AFC ASIAN CUP 2019 QUALIFIERS - GROUP F: YEMEN 1-1 PHILIPPINES

Doha: Mike Ott struck an 89th minute equaliser as the unbeaten Philippines held on to top spot in Group F of the qualifiers for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after salvaging a 1-1 draw with Yemen on Tuesday.

Tawfik Ali’s close range finish just after the hour mark at Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium looked to have earned also unbeaten Yemen a second win of the campaign which would have dislodged the Philippines at the top of the table.

But with Ott firing home from just outside the six yard area, the Philippines held onto first place - two points clear of both Tajikistan and Yemen.

After the sides shared an entertaining 2-2 draw in Bacolod last month, Yemen enjoyed the better start as Philippines goalkeeper Neil Etheridge had to be on his toes to keep out a free-kick from midfielder Mohammed Ba Rowis after 21 minutes.

And four minutes before half time, Yemen’s Ala Al Sasi hit the crossbar after capitalising on an error from Philippines defender Dennis Villanueva.

Yemen continued to enjoy the better of the chances in the final third in the second half as the Philippines were again saved by the woodwork as Ahmed Nabil’s shot from Abdulwasea Al Matari’s cross crashed back off the crossbar just before the hour mark.

But Yemen finally found the breakthrough with 27 minutes remaining as Ali was in the right place at the right time after a corner had caused chaos inside the Philippines’ penalty area.

The Philippines, though, preserved their unbeaten record as Ott received a pass from Paul Mulders inside the area following a patient build up before firing past Yemen goalkeeper Mohammed Ayyash with just over a minute remaining.

Photos: AFC

http://www.the-afc.com/asian-cup-2019/qualifiers-group-f-md4-yemen-v-tajikistan

AFC Asian Cup Qualifier : Yemen 1-1 Philippines

The match will be shown LIVE via livestreaming at theazkals.com


Alternative livestream :


http://www.alkass.net/alkass/live.aspx?ch=one

Philippine Azkals target Asian Cup qualification with a win over Yemen

An injury-plagued Philippine Azkals will go all out for a win against Yemen in a crucial Group F match in the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifying Tournament at the Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
A draw, however, won’t be bad for a squad missing veteran players like striker Javier Patiño, Misagh Bahadoran, Manny Ott, Amani Aguinaldo, Luke Woodland and many more.
In the pre-match press conference by the two squads, Azkals head coach Thomas Dooley says the team is ready to make the adjustments needed against a tough opponent.
“We respect the Yemen team. They are very good offensively, very strong. We have to be very careful. We want to survive,” Dooley said.
Dooley acknowledged the fact that their opponents have been together for more than a month now. An advantage they have over the Azkals.
“Yemen is really a strong team. You could see that they have developed in the last couple of years. Abraham (Mabraito) the Yemen coach is really doing a good job. And they have prepared for this game.”
Despite the injuries, Dooley says they are young players willing enough to take the cudgels in the absence of their more experienced peers.
“If we don’t lose tomorrow that would be great. That’s the main focus. We don’t want to lose. A tie would be great. I’ll be happy with a tie,” Dooley added.
Team captain Phil Younghusband admitted they don’t know what to expected from Yemen. But in order to win or extract a point against the “host” team, Younghusband insisted the Azkals should learn from their game against the same team in Bacolod City last month.
“If we make the same mistakes, if we allow them the same gaps, Yemen will surely take advantage. We must rectify those mistakes,” Younghusband explained.
For their part, Yemen will also go for the win to keep their bid in reaching the Asian Cups finals in UAE alive.
“We will go for the full three points. That’s why we are here,” Mabraito added.
The Philippines will face Yemen, 6pm (11pm Manila time) tomorrow at the Al Wakra Stadium.
A win by the Azkals will give then 10 points which will guarantee the Philippines at least the second spot of Group F at the end of the group stage.
Photo and Article by Erel Cabatbat


http://pff.org.ph/2017/10/10/philippine-azkals-target-asian-cup-qualification-win-yemen/

Asian Cup 2019 Qualifiers - Group F Preview: An important game for Philippines, says Dooley

Doha: Thomas Dooley remains focused on the job in hand as the Philippines seek to edge a step closer to a maiden AFC Asian Cup appearance in 2019 despite having to deal with a raft of injuries ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with Yemen.

Javier Patino, Amani Aguinaldo, Luke Woodland and Misagh Bahadoran were already ruled out of the trip to Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium for the Group F leaders.

Influential midfielder Manny Ott then suffered a medial collateral ligament injury in training in Doha and now also faces a spell on the sidelines.

Dooley has bolstered his ranks with the addition of uncapped Sean Patrick Kane from JPV Marikina FC and Jess Melliza from Stallion Laguna, with defender Daisuke Sato also making a timely return from suspension.

