Ramsay proves worth after long dry spell with Azkals

MALE—From the edge of the penalty box, the Philippines’ Iain Ramsay controlled the ball excellently with his left foot and kept a level head as the goalkeeper reduced his angle for a shot at the near post.

In one fluid motion, he emphatically sent the ball to the roof of the net, then poured out his emotion in celebration.

“In football, nothing is every rosy, nothing is ever on a straight line,” Ramsay said after scoring the opener in the 52nd minute of the Azkals’ gutsy 2-1 win over the Maldives in World Cup Qualifying here.

“There were some bumps along the way and it takes some resilience to survive. When I’m on the bench, I tried to stay positive as I can.”

That Ramsay turned out to be the goal scorer when the Azkals struggled to find their bearings early was a testament to the character of coach Scott Cooper’s current squad.

The left winger has not scored in more than two years for the Azkals and has seen his minutes dwindle over the last year. In fact, Ramsay wasn’t even called up for the camp in China in June.

“First of all, Iain is a consummate professional,” said Cooper, whose squad finished the first round of matches in qualifying with seven points from a possible 12.

“Anybody who is playing can display a good character. But players who have been in and out of the squad, those are the type of players who display character.”