Azkals just too good for Nepal

EVEN with a shorthanded lineup, the Philippines kept its mastery of Nepal with a 3-0 drubbing Friday night in a friendly in Doha, Qatar.

Simon Greatwich scored his first international goal while Phil Younghusband and Mark Hartmann were on target anew as the Azkals scored their third straight win over the Nepalese before a huge Filipino crowd at Al Arabi Stadium.

The Azkals dominated possession for long periods but the Nepalese offered more threat especially on the counterattack unlike in previous meetings with the Filipinos.

But the Azkals’ quality finally told in the second half as Greatwich, long in the shadows of older brother, Chris, finally broke the deadlock four minutes after the break with a well taken close range strike.

“We had difficulty adjusting to the grass pitch,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami, noting that the Azkals are used to playing in an artificial turf where balls roll faster.

The match was meant to sharpen the Azkals for the AFF Suzuki Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam from Nov. 22 to 28. They missed key players like Patrick Reichelt and Manny Ott, who were not released by UFL side Ceres.

“We’re looking forward to have all the players together after club commitments,” added Palami.

Still there was plenty of experience and quality in the side with Jerry Lucena and Martin Steuble dishing out solid games at midfield and Paul Mulders coming on late in the second half.

The Azkals next play Thailand reportedly on Nov. 9 before facing Cambodia on Nov. 14 at Rizal Memorial Stadium.