“It is a very important game obviously for all of us. If we win it will be huge for our goal to qualify for the Asian Cup. If we tie, we are still in a good position to qualify.

"We have two chances to score the necessary points to qualify. If we lose we still have it in our hands to qualify, but we have a lot of injuries,” said Dooley, confirming Ott is also expected to miss November’s trip to Nepal.

The Philippines and Yemen shared an entertaining 2-2 draw in Bacolod City in September to leave Dooley’s charges two points clear at the top of the table, but crucially four ahead of third-place side Tajikistan.

“The good thing is we have new players who jumped out into training looking sharp, looking good,” added Dooley. “We will try to do the best we can and hopefully we have a successful game.

“You can change if somebody can’t play because of an injury, you try to find ways, solutions to make it right.

“We have players who, when you talk to them personally, think they can play better and that they should play. This is their chance to show why they should play.”

Yemen twice took the lead last month in the Philippines, but on both occasions, were pegged back by the home side to add to their opening 2-1 win over Tajikistan and draw in Nepal.

Captained by Alaa Al Sasi, Yeman are also seeking to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time, with Abraham Mebratu’s side two points clear of Tajikistan ahead of their visit of Nepal.

“Our players have good ambitions, talent and determination while we also have a good technical staff who knows how to deal with the players,” said Yemen captain Al Sasi.

“We have played three matches in the group and achieved good results. Our aim is to finish on top of the group, and hopefully we can do that to bring joy to our people.

“We had a preparatory camp in Egypt which was useful for us. The level of the players improved recently and we are also good physically and mentally.

“We have left Yemen with one goal which is to qualify to the Asian Cup and bring joy to our people who are going through difficult times recently."

Tajikistan finally kick-started their campaign on Matchday Three with a 2-1 win over Nepal and Khakim Fuzaylov’s team will be aiming for a repeat of that result to keep their Asian Cup qualifying hopes alive when the teams meet in Dushanbe on Tuesday evening.

http://www.the-afc.com/asian-cup-2019/asian-cup-2019-qualifiers-group-f-preview-an-important-game-for-philippines-says

Dooley to decide on game day who will take Ott’s spot vs Yemen

Doha, Qatar— Philippine Azkals coach Thomas Dooley is already moving on with midfielder Manny Ott’s injury.
While he can’t emphasize enough the importance of Ott’s in the line-up, Dooley says he has already a plan to offset the latest injury woes to hit the Azkals.
“You try to find ways, solutions to make it right. We have players who, when you talk to them personally, think they can play better and that they should play. This is their chance to show why they should play,” Dooley says.
Ott became the latest Azkals to suffer an injury when he partially tore his MCL on his right knee during a team practice two days ago.
“We can’t decide 2-3 days before the game. I’ll make a decision a night before. I already something on my mind but i have to think it over,” Dooley said on the possible changes in Azkals’ line-up.
He added he will make the final changes on game day.
The Azkals are already missing striker Javier Patiño, Misagh Bahadoran, Amani Aguinaldo, Luke Woodland, Camelo Tacusalme and Kenshiro Daniels due to various injuries.
Dooley says the return match against Yemen is very important and the Azkals know that a historic spot in the Asian Cup is within reach with a good result.
“It is a very important game obviously for all of us. If they gonna win that makes it huge for our goal to qualify in the Asian Cup. If we settle for a draw, we are still in a good position to qualify. We have two chances to score the necessary points to qualify,” Dooley explains.
While Ott’s injury will need a big adjustment, Dooley is happy with the new faces in the team especially Stallion Laguna FC’s Jhan Jhan Melliza and Sean Kane of JP Voltes Marikina FC.
“We have new players here who jumped into out training looking sharp, looking good,” Dooley added.
“We will try to do the best we can and hopefully we have a successful game (against Yemen).
By Erel Cabatbat


http://pff.org.ph/2017/10/09/dooley-decide-game-day-will-take-otts-spot-vs-yemen/

Azkals lose Ott to injury

By: Cedelf P. Tupas

The Philippines suffered another blow in its bid for 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification after top midfielder Manny Ott was ruled out for the next two games due to a knee injury.

Already missing key players, including Misagh Bahadoran, Amani Aguinaldo and Javier Patiño, the Azkals saw the injured list grow on Thursday in training camp in Doha, Qatar, where Ott sustained a medial cruciate ligament injury that will sideline the Ceres-Negros star for six weeks.

Ott, who suffered the injury after a collision with Harry Foll in training, will miss the crucial match against Yemen on Tuesday and will most likely be unavailable for the duel with Nepal in Kathmandu on Nov. 14.

