|
Post by kroner on Mar 28, 2016 15:05:58 GMT 8
Agree with you guys. Played in competitive leagues in Azerbaijan, Kuwait and now in Korea's 2nd div. Though he's in the same age as Rota at 31 means he's just a few years away from retirement too. Hoping PFF will be aggressive in pursuing Yuji Takahashi a young defender with a bright future ahead of him more so here in the Philippines if he decides to join the UFL.
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 28, 2016 22:20:12 GMT 8
Azkals host North Korea in last home stand in Asian Cup second-round qualifiers Posted by: Karlo Sacamos THE Philippine men’s football team seeks to finish its Asian Cup qualifying second-round campaign on a high note as it hosts North Korea at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night. After putting up a brave stand in a close 1-0 loss to group-leading Uzbekistan last Thursday, the Azkals return for its last home stand, taking on the North Koreans at 8 p.m. The Filipino booters have already been eliminated from the World Cup qualifers but are still firmly in the running for a maiden appearance in the 2019 Asian Cup. A victory for the third-running Azkals will guarantee them a spot in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifying, while a loss will send them into a playoff for a berth. After impressively holding North Korea to a scoreless draw in a defense-oriented match in Pyongyang last October, the Azkals seek to take the fight to their higher-ranked foes to get three points. “We have to play a little bit of football,” Azkals coach Thomas Dooley said on Monday in the pre-match press conference. “They just have to have the confidence they can do it against a team like North Korea.” “(But) the players are focused,” the German-American mentor added. Phil Younghusband and Stephan Schrock are still out due to injuries, but Misagh Bahadoran, the team’s top scorer in the tournament, and Manny Ott are back after serving respective one-game suspensions. “I’m looking forward to have those two quality players back,” Dooley said. James Younghusband also makes his national team return, joining rookies in Loyola Meralco teammate Daniel Gadia and Kaya FC midfielder Miguel Tanton. “The Azkals are a very promising team…but we came here to win,” said North Korea coach Kim Chang Bok, whose team aims to supplant Uzbekistan from the top of the five-team standings, entailing automatic entry to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. Read more at m.spin.ph/football/news/azkals-host-north-korea-in-last-home-stand-in-the-world-cupasian-cup-second-round-qualifiers#sYFyRzqYx6uGJbO2.99
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 28, 2016 22:26:14 GMT 8
PH to face Nokor as last hope for Asian Cup HENRY G. DOBLE THE Philippine men’s football team is looking forward to end their scoreless deadlock with North Korea or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday with a win at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila to close its campaign in the 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia-Asian Qualifiers/AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers Round 2. The Azkals slid to fourth spot of Group H after a hard fought one-nil loss to Uzbekistan on Holy Thursday, carrying seven points while the visiting Koreans are at No. 2 spot with five wins, a draw, and a loss. Both ended with a draw in Pyongyang last October. The Filipinos seemed to carry some high morale despite that defeat against the powerhouse home squad of Uzbekistan and before a crowd of 34,000 at the Bunyodkor Stadium in Tashkent. Playing only with 10 men in the 80 minutes of the match, after OJ Porteria was sent out for a red card with just 10 minutes of play, the Azkals showed how team effort work, frustrating the home team with a 0-0 deadlock at halftime. The 26-year-old veteran Fil-British keeper Neil Etheridge took control of the defensive line with superb saves, including those one-on-one plays against the Uzbeks’ attacks. Though the Azkals might be playing without key players like skipper-forward Phil Younghusband, and Fil-German midfielders Stephan Schrock and Kevin Ingreso, the host-squad of Thomas Dooley would have Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran and Fil-German Manny Ott back on the field after serving suspensions. Dooley said that if they can win over the Koreans at home, then they can as well beat big teams in future tournaments. Bahrain moved up to No. 3 of Group H with a three-nil win over Yemen also on Holy Thursday at the Bahrain National Stadium while Yemen remained at the bottom of the group with their lone win against the Philippines at Rizal Memorial Stadium. www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/sports/2016/03/28/ph-face-nokor-last-hope-asian-cup-464652
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 28, 2016 23:39:49 GMT 8
Dooley: Anything is possible in Azkal’s game tomorrow By: Bong Lozada Despite languishing in the bottom half of their group, Philippine head coach Thomas Dooley knows his team will put up a fight against the powerful North Korean team in Tuesday’s match of the joint Fifa World Cup-AFC Asian Cup qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Dooley said Monday the Azkals would have to attack early and establish their position against the North Koreans. “We are trying to play good football,” Dooley said. “This time, it’s a little bit different; I want to win now, and my opinion is we can win. “Anything is possible.” The Philippines drew 0-0 with the Cholima in the first leg in Pyongyang, and Dooley knows the fight they put up against Uzbekistan is his measuring stick of the team’s attitude. “Because of the fight last week against Uzbekistan, they know how to play against those big teams,” said Dooley, whose team lost 0-1 to the White Wolves in Tashkent. “They just have to have confidence against North Korea.” Juani Guirado, the team captain for tomorrow’s match, said the North Korea match “is the most important right now” especially as it’s their final match in the tournament. The Philippines is out of contention for the 2018 World Cup, but a win against North Korea would push the Azkals to third in Group H and give them an outright berth in the 2019 Asian Cup. Uzbekistan leads the group with 18 points, with North Korea at second with 16, Bahrain at third with nine, and the Philippines at fourth with seven. Read more: sports.inquirer.net/209701/dooley-anything-is-possible-in-azkals-tomorrow#ixzz44DEzgepU
|
|
|
Post by cjeagle on Mar 29, 2016 3:40:56 GMT 8
dan stephen palami @dscpalami 16h16 hours ago
Festive atmosphere expected as, subject to security inspection, drums will be allowed in tomorrow's AZKALS v DPR Korea game.
