The Philippines hopes to keep its World Cup qualifying hopes alive against Yemen Thursday night at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Clinging to third spot in Group H with seven points, the Azkals are teetering at the brink in the race for a spot in the third round.
With North Korea already at 13 points and in-form Uzbekistan with nine points, the Azkals are hard-pressed to claim victory against the winless Yemenis, who are already out of contention after losing their first five matches.
The Azkals hammered out a 2-0 win over Yemen last June in Qatar, but it has turned out to be the Filipinos’ last victory in the competition as they have gone three matches without a win.
A 1-5 beating at the hands of Uzbekistan gave the Azkals a grim reality check on what needs to be done to compete against an elite side in the continent. The next two away games saw the Azkals just pick a point – a hard fought draw against North Korea in Pyongyang and a disappointing 0-2 defeat to Bahrain in Riffa. The results left the Azkals with a mountain to climb in their last three games starting with Yemen tomorrow.
Several key players are missing from the side with skipper Phil Younghusband the most notable absentee after picking up yellow cards against Uzbekistan and Bahrain in their last outing. Stephan Schrock will wear the captain’s armband for the first time, completing a remarkable turnaround from the time when he fell out with coach Thomas Dooley last year after the AFC Challenge Cup. Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge will miss the game due to a knee injury, paving the way for Roland Muller to make his first start in the competition. Javier Patino will return to boost the attack after a hamstring injury forced him out of the last two games.
“Obviously this is a game that we have to win,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley. “It should push every single one to know how important this game is. If we lose, we’re out.”
Here are some of the factors to look at heading into the important match on Thursday:
Azkals must find scoring boots again
After an impressive start that saw the team score four goals and conceding just one in the first two games, the Azkals hit a barren spell, finding the back of the net only once in their last three games. Granting that they were facing the top seed in the group in Uzbekistan and had to endure a difficult time traveling in games against North Korea and Bahrain, the truth is that the Azkals struggled to replicate their form in Group H. This can be attributed to plenty of factors. Players in the UFL already done with their season, which hurts their fitness levels and of course the lack of time preparing for matches which has always been a concern because the Azkals play in different countries in the world with half of the starting lineup plying their trade in Europe.
The showdown against Yemen gives the Azkals at home to dictate play anew. Over the past few training sessions, Dooley has been drilling the side on movement and finishing in the final third. The return of Javier Patino from a hamstring injury should give the Azkals a target man and a clinical finisher – something they lacked in their last two games. Against Bahrain, the Azkals should have been ahead even before the Bahrainis scored as their finishing in front of goal left a lot to be desired, hastening their defeat. Phil Younghusband’s goalscoring abilities and his creativity will certainly be missed, but the Azkals have more than enough firepower with the return of Patino, who is coming off a decent season in the Chinese Super League, and Schrock, who is expected to play as the No. 10 in lieu of Younghusband.
Strength in Depth
The Azkals’ depth will be tested once again with Younghusband out due to suspension and Neil Etheridge also suffering from pain on his knee that will give Roland Muller an opportunity to start for the first time in the competition. Simone Rota and Rob Gier are in the squad but both players are still recovering from injuries. Juani Guirado is also returning from a long absence, giving coach Thomas Dooley more options on defense especially with the absence of Luke Woodland.
Younghusband’s presence on the pitch will surely be felt particularly with his expanded role as captain and a creative and combative force at midfield. “He leads by example,” said Dooley of Younghusband. “He will be missed, but we have players who can also do the job.” Younghusband himself is confident his teammates can pull through without him, setting the stage for the Azkals to mount one final push for a third round spot in March.
“I’ve been with the team for 10 years now. Sometimes, it may feel different without a familiar face, but in terms of quality, we have all the quality out there. I don’t think I will be missed too much,” said Younghusband. Schrock is versatile and has experience playing at the highest level in Germany and can easily slot into Younghusband’s role. Kevin Ingreso acquitted himself well against Uzbekistan. The young midfielder struggled against Bahrain, but with Younghusband out, he could also make his mark against Yemen alongside Manny Ott.
Patience and Urgency
The Azkals must find the right mix of staying patient while playing with urgency. The Yemenis have proven tough to break down in previous games especially against superior opposition. They are expected to sit back, put men behind the ball and try to cash in on counter attacking opportunities.
The Azkals like to play possession football, but they aren’t the quickest of teams particularly in transitioning from attack to defense and this is something the Yemenis could exploit. The team could also play with a bit of eagerness and edge as they search for an early advantage, but the key should be finding the right balance to systematically wear down and carve open the Yemenis. The Yemenis will try to frustrate the Azkals, but the home side has to be experienced and patient enough to wait for its chances and convert them. Dooley has hinted at reverting back to the 3-4-3 formation after playing a 4-4-2 last time. Defensively, Amani Aguinaldo, Daisuke Sato and Jerry Lucena have to be at their best again in snuffing out any danger especially the balls over the top which Yemen used as a tactic in its first meeting with the Azkals last June.
The win against Yemen actually showcased the Azkals at their best as they mixed up relentless pressing with patient, deliberate approach play before Misagh Bahadoran and Javier Patino burst to life in the final third to carve open the defense. The Azkals face a four month break and ending the year with the victory should give players and fans a good feeling heading into the last two matches. “We have to take it one game at a time, but we hope that the last game against North Korea (on March 29) will have bearing,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami.