Today at 3.30 pm at Rizal Memorial in Manila.
Philippines vs Sri Lanka, second leg.
First leg in Colombo 1-1
Tv : Studio 23
News before , during and after the match. Livestream ,tickets, line-ups and weather . Anything related to the match can be posted in comments
03 July 2011
I'm ready for a great match!
Came to Manila yesterday. Picked up my tickets at National Book Store in Harrison Plaza and bought some Azkals t-shirts there.
Got home and away National Team Jersey in Mizuno store at Mall of Asia ! Some left there but be quick !
Weather is fine her in Manila at 11.50 am , cloudy and no rain yesterday and up to now. Lets hope the rain will stay away until 6.30 pm...
Got home and away National Team Jersey in Mizuno store at Mall of Asia ! Some left there but be quick !
Weather is fine her in Manila at 11.50 am , cloudy and no rain yesterday and up to now. Lets hope the rain will stay away until 6.30 pm...
Moment of truth: Philippine booters battle Sri Lanka today
By Cedelf Tupas
MANILA—It’s a match that means the world for a Philippine football team seeking a shot at history.
The Azkals try to justify their status as the new pride and joy of Philippine sports when they face Sri Lanka in the return leg of their World Cup qualifying match today at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The 3:30 p.m. game carries a lot of significance for the country, which missed playing at the qualifying event of the 2006 and 2010 editions.
The first World Cup qualifying match in the Philippines in 10 years also gives the national team a chance to advance to the second round of the qualifying tournament for the first time.
“Considering what the national team has been through over the years, this match and playing in front of Filipinos mean so much to us,” said Chieffy Caligdong, a vital cog of the Philippine teams over the past decade.
Caligdong was one of the players who soldiered on even when support for the team was hard to come by and was there when the Azkals finally burst into the nation’s consciousness a few months ago with a historic win over powerhouse Vietnam in Hanoi.
The 1-1 draw in the first leg in Colombo Wednesday may have left several players disappointed, but it has also put the Azkals in a good position to reach the second round with the home side needing just a scoreless draw to advance.
A 1-1 tie will result in extra time and, if needed, penalties to determine the winner, while a 2-2 draw or more will send the Sri Lankans to the second round.
That’s why the Azkals find themselves in a dogfight against a Sri Lankan team that also promised an improved performance from Wednesday.
“We’re not going to sit out there and defend,” said skipper Aly Borromeo. “We’re gonna play our usual game and work hard especially in front of our home crowd.”
The South Asians held their own against the Azkals, slightly taking the shine out of the star-studded lineup, which apparently struggled with several new combinations in the squad while playing on the hard, pockmarked pitch.
Sri Lanka captain Rohana Kuwanthilake said they are ready to spoil the Azkals’ homecoming after working out yesterday. The team arrived late Friday after a 12-hour journey.
“We know that the crowd will be big tomorrow,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. We want to win the match.”
The Sri Lankans took the lead in the first half of the opening leg, but substitute Nate Burkey gave the Azkals the crucial “away” goal with his header five minutes after the break.
Surprisingly, the enormity of the task of finally hurdling the opening-round and meeting big expectations is not bothering the squad.
“They (players) will say we are pretty much looking forward to tomorrow’s (today’s) game,” Azkals coach Michael Weiss said. “There is no pressure.”
The Azkals trained at the Rizal Memorial Stadium for the first time since the game on Saturday afternoon and while several players like Angel Guirado looked gimpy, Weiss said he’ll most likely stick with the same eleven that started Wednesday.
The starting eleven included Guirado, Phil Younghusband who was substituted in the 40th minute because of pain is hamstring, goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, midfielders Stephan Schrock, Manny Ott, Caligdong and defenders Anton del Rosario, Rob Gier, Aly Borromeo and Paul Mulders, an attacking midfielder who has been deployed as leftback in the absence of Ray Jonsson.
Several things look to be going Weiss’ way, particularly with a better-conditioned pitch, which he described as “pretty amazing” and a far cry from the one in Colombo.
Sri Lanka coach Jang Jung, a South Korean, is confident that his squad can stifle the Azkals.
