the players from Kuwait will have not their best day ;-)
ReplyDelete"If we can't beef up our squad we will go down in Kuwait"
ReplyDeleteIrregardless if the the squad gets beefed up with a couple more players, we will still go down in Kuwait!!
Weiss : "It’s very difficult to say because it is not the team that will play on Saturday,” said Weiss, who expects Rob Gier, Ray Jonsson and Neil Etheridge to beef up the Azkals’ lineup.
ReplyDeleteWeiss is still hopeful that Paul Mulders, the Fil-Dutch attacking midfielder, will be allowed to play by his club ADO Den Haag, which is competing in the Europa League."
Another thing to remember about guys on club contracts: there's no FIFA rule forcing players to join international squads. Each individual must request release from his employers. If he doesn't that's the end of it.
ReplyDeleteIf a player gets called up on a FIFA match date, that's a different story. Apart from that, players are not obliged to take part in international fixtures, neither are clubs obliged to release players on non-FIFA match dates.
ReplyDeleteYou don't seem to get what I'm saying. No player HAS to play for his country. There are quite a few in Europe who have told their national FA's they have no wish to be selected for international games; not because of disloyalty but because of age or dislike of the N.T. coach.
ReplyDeleteWell, obviously! Its up to the players themselves if they wish to play international football or not if or when they get called up. Sort of like Cagara. Not overly excited or interested in playing for the Philippines and that's perfectly fine and normal. But there are a few who make it seem like he's the bad guy for his decision.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's everybody's free will and decision if he joins the NT or not. In our case it just too sad to see what squad we would be able to send on the pitch with all the players who don't feel like to play (their decision is of course accepted) or the PFF missed before they decided to play for another FA (just thinking of Alaba, Cagara, De Guzman etc.....)
ReplyDelete"Irregardless if the the squad gets beefed up with a couple more players, we will still go down in Kuwait!!"
ReplyDeletethe only comforting thing about this will be that our SEA competors (Vietnam or Myanmar) will also go down to the Middle East teams, respectively Qatar and Oman.........why couldn't we have some more luck oin the draw....I mean chances to advance vs. Thailand or Singapore would be a bit higher than to these superior Middle Eastern teams
"the only comforting thing about this will be that our SEA competors (Vietnam or Myanmar) will also go down to the Middle East teams"
ReplyDeleteWhat is so 'comforting' about that possibility?! lol!
"why couldn't we have some more luck in the draw"
Oh come on, quit complaining!! We already reached the second round for the first time ever. And as a whole, this team has already over achieved, can't complain really! And by you saying that, you make it sound like its realistic that they're really gonna reach far in the qualifiers or even actually qualify which. lol!
"why couldn't we have some more luck in the draw"
ReplyDeleteThough we would have a better chance of winning against these teams, the team actually benefits more by playing the stronger teams in the Gulf region. Getting a better understanding of where exactly they stand and what more they need to improve on against these teams is the only way to keep improving. If all we can achieve is success in SEA region then we really won't go very far in the sport.
Sometimes losing to a superior team can be more valuable then beating a weak team.
"this is really a disadvantage for a team like ours with so many "legionaires" compared to the ones like Kuwait which have home based players in the starting line up only...."
ReplyDeleteOr you can call it a disadvantage for a country who can't produce players with their own hands.
If we keep relying too much on foreign-based players, this kind of problem will always haunt us. And if we can't compete without some key players, we can never be a powerhouse in this sport.
"Sometimes losing to a superior team can be more valuable then beating a weak team."
ReplyDeletewell said.
we've never reached this part of the competition and the experience, win or lose, will be invaluable to the players going forward.
continue to develop local players through the UFL. Interest has obviously been revived and generated. As soon as we have kids growing up wanting to be "just like Phil" or even "just like Chieffy" in stead of all the kids wanting to be "like Manny Pacquiao" or "like James Yap", then that's a start.
fil-fors will come and go and im sure their interest and willingness to play for the NT will increase as the overall competiveness and organization of the NT progresses.
Just a few years ago when the team was in shambles, the YHBs didn't wanna play anymore and the fil-fors came in trickles. Now that we've made some progress (Suzuki and WC first round qualifiers) you've seen more coming out of the woodwork. I guess at the current level of the NT, the likes of Cagara and Lucena aren't all too upbeat just yet. If the team improves, that could change.
Keep at it, a football program wasn't built in a day or over one or two tournaments. We're on the right track. So keep at it.
Go Philippines!
Go Phillipines! is exactly right, mapster.
ReplyDeleteBut to me that means go Filipino homegrown development. Unfortunately the future potential Azkals sleeping on the floor in the Philsports Arena will tell you it's hard to believe those at the top really care a shit about those at the bottom.
stop complaining and do something about the grassroots development. start an after school program. grab some kids and play every weekend. anything to keep the interest up. most of us here probably dont have any pull in politics but we can do our part. who knows if "those at the top" really care or not and if the money is going to the right place. we just need to make sure that when we get the chance to do something about that then we need to take that opportunity. right now we just need to make sure that the interest is still there. and those who know the game share the knowledge. and we need to be happy with what the team has achieved so far. this has been repeated so many times. they will improve as long as the right people are making the right decisions.
ReplyDeleteRob Gier has arrived Kuwait...
ReplyDeleteSo if Etheridge and Jonsson go to Kuwait, that will be a 24-man squad. That's too much as it's over the 23-man squad limit.
ReplyDeleteThey brought too many players along, especially midfielders. Not enough options at the back specifically left back.