“It’s unfortunate that I can’t be there for the team,” said Ott. “I have to focus on recovery now as there are still important matches ahead.”

Read more: http://sports.inquirer.net/267569/azkals-lose-ott-injury#ixzz4upZLaKY0

Meliza, Kane get Azkals call up vs Yemen

BY JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Jesus Melliza and Sean Patrick Kane are set to play their debut game for the national football team while Daisuke Sato and Curt Dizon make their return when the Philippine Azkals battle Yemen for the second time in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers on October 10 at the Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

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Head coach Thomas Dooley called up Stallion Laguna FC striker Melliza and JPV Marikina FC defender Kane for the first time as both are showing quality performance in the top flight Philippines Football League.

AC Horsens left back Sato returns to national duty after serving his suspension, which was due to accumulated yellow cards, while FC Meralco Manila winger Curt Dizon suits up anew for the Azkals after a short stint in 2014.

The four booters are expected to fill the absence of injured players Javier Patiño, Misagh Bahadoran, Amani Aguinaldo and Luke Woodland.

Still included in the roster are longtime national squad stalwarts Phil and James Younghusband of Davao Aguilas FC together with Dylan De Bruycker, Simone Rotan and Nicholas O’Donnell from the same club, Carli De Murga, Junior Muñoz, Kevin Ingreso, Manuel Ott and Iaian Ramsay of Ceres Negros FC, and Patrick Deyto, Dominic Del Rosario, Hikaru Minegishi, Paul Mulders and Dennis Villanueva of Global Cebu FC.

Cardiff City FC goalkeeper Neil Etheridge will banner the players from overseas composed of Mike Rigoberto Ott of Angthong United, Harry Föll of FC Hansa Rostock and Stephen Palla of Wolfsberger FC.

In the first meeting of the two countries in the qualification phase of the quadrennial tournament, the Younghusband brothers fired one goal apiece as the Philippines remained unbeaten after a 2-2 draw with Yemen last September 5 at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

The Filipino booters, who have seven points on a 2-1-0 win-draw-loss record, lead Yemen (five points), Tajikistan (three points) and Nepal (one point) in the four-team Group F.

http://www.manilatimes.net/meliza-kane-get-azkals-call-vs-yemen/354182/

Philippines Squad For AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Match Vs Yemen

The Philippine Men’s National Team return to action when they face Yemen in the fourth match of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers on 10 October 2017 at the Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

It will be the second meeting between the two sides in the Qualifiers. The two teams figured in a 2-2 draw last 5 September 2017 at the Pana-ad Park and Stadium in Bacolod, Negros Occidental. Phil and James Younghusband scored in the draw to keep the Philippines unbeaten with two wins and a draw.

23 players have been called up for the match. Stallion Laguna forward Jesus Melliza and JPV Marikina defender Sean Patrick Kane earned their first call up to the National Team. FC Meralco Manila’s Curt Dizon makes a return to the squad after a brief stint in 2014.

Defender Daisuke Sato is back in the squad after serving his suspension in the draw against Yemen. Javier Patiño, Amani Aguinaldo, Luke Woodland, and Misagh Bahadoran are out of the squad due to injuries.

Players:

1. Dylan DE BRUYCKER – Davao Aguilas FC
2. Carlos DE MURGA – Ceres Negros FC
3. Dominic DEL ROSARIO – Global Cebu FC
4. Patrick DEYTO – Global Cebu FC
5. Curt DIZON – FC Meralco Manila
6. Neil ETHERIDGE – Cardiff City FC
7. Harry FÖLL – FC Hansa Rostock
8. Kevin INGRESO – Ceres Negros FC
9. Sean Patrick KANE – JPV Marikina FC
10. Jesus Joaquin MELLIZA – Stallion Laguna FC
11. Hikaru MINEGISHI – Global Cebu FC
12. Paul MULDERS – Global Cebu FC
13. Jim Junior MUÑOZ – Ceres Negros FC
14. Nicholas O’DONNELL – Davao Aguilas FC
15. Manuel OTT – Ceres Negros FC
16. Mike Rigoberto OTT – Angthong United
17. Stephan PALLA – Wolfsberger AC
18. Iain RAMSAY – Ceres Negros FC
19. Simone ROTA – Davao Aguilas FC
20. Daisuke SATO – AC Horsens
21. Dennis VILLANUEVA – Global Cebu FC
22. James YOUNGHUSBAND – Davao Aguilas FC
23. Phil YOUNGHUSBAND – Davao Aguilas FC

Head coach Thomas Dooley will be assisted by coach Kurt Kowarz.

http://pff.org.ph/2017/10/02/philippines-squad-afc-asian-cup-qualifiers-match-vs-yemen/