“We are at a disadvantage, but we are prepared,” said Jung, whose team relied on long balls and quick counter attacks to keep the Azkals on their heels in the first leg.
inquirer.net
MANILA—It’s a match that means the world for a Philippine football team seeking a shot at history.
The Azkals try to justify their status as the new pride and joy of Philippine sports when they face Sri Lanka in the return leg of their World Cup qualifying match today at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The 3:30 p.m. game carries a lot of significance for the country, which missed playing at the qualifying event of the 2006 and 2010 editions.
The first World Cup qualifying match in the Philippines in 10 years also gives the national team a chance to advance to the second round of the qualifying tournament for the first time.
“Considering what the national team has been through over the years, this match and playing in front of Filipinos mean so much to us,” said Chieffy Caligdong, a vital cog of the Philippine teams over the past decade.
Caligdong was one of the players who soldiered on even when support for the team was hard to come by and was there when the Azkals finally burst into the nation’s consciousness a few months ago with a historic win over powerhouse Vietnam in Hanoi.
The 1-1 draw in the first leg in Colombo Wednesday may have left several players disappointed, but it has also put the Azkals in a good position to reach the second round with the home side needing just a scoreless draw to advance.
A 1-1 tie will result in extra time and, if needed, penalties to determine the winner, while a 2-2 draw or more will send the Sri Lankans to the second round.
That’s why the Azkals find themselves in a dogfight against a Sri Lankan team that also promised an improved performance from Wednesday.
“We’re not going to sit out there and defend,” said skipper Aly Borromeo. “We’re gonna play our usual game and work hard especially in front of our home crowd.”
The South Asians held their own against the Azkals, slightly taking the shine out of the star-studded lineup, which apparently struggled with several new combinations in the squad while playing on the hard, pockmarked pitch.
Sri Lanka captain Rohana Kuwanthilake said they are ready to spoil the Azkals’ homecoming after working out yesterday. The team arrived late Friday after a 12-hour journey.
“We know that the crowd will be big tomorrow,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. We want to win the match.”
The Sri Lankans took the lead in the first half of the opening leg, but substitute Nate Burkey gave the Azkals the crucial “away” goal with his header five minutes after the break.
Surprisingly, the enormity of the task of finally hurdling the opening-round and meeting big expectations is not bothering the squad.
“They (players) will say we are pretty much looking forward to tomorrow’s (today’s) game,” Azkals coach Michael Weiss said. “There is no pressure.”
The Azkals trained at the Rizal Memorial Stadium for the first time since the game on Saturday afternoon and while several players like Angel Guirado looked gimpy, Weiss said he’ll most likely stick with the same eleven that started Wednesday.
The starting eleven included Guirado, Phil Younghusband who was substituted in the 40th minute because of pain is hamstring, goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, midfielders Stephan Schrock, Manny Ott, Caligdong and defenders Anton del Rosario, Rob Gier, Aly Borromeo and Paul Mulders, an attacking midfielder who has been deployed as leftback in the absence of Ray Jonsson.
Several things look to be going Weiss’ way, particularly with a better-conditioned pitch, which he described as “pretty amazing” and a far cry from the one in Colombo.
Sri Lanka coach Jang Jung, a South Korean, is confident that his squad can stifle the Azkals.
“We are at a disadvantage, but we are prepared,” said Jung, whose team relied on long balls and quick counter attacks to keep the Azkals on their heels in the first leg.
inquirer.net
01 July 2011
ASEAN (AFF) U16 Championship
ASEAN (AFF) U16 Championship take place in Vientiane , Laos from 7. July to 20. July
Group B
1.Myanmar
2.Vietnam
3.Singapore
4.Cambodia
5.Philippines
Matches :
8. July : Philippines vs Cambodia
10. July : Philippines vs Singapore
12. July : Philippines vs Myanmar
14. July : Philippines vs Vietnam
Warm-up matches :
Anthonies Football Club Selection(Dumaguete) 0-4 Philippines
Don Bosco 1-5 Philippines
Group B
1.Myanmar
2.Vietnam
3.Singapore
4.Cambodia
5.Philippines
Matches :
8. July : Philippines vs Cambodia
10. July : Philippines vs Singapore
12. July : Philippines vs Myanmar
14. July : Philippines vs Vietnam
Warm-up matches :
Anthonies Football Club Selection(Dumaguete) 0-4 Philippines
Don Bosco 1-5 Philippines
We'll beat Lankans in Manila
MANILA, Philippines — The German coach of the Philippine football team admits he’s not happy, but is not about to cry over spilled milk.
