SG Lions, PH Azkals clash in Suzuki Cup semis; Ticket sale for home game starts

7:17 pm | Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

MANILA, Philippines—Philippines faces a familiar foe in Singapore as the home-and-away semifinals of the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup kicks off next week.

With two straight victories over the Lions over the past three months, the Azkals are hoping to cash in on the momentum especially in front of their home crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

In the friendlies set last September and November, Philippines blanked Singapore on both occasions while racking up three goals and revealing a gem of a goalkeeper in Ed Sacapaño.

The Lions, though, are playing inspired in the Suzuki Cup, having scored seven goals in the group stages alone including a masterful comeback victory, 4-3, over Laos Saturday.

The win catapulted Singapore to the top of its bracket ahead of Malaysia, which drubbed Indonesia, 2-0, also Saturday night.

The Azkals arrived in Manila from a more than weeklong stay in Bangkok and are set to start their preparations for the semis this week.

Tickets for the home match on December 8 went on sale via TicketWorld Sunday and are close to being sold out, according to the website of the ticketing agency.

The prices are as follows: P3,000 (center lower grand stand), P2,000 (side lower grand stand and center upper grand stand), P1,000 (side upper grand stand), P500 (bleacher) and P300 (blue and green bleachers).

According to Philippine Football’s Edwin Gastanes, all tickets bought via Ticketworld have to be exchanged for “official game tickets” at the match venue on the day itself or at the PFF office on December 7.

The “official” tickets printed by Thai Ticket Master are the actual game tickets with security bar codes that allow entry to the stadium, while the ones from Ticketworld basically serve as seat reservations.

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Tags: Football , Sports , Suzuki Cup

peteryang47

It is good for players confidence that they had beaten Singapore before, but there is a grave danger when you allowed yourself to be over confidence over the past victories as past victories must never taken into count even if you had beaten them in the earlier round during the competition, This is Semi Final matches that is what it is all about,. Your team had reached the toughest stage now in the Semi finals for the second time , where your team is just one step away from the final in a matter life and death match before you can play the winner takes it all final. It is being confirmed by professional players that the feeling of having to lose in Semi final is worst than to lose in a final.
Singapore is an unpredictable team and they can still prove to be a handful. But this time around the Philippines team are more stronger and well prepared than ever. But in football anything can happen, you need to be on your toes and approach the Semis well prepared so that you wont be thrown off guard.. Keep on playing the beautiful game, Thank you.

SG Lions, PH Azkals clash in Suzuki Cup semis; Ticket sale for home game starts

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