(Part 1) Defeat, more than victory, defined what otherwise had been a momentous year in Philippine sports. Funny, but it continues to haunt us as we close a 365-day chapter in local sports.
Philippines came alive in the second half but settled for a 0-0 draw against visiting Singapore Saturday night in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
A series of friendly matches against powerhouse sides in the Southeast Asian region in June will be the next assignment for the Philippine Azkals, who are coming off a third place finish in the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu, Nepal.
It wasn’t a final, but the Philippine Azkals played like it was one anyway. And with that, they chalked up one more achievement in a tournament to remember.
Their title hopes already extinguished, the Philippine Azkals look to fly home with the next best thing in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup as they battle Palestine for third place Monday night at the Dashrath Stadium.
There have been losses of bigger margins, but for the Philippine Azkals, the narrow defeat to Turkmenistan in the AFC Challenge Cup semifinals could be the one that stings the most.
The journey of Mt. Everest-like proportions continues for the Philippine Azkals here. Along the way, a squad growing in strength with every game is making history.
What was expected to be a blowout turned out to be a showcase of the Philippines’ ability to absorb pressure from a top-level Asian side.
As if a controversy back home is not enough, the Philippines will also have to deal with the squad tipped to go all the way in the AFC Challenge Cup as it opens its campaign here Friday.
With three former champions in their group, the odds will be stacked against the Philippine Azkals in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup kicking off this Friday in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Filipino-German striker Denis Wolf scored his first international goal, but the Philippines was denied of a famous victory after Suzuki Cup champions Malaysia snatched a 1-1 draw with a late equalizer at the Rizal Memorial Stadium Wednesday night.
Attacking fluidly and compact defensively, the Philippine Azkals ripped Qatar first division club Al Ahli to shreds, 3-1, Monday night in the second tuneup match of their Middle East training camp here.
Former Philippine Under-23 squad skipper Matthew Hartmann has been suspended indefinitely from all events sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation for abruptly leaving the PH team in the middle of its campaign in the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia last year.
