After two draws in the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team need to upset the odds and beat the tournament favorites Thailand on November 25 to ensure smooth passage towards the semi-finals.
If the goalless draw against Singapore was full of frustration, then the Philippines can take positives with how the Azkals secured a dramatic point Tuesday evening versus Indonesia in a match which ended 2-2.
The home side came back twice against the Indonesians with Misagh Bahadoran putting in a poacher’s goal and Phil Younghusband converting a wonderful free kick to give ensure that destiny is still in the Azkals’ hands.
“Of course we were unlucky. We attacked so many times but we couldn’t finish more goals,” lamented Bahadoran.
A win would definitely have been better, but the way the Azkals rallied themselves proved to be a big positive after the game.
“We always wanted to win. But the fighting spirit was there and we can take this to the next game as well. It will be a hard game against Thailand, for me the best team in South East Asia. If you beat them, and we can beat them, you deserve to go to the semi-finals,” shared Stephan Schrock.
“The fighting spirit was good especially with the crowd,” echoed Bahadoran.
“We had a good fighting spirit, but it’s just that we lacked finishing. The last passes we had, I think we should have released the ball earlier for the counterattack so we weren’t that sharp in the last third of the field and create so many chances to finish it.”
Anything less than a win for the Azkals would leave them sweating on the result of the Indonesia-Singapore due which will be played simultaneously at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila that evening.
“We have confidence, 100 percent, that no matter what we have to give all in for our game against Thailand to win against Thailand so that we can get three points so we can qualify for the (semi-finals),” assured Bahadoran.
Schrock declared, “I expect (Thailand) to play a good game, but we need to be very cold. We need to be ice cold in this final game against Thailand. Hopefully we can take every opportunity. I did not score, but I will score on Friday.”
Last night was the second game in four days for the Azkals. Schrock admitted that fatigue was creeping in, although that wasn’t a deterrent for them to push on.
“The legs are a bit tired, but of course the Filipinos and the Azkals, the heart will carry us over the 90 minutes and I hope the fans will show up on Friday to give us a big support,” he concluded.