“I’m not the happiest man in the world but I’m not too disappointed. We take the result as it is and prepare for the match on Sunday,” Michael Weiss told interaction.com, a television website.
The Azkals barely escaped with a 1-all draw with Sri Lanka Wednesday in the first leg of their opening World Cup qualifying match in Colombo.
Weiss said the Azkals could have won the match had they got off to a bright start.
“We could have finished the match in the first half. But we didn't do it and we got punished. The goal was unlucky, it was deflected. We continued to play and pressed for a goal in the second half. Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish them off,” Weiss said.
“We were lucky at the end. It’s a good result for us. We wanted to win but things don’t turn out as planned,” he said.
Weiss said pitch conditions were difficult.
“I don’t want to make it an excuse but it was difficult to have a passing game on that pitch. We had to play long balls. It’s not my favorite style of play but we were able to create chances with it. I cannot hang my head down right now,” Weiss said.
The Filipinos were set to return last night, giving them two days to prepare for the second leg to be held at the Rizal Memorial stadium on Sunday.
Sri Lanka, a world power in cricket but a minnow in football, scored the first goal in the 43rd minute when Chathura Guranarathna’s free kick thundered past the Azkals’ wall, partially hit the head of Rob Gier and beat goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The Azkals, however, did not lose hope and turned to Fil-American rookie Nate Burkey to score the equalizer seven minutes later.
Burkey, inserted into the game in place of injured striker Phil Younghusband, was at the right place and at the right time to head home the all-important goal. He completed a follow up header off a missed header by James Younghusband, a play set up by a gorgeous free kick by Caligdong.
Despite the less-than-stellar result, Weiss remained confident they can overcome Sri Lanka at home.
The Azkals need only to hold Sri Lanka scoreless to get into the next round against Kuwait by virtue of away goal. If it ends at 1-1, an extra time will be needed, but if it closes out on a 2-2, the Philippines will be eliminated.
Team manager Dan Palami said the Azkals won’t settle for a goal-less draw.
“We would have wanted a two-goal cushion. But we can’t always get what we want. We have to make sure that we learn from the game we played today,” Palami said. “It’s going to be different crowd, a different pitch on Sunday and for as long as we learned from this draw, we will be okay. We will go for the win and not just the draw.”
—————
Int'l media to cover Azkals
Meanwhile, there’s so much interest in Philippine football’s renaissance nowadays that a drove of international media is expected to cover the Azkals’ home match against Sri Lanka in the first round of the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Rick Olivares, the media officer for the July 3 match, said the British Broadcasting Company and the European Press Photo Agency, and Stuttgarter Sportkurier, a news agency from the capital state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in southern Germany, are among the over hundreds of media outfits which applied for accreditation for the match at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
“It’s surprising that so many international media is interested in Philippine football,” Olivares said. “This is the sign of the globalization for the sport.”
Manila Bulletin
“I’m not the happiest man in the world but I’m not too disappointed. We take the result as it is and prepare for the match on Sunday,” Michael Weiss told interaction.com, a television website.
The Azkals barely escaped with a 1-all draw with Sri Lanka Wednesday in the first leg of their opening World Cup qualifying match in Colombo.
Weiss said the Azkals could have won the match had they got off to a bright start.
“We could have finished the match in the first half. But we didn't do it and we got punished. The goal was unlucky, it was deflected. We continued to play and pressed for a goal in the second half. Unfortunately, we couldn’t finish them off,” Weiss said.
“We were lucky at the end. It’s a good result for us. We wanted to win but things don’t turn out as planned,” he said.
Weiss said pitch conditions were difficult.