dan stephen palami @dscpalami 6h6 hours ago
dan stephen palami We are wearing WHITE for the game
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 7:32:34 GMT 8
Azkals sans veterans tackle North Korea anew By: Cedelf P. Tupas THE PHILIPPINE Azkals seek to finish their World Cup Qualifying campaign on a positive note as they shoot for an upset against North Korea Tuesday at Rizal Memorial Stadium. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. with the Azkals looking to finish their campaign with a flourish after a run of poor results led to their early elimination from football’s most prestigious tournament set in 2018 in Russia. The Azkals have lowered their target to reaching the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2019 and a victory will help seal third place in Group H which would also mean qualification to the third round of Asian Cup Qualifying. Bahrain is in third spot in Group H with nine points, but the Middle East side faces top-ranked Uzbekistan in Tashkent also on Tuesday. A win by Uzbekistan and the Philippines will mean the Azkals finish third in the group. But the Azkals, as they have always been in the past when facing the powerhouse sides in the continent, are once again faced with difficult odds as they try to pull off the feat without stars Phil Younghusband and Stephan Schrock. But Misagh Bahadoran, who is the team’s leading scorer in WCQ with two goals, and Manny Ott will return from suspension, boosting coach Thomas Dooley’s severely depleted side that proved tough to crack in the 0-1 defeat to Uzbekistan in Tashkent last Thursday. One thing going for the Azkals has been the form of goalkeeper Neil Etheridge who produced a string of saves against the Uzbeks to keep the Azkals in the game even after going down to 10 men just nine minutes into the match. Not only is North Korea coming in with the same powerhouse side that has collected nine more points than the Azkals with 16 in the group. The visitors also have the luxury of having an extra training session than the home side which traveled 24 hours from Tashkent and arrived only late Saturday. Nonetheless, Dooley expressed optimism that his side will finally end its five-match winless spell. “We would like to end the group stage with a win and the team is very positive,” Dooley said. “They players are focused.” The Azkals picked up a point by holding North Korea to a scoreless draw in Pyongyang last October. But taking the full three points in Manila would prove special as the Filipinos have yet to beat North Korea in their last two meetings, including in the 2012 Challenge Cup in Nepal where the Koreans prevailed, 2-0. “We are looking forward to making history,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami. “We want to continue the hard work against Uzbekistan.” Read more: sports.inquirer.net/209724/azkals-sans-veterans-tackle-north-korea-anew#ixzz44F9vNZYw
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 8:24:52 GMT 8
Azkals vs N. Korea today By Michael Angelo S. Murillo THE PHILIPPINE national men’s football team takes on North Korea today in its final game in the joint 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers where it hopes to go out strong and, in turn, build momentum moving forward. Philippine Azkals coach Thomas Dooley and captain Juani Guirado at yesterday’s pre-match press conference. -- Mike Murillo Set at 8 p.m. at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Philippine Azkals try to give the hometown crowd something to cheer about after three straight losses heading into today’s contest. While the defeats effectively dashed the Philippines’ hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, all is not lost for the Azkals as they notched a spot in the third round of the Asian Cup thanks to a more favorable record that have it landing at the moment in the best fourth-placed teams in the tournament. The Philippines currently holds a record of two wins, one draw and four losses for seven points in Group H of the joint qualifiers, behind leader Uzbekistan (6-0-1) with 18 points, North Korea (5-1-1) with 16 points and Bahrain (3-0-4) with nine points. Yemen (1-0-7) is at last place with three points. Playing under “pressure-free” circumstances, local football analyst Ryan Fenix expects the home team to play better in today’s game, this notwithstanding the fact that the Azkals are to play sans key pieces because of injuries. Expected to miss the home match against North Korea, whom the Azkals held to a goalless draw last October, are Stephan Schrock, Phil Younghusband and Kevin Ingreso. Back in harness, however, are Misagh Bahadoran and Manny Ott, who sat out the team’s last match because of yellow card accumulation. “Since we’re already assured of being one of the four best fourth-placed teams, the Azkals should play against North Korea pressure-free. We have all to gain and nothing to lose in the match,” said Mr. Fenix, resident football analyst of Interaksyon.com and author of the column Rampaging Fullback, in an interview with BusinessWorld. But the analyst, who also contributes for ESPN