Palami bats for Dooley contract extension

HANOI—The architect of one of the finest performances by the Philippines in a tournament in years, coach Thomas Dooley, stands to get a reward for his exploits here.

Azkals manager Dan Palami said he will recommend a contract extension for the German-American mentor whose deal with the Philippine Football Federation ends in February.

The Azkals have been in superb form in the AFF Suzuki Cup, clinching a semifinal berth with a game to spare after a pair of impressive victories over Laos and Indonesia. A draw against Vietnam late Friday night would be enough to give the Azkals top seed in Group A, which would mean they will play their home match in Manila on Dec. 11.

The emphatic 4-0 win over Indonesia was actually the first in the tournament for the Azkals, who also ended an 80-year winless spell against their Southeast Asian rival.

“We’re quite happy, so I’m recommending that PFF extends his contract,” Palami said.

Asked for how long Dooley’s next deal would be, Palami replied in jest: “It depends on whether or not I can still afford him.”

After a grueling domestic football schedule, as well as the long travel overseas for friendlies, there were concerns on how the Azkals would fare in their return to this rapidly developing Vietnamese capital. In fact, the Azkals got hammered by Thailand, 0-3, and looked unimpressive in the 3-0 win over Cambodia in their final tuneup match.

Dooley, along with assistant Sebastian Statche and goalkeeping mentor Jorge Kuriyama, gave the players leeway in training and allowed them to spend time with their families before leaving for Hanoi, resulting in a more focused and energized performance here.

Under Dooley, the Azkals reached the AFC Challenge Cup finals, where they lost to Palestine. Dooley was also at the center of controversy early this year after a publicized falling out with Azkals star Stephan Schrock.

But Palami has nothing but praises for Dooley for his handling of the team here.

“They were able to tweak our midfield and defense in such a way that it has come to this result,” said Palami. “I have to thank the coaches for bringing the team to this level.”

Dooley believes the team remains a work in progress: “Of course we can still play better. We are far away from perfect, too. We can play a bit smarter especially when we are leading.”