Little Azkals lose to Vietnam again

By Mars G. Alison
Cebu Daily News

The Philippine Little Azkals put themselves in a must-win situation in their final two matches after bowing to Vietnam, 0-2, in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under 14 Festival of Football 2012 Southeast Asia Region yesterday at the Stadium Likas in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia.

This is the second straight year that the Philipine Under 14 team lost to the Vietnamese squad.

Despite the loss, head coach Oliver “Bingbing” Colina said the boys had a better performance this year.

“Vietnam is technically good. Last year, they dominated us,” said Colina. “This year, we dominated them. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to convert our attempts.”

The Little Azkals team 2 helmed by Sebastian Rafael Benedict Patangan played in the first half. They were only able to sustain their game plan for seven minutes, said Colina.

“The center as well as the wings were weak. We were not able to control the midfield area,” Colina added.

Vietnam’s first goal came from a free kick just in front of the penalty area while its second goal was a one-on-one.

Things seemed to get better in the second half with Team 1, headed by Darius Joseph Diamante, taking over the pitch. However, the pressure of being down 0-2 got to them that they failed to convert their numerous chances.

It was an off day for the Little Azkals, who were not only unsuccessful in creating their combination plays but also hounded by bad passing and ball control.

The team has a chance to comeback as they still have two matches left against Thailand and Myanmar.

The Little Azkals Team 2 fought Myanmar’s Team 1 to a draw during the first day of competition.

According to Colina, the boys have to work hard and minimize their mistakes in attacking when they face both teams today.