Azkals back in action in Hong Kong friendly
Roy MooreJune 3, 2013 3:27pm
The Philippine Azkals will play Hong Kong in a friendly match, Tuesday night, at the Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong, as they look for their first-ever win against the special administrative region of China.
The match, which will be the Philippines' first since winning their Challenge Cup Qualification Group in March, has several intriguing storylines, including the Azkals looking to keep a perfect record so far this year, and the quest to add another name to their list of countries they've defeated for the first time in the modern era.
The Philippines boasts of a near-full-strength side, with a myriad of quality midfielders. The youth is even represented in the form of teenagers OJ Porteria and Mike Ott, Manny Ott’s brother, the latter of which will make his debut for the national side if brought on. In all, six of the eighteen players will be eligible for the SEA Games (which has an under-23 competition format) later this year.
Hong Kong won’t be a walkover
The Philippines came closest to beating Hong Kong during their 3-3 draw in the 2011 Long Teng Cup. Hong Kong took a quick 2-0 lead but the Philippines overturned it with a Phil Younghusband penalty and a Caligdong brace on either side of halftime, only to see a late equalizer force a draw.
Hong Kong had won the other seven games between the two nations, including two Olympic Games Qualifiers, and beat the Philippines 8-0 in Asian Cup Qualifying back in 1996. In the 2010 Long Teng Cup, Hong Kong sent their under-23 team and they beat the Philippines’ senior team comfortably, 4-2. That highlighted the difference between the two sides at the time.
Like the Philippines, Hong Kong is also unbeaten in 2013 against international opposition, earning a 1-0 victory over Vietnam, followed a 0-0 draw against Uzbekistan, a nation ranked 66th in the world and fifth in Asia. Both games were for Asian Cup Qualification, where Hong Kong is second in their group.
Of their individual players, 23-year-old goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai has just sealed a move to Guizhou Renhe, a club in the Asian Champions League, after finishing fourth in the Chinese Super League last season. At the other end of the pitch, their dangerman will be Chan Siu Ki, who has 34 goals in 46 appearances for Hong Kong. Playing in the second tier of Chinese football for Guangdong Sunray Cave, he’s joined by club teammate Leung Chung Pong, who has 32 international appearances. The team know each other well and will be difficult to break down.
Philippines slight favorites
However despite the history and despite losing to their youth team three years ago, the Philippines may even go into this game as slight favorites – a testament to the progress of the team under Manager Dan Palami and Coach Weiss.
So far, 2013 has seen the Azkals pick up three wins in three games against Myanmar, Cambodia, and Turkmenistan. They'll be looking to pick up a fourth here.
In preparation, the Philippines has released a line-up that includes Stephan Schrock and Javier Patino, two players plying their trade in foreign leagues. Manny Ott will also be joined by his 18-year-old brother Mike, also a midfielder, who is said to be better than his older sibling.
Here’s the full list of the eighteen players in Hong Kong:
Goalkeepers
Neil Etheridge
Ed Sacapano
Defenders
Rob Gier
Juani Guirado
Midfielders
Marwin Angeles
Chieffy Caligdong
Jeffrey Christiaens
Jason De Jong
Chris Greatwich
Paul Mulders
Manny Ott
Mike Ott
Stephan Schrock
James Younghusband
Forwards
Javier Patino
OJ Porteria
Phil Younghusband
Short-term over long-term?
The Philippines boasts of a wealth of talent and skill in midfield. Phil Younghusband and Javier Patino have also proven to be an effective combination during the Challenge Cup Qualifiers and with OJ Porteria on board, the teenager will hopefully gain some more international experience.
Once again however, the defense is the problem as only two natural defenders are named. Jeffrey Christiaens and Carli De Murga are likely to slot into left and right wing back respectively, but only Jason De Jong provides any cover in case of injury, as the holding midfielder has been used as a center back on several occasions.
With Guirado and Gier both in their thirties, and Aly Borromeo a long way off yet from recovering, there is a lack of Philippine defenders, which may well need to be fixed before the 2014 Challenge Cup. However some are also criticizing the selection for being overpowered, with no slots given to players performing well in the United Football League and few for younger players ahead of the SEA Games.
It would also, however, have been fitting to include Lexton Moy in the selection, given that the midfielder returned to Hong Kong after leaving Kaya at the end of last season. The midfielder is currently training to run a marathon in Hong Kong, raising funds to help grassroots football in poverty stricken areas of the Philippines, and is still a very skillful player.
And so while it may be true, that the short-term results have been prioritized over long-term development, this is a rational choice for a coach given just a six-month contact extension. In a sense both sides are correct, but it’s a prisoner’s dilemma where no-one gets the best outcome.
Predicted starting 11
For the match against Hong Kong then, we can expect a full-strength starting eleven, with substitutes only coming early in the second half if a side is up a couple of goals.
So, here’s the predicted starting eleven, with hopefully those eligible for the SEA Games, Mike and Manny Ott, OJ Porteria, and Jason De Jong, also seeing good game time:
Etheridge
De Murga Gier Guirado Christiaens
J. Younghusband Mulders Schrock Caligdong
Patino P.Younghusband
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