“I don’t want to make it an excuse but it was difficult to have a passing game on that pitch. We had to play long balls. It’s not my favorite style of play but we were able to create chances with it. I cannot hang my head down right now,” Weiss said.
The Filipinos were set to return last night, giving them two days to prepare for the second leg to be held at the Rizal Memorial stadium on Sunday.
Sri Lanka, a world power in cricket but a minnow in football, scored the first goal in the 43rd minute when Chathura Guranarathna’s free kick thundered past the Azkals’ wall, partially hit the head of Rob Gier and beat goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The Azkals, however, did not lose hope and turned to Fil-American rookie Nate Burkey to score the equalizer seven minutes later.
Burkey, inserted into the game in place of injured striker Phil Younghusband, was at the right place and at the right time to head home the all-important goal. He completed a follow up header off a missed header by James Younghusband, a play set up by a gorgeous free kick by Caligdong.
Despite the less-than-stellar result, Weiss remained confident they can overcome Sri Lanka at home.
The Azkals need only to hold Sri Lanka scoreless to get into the next round against Kuwait by virtue of away goal. If it ends at 1-1, an extra time will be needed, but if it closes out on a 2-2, the Philippines will be eliminated.
Team manager Dan Palami said the Azkals won’t settle for a goal-less draw.
“We would have wanted a two-goal cushion. But we can’t always get what we want. We have to make sure that we learn from the game we played today,” Palami said. “It’s going to be different crowd, a different pitch on Sunday and for as long as we learned from this draw, we will be okay. We will go for the win and not just the draw.”
—————
Int'l media to cover Azkals
Meanwhile, there’s so much interest in Philippine football’s renaissance nowadays that a drove of international media is expected to cover the Azkals’ home match against Sri Lanka in the first round of the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Rick Olivares, the media officer for the July 3 match, said the British Broadcasting Company and the European Press Photo Agency, and Stuttgarter Sportkurier, a news agency from the capital state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in southern Germany, are among the over hundreds of media outfits which applied for accreditation for the match at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
“It’s surprising that so many international media is interested in Philippine football,” Olivares said. “This is the sign of the globalization for the sport.”
Manila Bulletin
Azkals vow to display full potential Sunday
By Cedelf Tupas
DUBAI—A crucial “away” goal wasn’t enough for the Philippine football team to head home with a measure of satisfaction from its trip to Colombo.
Favored to prevail owing to their better ranking and perceived strong lineup, the Azkals needed a second-half fightback to forge a 1-1 draw with the Sri Lankans in the opening leg of their first-round World Cup Qualifying match Wednesday night.
And though the goal gave them an edge heading into the second leg—they only need a scoreless draw to advance against Kuwait— the first-leg result certainly stung the team which was expected to roll over the South Asians, who are lodged 13 places below them in the Fifa rankings.
The mood was generally somber at the team hotel hours after the match with the Azkals feeling they missed an opportunity to come out of the tie with a convincing win.
“We know we could have done better,” said skipper Aly Borromeo.
“We’re a little disappointed with the draw,” said striker Phil Younghusband, who expressed doubts over his availability in the second leg on Sunday because of a hamstring problem that forced him to leave the match in the 40th minute.
“I didn’t think we showed our potential and what we had to do to win.”
Said Azkals coach Michael Weiss: “We should have finished the game in the first half. I will only be happy if we win on Sunday.”
The hard, pockmarked, unlevel pitch that led to awkward bounces was partly blamed, but left winger Chieffy Caligdong offered a different, more alarming reason.
‘We were overconfident’
“We were overconfident,” admitted Caligdong, the only homegrown player who was part of the starting eleven, during
the team’s brief stopover in Dubai. “We were relaxed. That’s always the case if we play what we think is a weak team, we also play weak.”
The general feeling in the team was that the poor condition of the pitch took away the midfield passing game that the Azkals extensively worked on in their training camp in Germany.
Save for the bursts of energy from the debuting Stephan Schrock, who easily skipped past defenders at midfield, the match was reduced to an exchange of long balls, which the Azkals found difficult to cope with.
“When they (Sri Lankans) were throwing long balls, the defense line was a little iffy,” said Borromeo.
