Sacapano on spot as Azkals battle Lions

WILL he thrive or will he crack?
This is the question Filipino football fans want to be answered when homegrown goalkeeper Eduard Sacapano is thrust into the spotlight anew as the Philippine Azkals battle the Singapore Lions before an expected sellout crowd at the Javellana Sports Complex field in Cebu City tonight.
The two teams collide at 7 o’clock, with the Filipinos hoping to repeat their 2-0 thrashing of the Singaporeans the last time they met on the visitors’ home turf.
Sacapano will be under the microscope when he minds the net for the hosts in the absence of Europe-based goalies Neil Etheridge and Roland Mueller, who are usually the men behind the posts when the Nationals are up against top opposition.
But with Etheridge and Mueller tied down to their clubs in England and Germany, respectively, German coach Michael Weiss has no other choice but to bank on the 32-year-old Armyman against Singapore, and perhaps even more in next week’s Suzuki Cup.
National team manager Dan Palami said as much last Tuesday night shortly after his Global team edged Loyola Meralco 2-1 to advance to the finals of the UFL Cup.
“Neil said he might be available only in the last game (against) Myanmar while Mueller remains doubtful,” said Palami, “which leaves us with Sacapano as our steady option at the net.”
Goalkeeping problems, he added, has left Weiss with a huge challenge in picking the final 22-man roster when the Azkals kick off their campaign in the Suzuki Cup against host Thailand on Nov. 24 at the Rajamamgalah Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Weiss must now add another goalie to the squad if Etheridge and Mueller are unavailable, so those are total of four slots locked up when you could only have three,” Palami noted. “This places him in a tight situation.”
Sacapano, however, has shown he can step up, yielding only one goal in three matches in the last Philippine Peace Cup the Azkals won. He also manned the net in the country’s 4-3 victory over Turkmenistan that enabled the Filipinos to finish third in the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal early this year.
Filipino-Danish defenders Dennis Cagara, Jerry Lucena and Fil-Dutch midfielder Paul Mulders will beef up the Azkals, confirming they would play all three games in Bangkok, according to Palami.
“With these three players, we will be pretty deep in the back row and midfield,” Palami said. “Really, our only problem left is between the posts.”

Malaya