Phil Younghusband, skipper Rob Gier lead first batch of Azkals to leave for Suzuki Cup

From: Karlo Sacamos


THE Azkals’ lineup for the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup is nearly complete ahead of the Philippines’ campaign in Vietnam this weekend. The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has pruned down the registered 35-man pool, booking 21 players for flights that left for Hanoi on Wednesday morning. Skipper Rob Gier and leading scorer Phil Younghusband once again banner the squad. Filipino-Spanish defender Alvaro Silva was not booked as he is still waiting for his passport, but can still make the roster. Neil Etheridge and Roland Muller were also excluded due to club commitments, although the latter can be available starting in the second leg of the semifinals after the end of his Swiss club Servette FC’s season. Jeffrey Christiaens, Anton del Rosario, Jason Sabio, Paolo Bugas, Carli de Murga, Satoshi Otomo, Mike Ott, Nate Burkey, and OJ Porteria were the other players left out, while Chieffy Caligdong and Jason de Jong recently retired from national duty. The PFF is expected to name final roster on the eve of the Azkals’ first assignment on Saturday against Laos. Only 18 can sit on the bench. The full list of players who were booked is listed below. Goalkeepers: Patrick Deyto, Tomas Trigo Defenders: Amani Aguinaldo, Rob Gier, Juani Guirado, Simone Rota, Daisuke Sato, Dennis Villanueva Midfielders: Misagh Bahadoran, Kenshiro Daniels, Curt Dizon, Chris Greatwich, Simon Greatwich, Jerry Lucena, Paul Mulders, Manny Ott, Martin Steuble, James Younghusband Forwards: Mark Hartmann, Patrick Reichelt, Phil Younghusband

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