Borromeo, Kaya face Azkal today

By Cheska D. Geli

Friday, September 23, 2011

THE Philippine Azkals will gun for their second win as they face Kaya FC in the last of the three-game friendly in the I Can Serve Invitational at the Rizal Memorial Stadium today.


The charity event, which pits the national pool and two United Football League clubs Global FC and Kaya FC, serves as a prelude to the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.


The Azkals will be fielding both players from the senior team and the under-23 squad as part of their preparation for the Long Teng Cup next month and the Southeast Asian Games in November.


Global FC and Kaya FC are also preparing for the opening of the UFL Cup on Oct. 8.


Expected to lead the national squad today are brothers Phil and James Younghusband, Ian Araneta and Chieffy Calgidong while Kaya will be led by national team regulars Aly Borromeo, Jason Sabio, Nate Burkey and Yannick Tuason.


The week-long friendly opened last Monday with the defending UFL champions Global FC edging Kaya FC, 1-0 win, with Sudanese Izzeldin El-habbib delivering the lone goal for Global.


In the second game last Wednesday, Global FC lost to the national team, 3-2, after erasing a two-goal deficit in the second half.


Araneta’s header late in the match sealed the win for the Azkals, which also got two goals from Phil Younghusband.


Global FC goals came from Misagh Bahadoran, also a member of the national team and El-habbib who scored his second goal in the friendly tournament.


Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 24, 2011.