Azkals’ head coach Thomas Dooley. TRISTAN TAMAYO / INQUIRER.net
Despite languishing in the bottom half of their group, Philippine head coach Thomas Dooley knows his team will put up a fight against the powerful North Korean team in Tuesday’s match of the joint Fifa World Cup-AFC Asian Cup qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Dooley said Monday the Azkals would have to attack early and establish their position against the North Koreans.
“We are trying to play good football,” Dooley said. “This time, it’s a little bit different; I want to win now, and my opinion is we can win.
“Anything is possible.”
The Philippines drew 0-0 with the Cholima in the first leg in Pyongyang, and Dooley knows the fight they put up against Uzbekistan is his measuring stick of the team’s attitude.
“Because of the fight last week against Uzbekistan, they know how to play against those big teams,” said Dooley, whose team lost 0-1 to the White Wolves in Tashkent. “They just have to have confidence against North Korea.”
Juani Guirado, the team captain for tomorrow’s match, said the North Korea match “is the most important right now” especially as it’s their final match in the tournament.
The Philippines is out of contention for the 2018 World Cup, but a win against North Korea would push the Azkals to third in Group H and give them an outright berth in the 2019 Asian Cup.
Uzbekistan leads the group with 18 points, with North Korea at second with 16, Bahrain at third with nine, and the Philippines at fourth with seven.