Amani Manuel Santos Aguinaldo of the Philippines, left, and Ri Kum Chol, of North Korea, right, compete for the ball, during their preliminary joint qualification round 2 soccer match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup at the Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)
BEIJING – All those big games the past year prepared Amani Aguinaldo for the battle against North Korea.
In front of one of the most intimidating crowds he has ever played against one of the continent’s best squads, the 20-year-old was thrust into the limelight with coach Thomas Dooley assigning him the task to defend the opposing team’s deadliest player.
READ: Match Ratings: Philippines vs North Korea
Aguinaldo had passed his test against Maldives’ Ali Ashfaq in the AFC Challenge Cup last year, did well enough against some of Southeast Asia’s finest strikers in the AFF Suzuki Cup last December, but facing North Korea’s Pak Kwang-ryong was certainly a step up in terms of the quality of opposition.
The 6-foot-3 Pak is one of the few North Koreans who ply their trade overseas, playing in the Swiss League, but Aguinaldo, who has emerged as a reliable option at the back under Dooley’s tutelage, proved more than his equal on Thursday, ensuring that the Azkals came away with a precious point at Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang.
Dooley knew Aguinaldo’s ability to handle the physicality would come in handy against Pak, who, as a big target man, allowed the North Koreans to constantly threaten the Azkals defense.
READ: Azkals regain heart after brave N. Korea draw
“I just prepared myself for the physical play,” said the 5-foot-11 Aguinaldo, a third year sports science major at University of the Philippines, during the team’s stopover in the Chinese capital en route to Bahrain. “It was tough but we needed to get the job done.”
As early as the first minute, Aguinaldo made sure Pak knew he was in for a tough outing with the young Azkal refusing to budge on what should have been a breakaway.
Midway in the first half, Aguinaldo got away with a tug on Pak’s shirt inside the box, unsettling the Korean striker who had gone down easily inside the box.
Veteran defender Rob Gier, who sat on the bench, could only marvel at the improvement of Aguinaldo.
“I’ve got to give special to Amani because I felt he was absolutely outstanding,” said Gier. “He stood up to a big challenge. He played against a very good center forward and didn’t give him a sniff. He certainly deserved special mention.”
Collectively, the Azkals proved a tough nut to crack, recalling the days when they fought and scrapped for results in the Suzuki Cup and in the Challenge Cup.
“The boys were brilliant and thats what it takes to get a result away from home. you need a big performance and play with big hearts,” said Gier. “It’s a huge point no doubt about still an awful long way to go (in this qualifying tournament).”
Inquirer Match Ratings.
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