Football Philippines

By Cedelf P. Tupas (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Philippines may be 31 places behind 135th-ranked Nepal in the international football rankings, but their coaches think both countries are running on parallel bearings as far as the development of their national teams are concerned.

“We need more games because the more games you play, the more you get better,” said Nepal’s English coach Graham Paul Roberts.

“We need exposure against the stronger teams in Asia,” said the Azkals’ German coach Michael Weiss.

Hoping to sharpen their game for more important battles ahead, the Philippines and Nepal meet tonight in an international friendly at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Kickoff is at 7 PM with the Azkals looking to come out strong with Europe-based players Jerry Lucena, Dennis Cagara, Paul Mulders, Jason de Jong, Rob Gier, Ray Jonsson and Neil Etheridge joining forces with Manila-based Aly Borromeo, Chieffy Caligdong and Phil and James Younghusband.

It will be the fifth match in 11 days for the Azkals, who won one match and drew against Hong Kong and Chinese-Taipei in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung last week and lost to Singapore, 0-2, in another friendly last Friday.

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) said the friendly will give the Azkals an opportunity to boost their FIFA rankings with a full squad. The match comes within an international football break when clubs are inclined to release players to their national teams.

At the prematch press conference Monday, Weiss promised an improved performance from his side.

But the Azkals’ attack suffered a blow as Fil-Spanish striker Angel Guirado has been ruled out of the clash because of an ankle injury.

The Azkals will actually get a glimpse of what to expect in the AFC Challenge Cup next year in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.

Nepal and the Philippines are two of eight teams that qualified for the tournament, which stakes a spot in the 2015 Asian Cup.

“We saw glimpses of good football (from Nepal),” said Weiss. “They lost against North Korea which is not a big surprise. But it will be a totally different match tonight. We expect a stubborn and resistant side.”

Roberts, a former England international who captained Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, expects a tough test for his young side.

“I think they (Philippines) are a very good side,” said Roberts.

By Cedelf P. Tupas (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA – Boosted by the arrival of experienced defender Rob Gier, the Philippine Azkals will be out to protect their homefield when they take on Nepal tomorrow in a FIFA-sanctioned international friendly at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

“We’ve worked so hard to finally get this chance (of playing at home), so we’ll do our best to protect Rizal,” said co-skipper Chieffy Caligdong, who has scored four of the Azkals’ last five goals in their past four matches.

The 29-year-old left winger recalled that last year, the Azkals were forced to play a “home” match in Indonesia because no venue was ready when the team went on a historic run to the Suzuki Cup semifinals.

“For us, it’s just a rare chance of playing at home that’s most important,” said Caligdong in Filipino.

Fil-Danish standouts Dennis Cagara and Jerry Lucena are also primed for their home debut.

Cagara and Lucena missed the 2014 World Cup Asian Qualifiers because of club commitments and are raring to produce a quality performance for the home fans.

“It’s always special playing at home,” said Cagara, who, at 26, is already a veteran in European leagues, having played in top-flight tournaments in Germany.

“Most of our teammates (in the Azkals) have shared their stories of how good the feeling is playing in Rizal,” added Cagara.

The match, set at 7 p.m., will mark the first time in 14 years that the Philippines will be hosting an international team for a friendly.

And with their last home match ending in a 1-3 loss to Kuwait last July, the Azkals are expected to go full throttle against the Nepalese.

“We can’t just allow Nepal to come over here and dominate us,” said team manager Dan Palami. “We are not the favored team, so we’re hopeful that we would get all the support at Rizal.”

Gier, who also serves as consultant and scout for the team, is expected to make his return at central defense after missing the Long Teng Cup and the 0-2 loss against Singapore last Friday.

Fil-Dutch player Paul Mulders said the match against Nepal will give him the opportunity to make up for what he felt was a so-so performance against Singapore.

“I wasn’t happy with my performance—I thought I played like a girl,” said Mulders.

ABS-CBN’s Studio 23 will air the Philippine Azkals’ friendly games with Singapore and Nepal this October.

The Azkals, who are currently in Taiwan for the 2011 Long Teng Cup, will face Singapore on October 7, 2011.

The match will take place at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

This will be followed by another friendly match, this time against Nepal on October 11.

The Nepal game will take place at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Studio 23 Airing schedules:

Philippines vs Singapore October 7, 2011 7:30 p.m. (Studio 23/Balls)
Jalan Besar Stadium, Kallang, Singapore

Philippines vs Nepal October 11, 2011 5:30 p.m. (Studio 23)
Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, Manila, Philippines

Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com