PH Azkals rout Chinese Taipei, face Myanmar in Peace Cup final
The Philippines’ Jason De Jong (6) is challenged by Taiwan’s Weng Wei-pin (15) and Chiu J-huan (7) during the Peace Cup 2014 soccer friendly match Wednesday, Sept.3, 2014 at the rain-soaked Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila, Philippines. AP/Bullit Marquez
MANILA, Philippines — Not even a long lull could slow down the Philippine Azkals in a 5-1 drubbing of Chinese Tapei to advance in the 2014 Peace Cup finals Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
The Azkals raced to 2-0 lead at halftime on goals by Rob Gier, who scored his first international goal for the Philippines on a header in the 25th minute, and James Younghusband off a setup by Misagh Bahadoran not long after.
The match was stopped in the 57th minute due to heavy downpour that flooded the Rizal pitch but the 30-minute delay hardly affected the Philippines’ play.
The Azkals picked up where they left off. Fil-British midfielder Mark Hartmann struck two goals in the second half to cap a rousing performance by the Philippines.
The Azkals arranged a date with Myanmar, which earlier thrashed Palestine, 4-1, in the final set on Saturday.
Compounding Chinese Taipei’s miseries, the visitors scored on its own goal after Chen Yi Wei’s attempt to clear Phil Younghusband’s strike made it, 3-0, in the 65th minute.
Taipei’s only goal came in the 80th minute and in between Hartmann’s goals, which he struck in the 74th and 88th minute.
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