SEA GAMES 2011: WEISS GIVES UP HOPE OF A PLACE IN THE SEMIS

JAKARTA (9 Nov 2011) – The sense of confidence has now been replaced with the feeling of anguish and desperation where after two matches in Group B, the Philippines are still without a point to their name.

After a bright start when they took the lead against the Philippines, they fell apart in the second half to concede a 3-1 loss while in their second match, they just could not muster enough firepower to fall to a 2-1 defeat.

Against such a scenario and with only three games left to the end of the group stage, chief coach Michael Weiss seems certain that their hope of a place in the next round is well over.

“We have to think now of the immediate strategy as the tournament is most likely not on us. We do not even have to think of the semi-finals,” said Weiss.

For the current campaign, the Philippines have assembled a combo of local-based players and pros plying their trade in Europe in the likes of Roland Muller, Manny Ott, Jeffrey Christiaens and Carli de Murga.

But it would seem that joining the squad with just days left to the start of the first game of the competition was not a wise decision and with them not able to acclimatise immediately, the lads were always going to struggle against the prevailing conditions.

Weiss added what he has observed in the current meet will be used to better prepare the team for the future where the hope is that more time should be allowed for the local lads and those based abroad to combine together as a unit.

He also pointed out on the need of the critics and football loving Filipinos to be more realistic in their expectations.

“A lot of these boys are very young; they can still play at the next SEA Games in 2013,” added Weiss. “The hopes in the Philippines now are way too high, we should lower our expectations. Work hard and continue to build up players who are having the right heart and not thinking of themselves as superstars because somebody admires them in the Philippines,” quipped Weiss.

“I should very well think who to bring here for this tournament, one idea is to bring more local players and see how they can compete in international exposure.”

The Philippines’ next match will be against Laos on Friday.

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