FC, said that the Azkals should know better than treating the game as mere formality going into the Asian Cup, especially in light of their commendable performance in their 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan last time around. “Our Uzbekistan performance was good, unfortunately we came up empty-handed but not after making our opponents work hard for the win,” Mr. Fenix said. “Always good to end a campaign on a high, especially at home, and bring momentum to the third round of the Asian Cup,” he added. Against Uzbekistan last Thursday, the Azkals fought gallantly despite being reduced to 10 men early in the match after OJ Porteria received a red card. Down a man, the Philippines nonetheless stood its ground, with goalkeeper Neil Etheridge anchoring the team’s defense, until the home team eventually scored at the 59th minute for the winning margin. TOUGH MATCH “We are excited about our match tomorrow (today). We know it is going to be tough but the boys are ready. I can see it in their eyes,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley at the pre-match press conference at the Century Park Hotel in Manila. “We played well in Uzbekistan but we have to play more football against North Korea,” he added. “We are glad to be back. This is home,” Azkals captain Juani Guirado said. “The team is determined to come out with a win, especially here at home,” added Mr. Guirado, who also announced yesterday that he is retiring from international play after tonight’s match. Citing that his body is no longer what it used to be to keep up with the rigors of international competitions, and his desire to spend more time with his family and club, Mr. Guirado said he had to make the decision despite the difficulty of it. “I would like to thank the Azkals for the opportunity given to me. I’m proud to be a Filipino. Laban Pilipinas!” he said. Mr. Guirado is the latest Azkal to exit the team after Rob Gier, Paul Mulders and Jerry Lucena. Tickets for the North Korea game are available at TicketWorld from P100 to P1,500. www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Sports&title=azkals-vs-n.-korea-today&id=125061
|
|
|
Post by strikerbon on Mar 29, 2016 8:53:20 GMT 8
Only option is to look for local-based CB's. we have Aly and Sabio, who by the way is a regular bench player with Ceres. might be better for him had he stay with Kaya to play along Aly and play with chemistry from club to Country
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 9:33:32 GMT 8
Azkals, N. Koreans clash today by Jonas Terrado Game Today (Rizal Memorial Stadium) 8 p.m. – Philippines vs North Korea The Philippine Azkals eye a crucial victory and a fitting sendoff to one of their unsung heroes as they battle fancied North Korea tonight in the final match of the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup second round qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Coming off a 1-0 defeat against Group H leader Uzbekistan last Thursday in Tashkent despite a courageous stand by goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, the Azkals want nothing more than to improve on their previous performance against the North Koreans and advance to the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers. Both teams battled to a scoreless draw in Pyongyang last October, a performance that earned the Azkals praises from football followers. However, another draw may not be enough in tonight’s 8 p.m. duel as they need to secure the full three points coupled with a loss by Bahrain to Uzbekistan to gain a direct spot in the next phase of the qualifiers. The third placer in Group H will advance to the third round of the qualifiers. Bahrain is in third with nine points while the Azkals are two points behind. The Azkals may qualify directly to the next round if they end up as one of the four best fourth placers from the eight groups. Otherwise, they will have to advance the hard way through a playoff round. “We had an incredible game in Uzbekistan last week, you can see how much heart this team has. But now we have to play a little bit more of football. I don’t know if it’s possible, I hope it’s possible. The team can do it and I believe in every single player’s confidence,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley during yesterday’s prematch press conference at the Century Park Hotel. The game will also be the last match for Dooley before his contract with the Philippine Football Federation expires. PFF General Secretary Ed Gastanes said he and the former US captain will discuss a possible extension after the second round qualifiers. A victory would be a fitting end to the international career of Fil-Spanish defender Juani Guirado, who also announced that tonight’s match will be his last in an Azkals shirt. The 36-year-old centerback, a cousin of Rain or Shine assistant and Caida coach Caloy Garcia, called it quits to concentrate more on his club duties with Ceres-La Salle and spend more time with his family in Spain. Read more at www.mb.com.ph/azkals-n-koreans-clash-today/#XgbyiAF3uc2Ppr6i.99
