Azkals stand on thin ice after 1-2 loss to Vietnamese

BACOLOD CITY—The Philippines scored for the first time in a semifinal match in the AFF Suzuki Cup, but it was not enough as Vietnam came away with a 2-1 victory in the first leg at Panaad Stadium here.

Patrick Reichelt finished off a flowing move right before halftime to cancel out Nguyen Anh Duc’s 12th minute goal, but the Azkals conceded early in the second half as Phan Van Duc beat Michael Falkesgaard for what turned out to be the match winner.

With the result, the Azkals are left with a mountain to climb as they travel to Hanoi on Monday for the second leg slated Thursday night.

The Philippines needs at least a 2-0 win to advance to the finals for the first time in the competition.

While coach Sven Goran Eriksson expressed satisfaction over his team’s performance, Reichelt, who scored his second goal of the tournament, felt the Azkals did not bring enough attitude into the match.

“I think we played rather well, but we were very unlucky,” said Reichelt. “It was too easy to score for them (Vietnam). We still have 90 minutes to go so we still have to try.”

Reichelt was left fuming at the flash interview after the match, expressing his frustration over the result.

“Today, it was not enough for us,” he said, “If we lose, it will be a disappointment. We didn’t play with heart.”