LA Galaxy game to kick off Philippine Azkals’ build-up

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Azkals will use their exhibition match against newly crowned Major League Soccer champion Los Angeles Galaxy on Dec. 3 to kickstart their preparations for next year’s AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal.

The three-month build-up of the Azkals will also include two training camps—one in the Gulf Region and an international friendly on Feb. 29, according to Azkals manager Dan Palami.

The venue for the international friendly, he said, will still depend on the date of their first match in the Challenge Cup.

“We want to use the international date on Feb. 29 to play a friendly either at home or in a country near Nepal depending on when our first game would be in the Challenge Cup,” he said.

But Palami hinted that the Azkals will not have the full complement of players for the Challenge Cup in March as Europe-based standouts Stephan Schrock, Paul Mulders, Dennis Cagara and Jerry Lucena could be tied up with their clubs during the two-week tournament.

The Azkals will miss goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, Mulders, Cagara, Lucena and Schrock for the match against the Galaxy, who will be bannered by former England captain David Beckham, American Landon Donovan and Irish international Robbie Keane.