Azkals off for Suzuki Cup Wednesday

THE PHILIPPINE Azkals leave for Hanoi, Vietnam, today in their quest for a breakthrough triumph in the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Semifinalists in the last two editions of the tournament, the Azkals have been grouped with Laos, Indonesia and host Vietnam in Group A, which gets going on Saturday at My Dinh National Stadium.

“The team is ready,” Azkals coach Thomas Dooley said Monday during the AFF Suzuki Cup Trophy Tour. “Every player is focused. They know how important it is for us to put up a strong performance in the tournament.”

The Azkals got a boost before their departure with Filipino-Spanish defender Alvaro Silva finally securing his Philippine passport that will make him eligible for the tournament.

Silva’s presence should augur well for an Azkals backline that has struggled in the last couple of matches. But it remains to be seen how big of a role will Silva play in the side that already has three central defenders in Rob Gier, Amani Aguinaldo and Juani Guirado.

“Alvaro will be a big help and it’s good that we have options at central defense,” said Dooley.

The Manila leg of the Trophy Tour also turned out to be the send-off event for the Azkals who begin their campaign against Laos on Saturday.

“This last week is where it all starts to get real for us,” said Gier. “Seeing the trophy makes us realize how big a tournament the Suzuki Cup is.”

The Filipinos have been far from impressive in the runup to the tournament as defensive problems were exposed in friendly matches against Thailand and Cambodia.