Schrock said he could have “played better with a better pitch. My performance was just 70 percent of what I can do.”
The Azkals, who fell behind on Pordi Chathura’s 43rd-minute free kick, proved more menacing in the second half, and the pressure paid off with Nate Burkey’s equalizer in the 50th minute.
The Azkals are finding solace in the thought that they will play before a packed Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Sunday.
And many expect them not to sit back and defend the away-goal advantage.
“One-all is always a good result because we got an away goal,” said goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who made a couple of brilliant saves, including a strong shot from Nimal in stoppage time.
“We will be looking forward to the Sunday game to win. We have to give the fans who have been supporting us what they want.”
Azkals manager Dan Palami also expects an improved performance in the second leg.
“I’m confident that the guys will be able to play the way we should play considering the crowd and the better pitch,” said Palami. “We will go for the win.”
inquirer.net
DUBAI—A crucial “away” goal wasn’t enough for the Philippine football team to head home with a measure of satisfaction from its trip to Colombo.
Favored to prevail owing to their better ranking and perceived strong lineup, the Azkals needed a second-half fightback to forge a 1-1 draw with the Sri Lankans in the opening leg of their first-round World Cup Qualifying match Wednesday night.
And though the goal gave them an edge heading into the second leg—they only need a scoreless draw to advance against Kuwait— the first-leg result certainly stung the team which was expected to roll over the South Asians, who are lodged 13 places below them in the Fifa rankings.
The mood was generally somber at the team hotel hours after the match with the Azkals feeling they missed an opportunity to come out of the tie with a convincing win.
“We know we could have done better,” said skipper Aly Borromeo.
“We’re a little disappointed with the draw,” said striker Phil Younghusband, who expressed doubts over his availability in the second leg on Sunday because of a hamstring problem that forced him to leave the match in the 40th minute.
“I didn’t think we showed our potential and what we had to do to win.”
Said Azkals coach Michael Weiss: “We should have finished the game in the first half. I will only be happy if we win on Sunday.”
The hard, pockmarked, unlevel pitch that led to awkward bounces was partly blamed, but left winger Chieffy Caligdong offered a different, more alarming reason.
‘We were overconfident’
“We were overconfident,” admitted Caligdong, the only homegrown player who was part of the starting eleven, during
the team’s brief stopover in Dubai. “We were relaxed. That’s always the case if we play what we think is a weak team, we also play weak.”
The general feeling in the team was that the poor condition of the pitch took away the midfield passing game that the Azkals extensively worked on in their training camp in Germany.
Save for the bursts of energy from the debuting Stephan Schrock, who easily skipped past defenders at midfield, the match was reduced to an exchange of long balls, which the Azkals found difficult to cope with.
“When they (Sri Lankans) were throwing long balls, the defense line was a little iffy,” said Borromeo.
Schrock said he could have “played better with a better pitch. My performance was just 70 percent of what I can do.”
The Azkals, who fell behind on Pordi Chathura’s 43rd-minute free kick, proved more menacing in the second half, and the pressure paid off with Nate Burkey’s equalizer in the 50th minute.
The Azkals are finding solace in the thought that they will play before a packed Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Sunday.
And many expect them not to sit back and defend the away-goal advantage.
“One-all is always a good result because we got an away goal,” said goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who made a couple of brilliant saves, including a strong shot from Nimal in stoppage time.
“We will be looking forward to the Sunday game to win. We have to give the fans who have been supporting us what they want.”
Azkals manager Dan Palami also expects an improved performance in the second leg.
“I’m confident that the guys will be able to play the way we should play considering the crowd and the better pitch,” said Palami. “We will go for the win.”
inquirer.net
Women's U19 NT try-outs
WHAT: WOMEN'S UNDER 19 TRY-OUT FOR NATIONAL TEAM (Born 1994-1996)
WHEN: June 28 - July 12, 2011 (Every T-TH-S, 5:30pm to 7:30pm)
WHERE: ULTRA, Pasig City
WHEN: June 28 - July 12, 2011 (Every T-TH-S, 5:30pm to 7:30pm)
WHERE: ULTRA, Pasig City
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