CHRIS Greatwich challenges Turkmenistan midfielder Didar Durdyýew. August dela Cruz
Former national team great Chris Greatwich gets a shot at redemption, albeit in a different role.
The hero of the Azkals’ 2010 AFF (Asean Football Federation) Suzuki Cup run and current Kaya Iloilo coach has played in some of the biggest matches in the country’s recent history.
Having scored twice in the Azkals’ miraculous run in the AFF Suzuki Cup in Hanoi in 2010, Greatwich also endured setbacks with the squad, the last of which came in the AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives where the Azkals missed out on the prestigious Asian Cup.
Convinced by coach Thomas Dooley to assist him in calling the shots for the Azkals in their biggest game yet against Tajikistan in the final AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday, Greatwich can finally fulfill one of the dreams he started nurturing 14 years ago when he represented the country for the first time.
“With the importance of the upcoming game, he (Dooley) really pushed me if it was viable to assist him for this upcoming game and training camp,” said Greatwich, whose teammates in the 2010 run—Phil and James Younghusband and Neil Etheridge—are all expected to feature against the Tajiks.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be back, being on the bench, singing the national anthem especially with such an important game coming up.”
Greatwich said his familiarity with players have come in handy in his job assisting Dooley, who has led the Azkals to an unbeaten record in qualifying, although the team’s last three games all ended in draws.
“It’s nice to see things from the other side,” he said.
“I think the players know the magnitude of the game. Our job is to let them go into the game relaxed and confident so they can perform to their capabilities.”
Having witnessed the sport’s popularity stall the past three years, following a huge rise in following due to their exploits in the Suzuki Cup, Greatwich hopes qualification to the Asian Cup will “reawaken” football in the Philippines again.
“In the grander scheme of things, this game will have huge significance because we’ve come a long way,” he said.
“I think being able to pit your wit against some of the stronger teams in Asia. It will be a really incredible achievement first and foremost because if you would have said this 14 years ago when I started that we’d have the potential to go and play against Australia and Japan and Korea, we would have said you are crazy and we would have no chance, but the fact that we’re one game away from that, I think its incredible.”