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 9:40:31 GMT 8
Scrappy Azkals ready to rumble vs Nokors tonite By Olmin Leyba MANILA, Philippines - A fired-up Philippine Azkals go all out to pull the rug from under fancied North Korea tonight at the close of second-round action in the joint qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The Azkals enter the 8 p.m. duel pumped up and determined to dish out a winning performance, drawing confidence from their fighting 0-1 loss to powerhouse Uzbekistan in faraway Tashkent, where they played with 10 men from the 10th minute onwards last Thursday. “Because of the fight last week against Uzbekistan, I think the players are ready for the game tomorrow (tonight),” said Phl coach Thomas Dooley. “They know what it takes to fight against those big teams above us and from our practices, it looks like the players are focused.” The Azkals also get confidence boost from the fact they were the only ones in Group H whom the Chollima have never beaten. The first time they faced off over in Pyongyang, the Pinoy booters fought the home side to a scoreless draw. “In my opinion, this is a game we can win if everybody shows up tomorrow and we’re good enough to play football against them. We have to show that in the beginning so they’ll have a little bit more respect for us. I think anything’s possible,” said Dooley. Phl XI sits at fourth in the group with seven points behind Uzbekistan’s 18, North Korea’s 16 and Bahrain’s nine. Although out of the World Cup already, the Azkals can progress to the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers outright by upstaging the two-time World Cup campaigners Chollima. “It’s an important game for us if we want to go to the next round of the Asian Cup. We also want to end the tournament (second round) with a victory,” said Dooley, whose team welcomes back Misagh Bahadoran and Manny Ott back after the duo served their suspension in the Uzbekistan outing. The match is equally as important for North Korea, which aims to top the group and advance to the final round of the Asian Cup. m.philstar.com/314195/show/97ff138f6ca43c725f030f992fa8d012/?
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 11:41:11 GMT 8
DOOLEY WANTS AZKALS TO BELIEVE THEY CAN BEAT DPR KOREA Manila: Philippines coach Thomas Dooley sees no reason why his charges cannot defeat DPR Korea in the 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. After beginning their campaign in impressive form with victories over Bahrain and Yemen, the Azkals have since suffered four defeats and a draw and are currently fourth in Group H. Bahrain are presently in third place and will advance straight to the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers, with the Philippines running the risk of having to go through the playoffs should they not finish as one of the four best fourth-placed teams. But with the Bahrainis facing a tricky visit to Group leaders Uzbekistan, the Azkals know that a victory of their own should be enough to see them climb above their competitors. Although it will not be easy against a DPR Korea outfit also challenging for top spot, Dooley insists his team must believe in themselves, especially after last Thursday’s brave display in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Uzbekistan. “Because of the fight last week against Uzbekistan, they know how to play against those big teams,” he said, according to Philippine Daily Inquirer. “They just have to have confidence against North Korea. “This time, it’s a little bit different; I want to win now, and my opinion is we can win. “Anything is possible.” There will also be extra motivation for the Philippines after veteran defender Juan Luis Guirado confirmed in Monday’s pre-match press conference that the game would be his last before retiring from international football. The 36-year-old, who was born in Spain but qualified to play for the Azkals through his mother, has been a mainstay in the team since 2012 and represented them at two AFC Challenge Cups and AFF (Asean Football Federation) Championships. “Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be my last game in the national team,” said the Ceres La Salle centre-back. “I feel myself as still a young person, but my body is not anymore. “We have a busy schedule with our club and here (with the) Azkals. I have to focus on my team and my family. “This has been the most beautiful experience of my life as a person and a footballer.” It appears the Philippines are currently transitioning to a new generation, with Guirado following the likes of Rob Gier, Paul Mulders and Jerry Lucena to have called time on their international careers recently. www.the-afc.com/asian-cup-2019-2018-world-cup/dooley-wants-azkals-to-believe-they-can-beat-dpr-korea
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 13:51:30 GMT 8
