Under-23 Azkals return to action vs Laos

JAKARTA—The out-of-it-all Under-23 Azkals return to the pitch Friday to try and salvage some measure of pride while the other Filipino athletes competing here and in West Java begin their campaign in the 26th Southeast Asian Games.

Saddled with two losses, the Filipinos gun for a breakthrough win against Laos at 4 p.m. (5 p.m. in Manila) with coach Michael Weiss expected to field more homegrown players this time.

As in their match against the Timor Leste on Monday, the Azkals are tipped as the favorites against the Laotians, who took a 2-3 loss from Myanmar Thursday last week before drawing with Brunei, 2-2.

The Azkals bowed to Vietnam, 3-1, in their first game then absorbed a 2-1 loss to the Timorese in a match where Weiss later said some of the Fil-foreign players behaved like “stars.”

Next up for the Filipinos is Brunei.

inquirer.net