Match Preview: Philippines vs Uzbekistan

When Uzbekistan officially ended up as the last team to land in Group H of the World Cup Qualifying draw last April, the Philippine Azkals may have breathed a collective sigh of relief.

None of the qualifiers in the 2014 World Cup – Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran – were directly standing in the way of the Azkals from reaching the third round. As much as they would have loved to battle some of the most popular and strongest teams in the continent, the chances of getting a result against those four teams may be a far more difficult proposition than facing the Uzbeks.

It was tough either way. Still, Azkals  manager Dan Palami was upbeat despite the presence of the Uzbeks in the group that also includes North Korea, Bahrain and Yemen. With the exception of Bahrain, North Korea and Yemen are considered the best teams in their pot which is why Group H has been billed as one of the toughest groups in the qualifying tournament.

On their third game in World Cup Qualifying, the Azkals finally face Uzbekistan, long regarded as a powerhouse in the continent. Ranked 49 places higher than the Azkals at No. 76, the Uzbeks reached the semifinals of the Asian Cup in 2011 and also came a win short of earning a playoff for a place in the 2014 World Cup finals, losing to Jordan in a shootout.

But the Azkals have never been lacking in belief and see the duel as an opportunity to finally prove their worth as a force in the continent. The Azkals are no strangers to magical feats since 2010 when they beat Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup, triggering the rise of the sport in the country.

The campaign so far looks like its following the same script. The Azkals were given little chance against Bahrain yet they pulled off a 2-1 win in the first international match played at Philippine Sports Stadium last June. A few days later, the Azkals blanked a dangerous Yemen, 2-0, in Doha, Qatar for their second win and they suddenly found themselves sharing top spot with North Korea, which stunned Uzbekistan, 2-4, in Pyongyang.

The Azkals are riding high on their fine form in the first two games of the campaign. The Uzbeks, on the other hand, are off to a mediocre start to their standards and their fans back home even after a 1-0 win over Yemen last Thursday.

Ever since he took over last year, Philippine Azkals coach Thomas Dooley has made no secret of his desire to be playing the elite teams in the continent. Uzbekistan falls in that category. Can the Azkals measure up?

Here are some of the things to look at heading into what is going to be the biggest match for the Azkals in their history.

Will Uzbekistan finally hit top form?

Three goals and three points in two matches seems a healthy return for a side competing in the World Cup Qualifiers.

But that’s not enough if you’re a team of Uzbekistan’s caliber.

There is an air of desperation as the team is reportedly under pressure back home to grab maximum points against the Azkals after a split in their first two matches. In the aftermath of the 2-4 loss to North Korea in Pyongyang, coach Myrjalal Kasimov resigned and was replaced by Samvar Babayan, an accomplished mentor in the Uzbekistan top flight.

The 1-0 win over Yemen did little to impress the home fans last Thursday despite the Uzbeks dominance in possession (74-26) and having more shots on target (8-1). Alexander Geynrikh’s 30-yard free kick early in the second half proved to be the difference for the Uzbeks, who also hit the post.

Truth be told, few teams in the continent can rival the Uzbeks’ quality, technical ability and size. But their finishing was a question mark against Yemen despite the wealth of talent up front. In Igor Sergeev, they have a big, strong and quick attacking outlet. The 22-year-old Sergeev who scored against North Korea in the Asian Cup early this year already has six goals from 20 matches.

Two-time Asian footballer of the year Server Djeparov remains the team’s creative force and although he’s no longer at the peak of his powers, the long-time skipper, now 32, is still capable of conjuring magic in the biggest moments. Djeparov lit up the Asian Cup in Qatar in 2011, the year he claimed his second Player of the Year honor. “It is a luxury to have Djeparov in the team,” Babayan said of the skipper who has 23 goals from 108 appearances for the national side.

The defense against North Korea was suspect, particularly in the first half when the Uzbeks shipped four goals down to what Babayan said were individual mistakes. “We were very weak in defense in the match against North Korea. We won’t repeat those mistakes again,” the coach added.

Can the Azkals impose their style?

The Azkals knocked the ball around with confidence, created numerous chances and hardly looked troubled defensively in the first two games of qualifying. It wasn’t just about winning for the team, but winning in style.

Dooley only shifted to a three man backline starting with the Bahrain friendly last March and three matches later, the Azkals seemed like they have been playing the system for a long time. Phil Younghusband has slotted in seamlessly to the heart of midfield and in Manny Ott, he has a partner who’s shown the willingness to run into space, make good decisions on the ball and keeps the attack going. Iain Ramsay and Misagh Bahadoran provide the threat on the wings while Javier Patino has proven to be effective in his role as No. 9, setting up both goals against Yemen. Apart from maintaining defensive solidity, Luke Woodland’s distribution out of the back remains crucial for the Azkals in building up. Dooley has implemented a system that limits the chances of opponents to exploit some of the Azkals’ weaknesses.

Against Yemen, the Azkals looked susceptible to balls over the top, but the opponents eventually lost team chasing the ball around as the Azkals bossed possession. Playing at home, the Azkals continue playing their style. But giving the ball away cheaply could spell disaster. On the night, the Azkals can’t afford to be sloppy and have to be spot-on defensively.  Another talking point heading into the match is the Azkals’ depth following injuries to Simone Rota and Rob Gier. Depth has been one of the Azkals’ strengths under the Dooley regime. Gier remains in the camp as one of the leaders in the team, while Rota wasn’t even available in the previous game due to injury. Their absence won’t really throw off the gameplan. The German-American coach made it a point to select the best players available for the qualifiers. Dooley has been rewarded by some outstanding performances, particularly from a rejuvenated Bahadoran who is the top scorer of the campaign so far with two goals. Stephan Schrock is returning from injury.

Either way, this is a good problem to have for Dooley who now has the luxury of players capable of making an impact off the bench. One cannot look too much into the warmup match against the Maldives since Dooley shuffled his men, putting players in positions where they are not usually deployed. But such is the depth of the side that even with the team giving the reserves some playing time, the Azkals still came away with a comfortable win.  Phil Younghusband, Daisuke Sato and Bahadoran were all subbed at halftime while Ott was also rested. It all points to Dooley retaining the same starting 11 from the last win against Yemen.

A big game calls for big performances

The wins against Bahrain and Yemen were impressive but Uzbekistan is a step up for the Azkals in terms of quality. The Azkals would need to deliver the performance of their careers to come away with a result. It is something that isn’t lost on Dooley who noted that the Azkals seem to get overwhelmed by big games in the first year of his tenure. The Azkals lost in the finals of the AFC Challenge Cup to Palestine and bowed to Thailand in the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals last December. Those losses have forced Dooley to take a hard look at preparing his side mentally for a big game. “Hopefully we know how to handle the pressure,” he said.

“We are the clear underdogs,” said Dooley. “But we can make so much happen if everybody fights for the team. We expect them (Uzbekistan) to play a great game. We expect them to show us what football is all about. But we will try to bite a little bit (with our game). ”Dooley said the Azkals are relishing the opportunity to play a team like Uzbekistan. “We want to do well against teams at this level, if we want to play in the Asian Cup,” he said. “If we win, it’s not a miracle, but it’s because of the hard work on our part.”