Azkals’ head coach Thomas Dooley. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
RIFFA — Philippine Azkals coach Thomas Dooley was left to rue his team’s missed opportunities in the 0-2 defeat to Bahrain in Group H of World Cup qualifying at Bahrain National Stadium here Thursday night.
The Azkals yielded two goals in a span of eight minutes as they lost for the second time in five matches in the qualifying tournament. Still, the Azkals remained in third spot in Group H with seven points, with North Korea on top with 13 points, followed by Uzbekistan (9 points).
READ: Azkals’ World Cup qualifying hopes dim after loss to Bahrainis
Bahrain picked up only its second win in the qualifying tournament, increasing its tally to six points.
“Maybe if we scored on two or three good chances in the first half, it would have been a different game,” said Dooley. “We controlled the game in the first half, but we couldn’t score. Bahrain scored and it was difficult for us to get back mentally and physically.”
READ: Dooley still wants more from Azkals
Phil Younghusband was guilty of missing a couple of good chances in the first half with the first coming in the second minute.
Released down the middle by Stephan Schrock, the country’s leading international scorer could only manage a tamed effort that was saved by the Bahraini keeper.
READ: Schrock thrives in shock-troop role
Younghusband’s glancing header inside the box late in the first half also went wide.
The Azkals were made to pay for missing those chances as Bahrain scored in quick succession to dim the Filipinos’ hopes of reaching the third round. Ismaeel Abdulatif fired into an empty net after a flowing move in the 53rd minute, before Sayed Adnan curled home a free kick in the 61st minute to double the advantage.
There was plenty of time to mount a comeback after Bahrain made it 2-0, but Dooley said the Azkals did not have enough gas in the tank to chase the game.
“We just didn’t have enough legs in the second half,” said Dooley.