It has been a tumultuous last few months for the Philippine Men’s National Football Team (Azkals).
The Thomas Dooley-coached squad have already seen the likes of Simone Rota and Patrick Reichelt suffer long-term injuries, cancellation of FIFA friendlies, and now a new setback has come to light.
Veteran Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has confirmed that he will be unable to participate in the upcoming 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup which shall be hosted by the Philippines this November.
Etheridge was part of the Azkals squad which revitalized football in the Philippines courtesy of the miracle run in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. It would have been fitting to see one of the heroes of that squad play in the upcoming edition, but life had other plans.
“It’s frustrating that the Suzuki Cup doesn’t fall within international dates. The experiences that I gained from that cup competition when I was younger were second to none, the atmosphere, the intensity and the teams pulling together to gain victory,” stated Etheridge via a statement.
Perhaps due to his eventual absence, Dooley had no choice but to leave Etheridge out of the Azkals’ upcoming friendlies against Bahrain and North Korea.
Nevertheless, Etheridge still had high hopes for the Azkals in their next games. “The team have looked strong and resilient in the past games that I have played in. I know we still have some injuries but the squad has looked compact and together with a great changing room atmosphere which plays a big part.”
Etheridge’s impending absence now makes him a spectator this November. The goalkeeper himself knows the value of a fully packed stadium and he is optimistic that the support will reach fever pitch once the competition starts.
“The supporters in Manila will play another large factor, getting behind the team and cheering them on, acting as the 12th player. Our past home performances have been good so I hope that this can continue into the Suzuki Cup,” concluded Etheridge.
