By CJ Marquez, CNN Philippines
(CNN Philippines, June 25) — Philippine Azkals head coach Scott Cooper is expecting to gather a formidable squad in the coming months.
Cooper is hoping to have a healthier team when they return to the pitch in September. The national team has been plagued with injuries, including star goalie Neil Etheridge and Filipino-German midfielder John-Patrick Strauss.
"We'll play in some international games in September. We should have the strongest squad together by then. Azkals fans can look forward to a very promising next couple of years with a vastly improved squad," the English coach told CNN Philippines' Sports Desk on Friday.
The Azkals are coming off a historic stint in the joint qualifiers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup where they tallied the most points by any Philippine men's national football team. The Philippines finished with 11 points in Group A behind Syria's 21 points and China's 19 points.
For Cooper, the achievement can be celebrated but he is still aiming to bring the Philippines to the major tournaments.
"The points tallied that we got from the group is the most achieved by any Azkals team. The team made history in terms of points gained total. We can be satisfied with that achievement but for me it's about going to the big stage and we have to stop settling for mediocrity," he said.
https://cnnphilippines.com/sports/2021/6/25/Scott-Cooper-Azkals-strongest-squad-September.html?fb&fbclid=IwAR0QdVBD1_yiTGjknZ68ycWIl8_2KGNYfTJm6ZLuo5A0_bdZIry9xA_v50E
No comments:
Post a Comment