Azkals’ head coach Thomas Dooley. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Philippine coach Thomas Dooley is setting the bar high for the Azkals for the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup group stages which start on Saturday at Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.
“Making the semifinals will be a big step for us. It’s good for us to take the next step,” he said.
But he knows it’s a tall order, especially with the Philippines slotted in the so-called Group of Death with Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Dooley admits that the Thais are the hands down favorite in the tourney, saying, “They’re maybe the best team and the most experienced team.”
“They’ve been playing together for how many years now, won the Suzuki Cup last year, and all of that was not an accident. They’re still in the qualifiers for the World Cup and that means they’re doing something right over there.”
But the American mentor doesn’t want his wards to be overwhelmed by the opposition, and he thinks it’s about time the Philippines pull off a stunner against the Southeast Asian powerhouse.
“We never won against Thailand and I think it’s time that we show that we can also win against Thailand. Everything has to be right for us and it starts with the players,” he said.
The Azkals start their campaign against Singapore on Saturday, Indonesia on Tuesday, before finishing the group stages against Thailand next Friday.
Unfortunately, Dooley will be missing key cogs in forward Javier Patino and defender Daisuke Sato for the tourney, as well as midfielder Martin Steuble, who was suspended for the opening match.
Still, Dooley is positive that the remaining players can make up for the team’s losses.
“Everybody’s important for the team. (Sato) has experience, he’s very energetic, and he’s a good defender and we’ll be missing him in the back, but we have other players ready to step up and need to do the job,” he said. “I’m not that concerned about it, but it will be much better if he would be here. I really trust the players that we have and I believe the players can do that.”
“We’re excited for this tournament. Our level of confidence is on a high so I’m pleased. We have a good positive energy and you can see that on our training. We’re on the right path to be a successful team.”