Philippines Battles DPR Korea ICKO DE GUZMAN The Philippine Men’s National Football Team is set to finish their 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers campaign when they take on DPR Korea tonight at 8:00pm at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Already out of the running for a spot in the next round of the World Cup Qualifiers, the Azkals are fighting for position in the next round of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. Currently, the Azkals are in fourth place in Group H, two points behind third-placed Bahrain. A win for the Azkals will see them finish third, provided that Bahrain lose to Uzbekistan. Finishing in third will allow the Philippines to gain an outright spot to the next round of the Asian Cup Qualifiers. A fourth place finish might see them go through the play-off stage unless they are among the best fourth placed teams at the end of the round. “We’re looking forward for the game,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley. “It’s always special when we play at home.” Coming off a narrow 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan last week, the former United States captain only had praises to his team despite the hardship they encountered during the Qualifiers. “I’m very proud [of the team] no matter what the result,” added Dooley but he added, “We want to end this round with a victory.” Still deprived of squad regulars Phil Younghusband, Stephan Schrock, Stephan Palla, and Kevin Ingreso, Dooley has welcomed the return of Misagh Bahadoran and Manny Ott to the squad. The pair were suspended against Uzbekistan due to accumulated yellow cards. “I’m looking forward for those two quality players in the lineup,” continued Dooley. “They are experienced players and they can add a lot to the team.” Dooley also expects that the three additions to the squad will also make an impact. James Younghusband, Daniel Gadia, and Miguel Tanton were called up to the squad. “(James, Daniel, and Miguel) are actually showing (in training) what we would like to see from them,” said Dooley. The match against DPR Korea might potentially be Dooley’s last match in the Azkals hot seat. According to PFF General-Secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes, they will sit down and discuss the future after the match. Tickets are still available at TicketWorld and at the venue. — CAL See more at: football.com.ph/philippines-battles-dpr-korea/#sthash.FMOf2dWn.dpuf
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 14:39:42 GMT 8
Another misfortune as Patrick Reichelt is also injured and cannot join the game vs North Korea.
|
|
|
Post by jonny on Mar 29, 2016 15:29:54 GMT 8
Trigo and OJ Clarino are not in the official squad list released by AFC today.
Down to 20 men.
|
|
|
Post by kroner on Mar 29, 2016 15:59:43 GMT 8
Philippine Azkals host North Korea in must-win homestand By Santino Honasan Less than a week removed from a gallant stand against a tough Uzbekistan team in Tashkent, the Philippine Azkals return to the pitch, but this time in front of a home crowd as they host North Korea, Tuesday evening at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Coming off a heartbreaking 0-1 loss to group leaders Uzbekistan that saw the Pinoy side play some of the best defense and show some of the biggest heart, the Azkals face another tough challenge in second-seeded North Korea. In first meeting in Pyongyang last October, the Philippines managed to hold the home team to an impressive scoreless draw, being the first team to gain such a result against the then-group leaders. Things may prove to be different this time around, however, as the Azkals boast a different lineup, without the services of key players in Phil Younghusband, Stephan Schrock and Stephan Palla due to injury, while Jerry Lucena and Paul Mulders have both retired from international competition. All five players saw action during the first Azkals-North Korea matchup. Currently, North Korea holds the second seed with five wins, one draw, and one loss for 16 points. A win over the Philippines and an Uzbekistan against Bahrain loss propels them back to the top spot and secures them a spot into the next round of the qualifiers. While the Azkals have already been eliminated from the 2018 World Cup, they still have a chance at qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup. A win against North Korea and a Bahrain loss against Uzbekistan sends the Azkals into third place, meaning that they automatically gain entry into the third round of the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers. Any other result means that the Philippines will finish the Group Stage of the World Cup Qualifiers at fourth place. If the Azkals are among the four best fourth-seeds, they will also automatically gain entry into the third round of the 2019 Asian Cup Qualifiers, otherwise, they head into the playoff round. The Azkals have never made it into the AFC Asian Cup before, but they have a really good chance of doing so this time around. Aside from ending the Group Stage on a positive note, the Azkals would surely like to get a win at home as a farewell gift for veteran defender and acting skipper Juani Guirado, who announced his retirement from the national team Monday. sports.abs-cbn.com/football/news/2016/03/29/philippine-azkals-host-north-korea-must-win-homestand-10082?platform=hootsuite
|
|