PH men’s football team taps Baldisimo brothers for World Cup qualifiers

FILE–The Philippine men’s football team. –PFF WEBSITE

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine men’s football team has called up brothers Matthew and Michael Baldisimo for its two matches against Iraq this month in the second round of the World Cup/Asian Cup Qualifiers.

Currently playing for clubs in North America, the Baldisimos were among the 28 players coach Mark Saintfiet named for twin meetings with the Iraqis on March 21 in Basra and March 26 at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Matthew is currently with Major League Soccer side San Jose Earthquakes while Michael suits up for York United of the Canadian Premier League.

READ: PH football federation retires Azkals moniker, eyes new direction

Both players were called up in 2021 for the pandemic-delayed Asean Football Federation Cup

Saintfiet also tapped three players to suit up for the first time on the senior team in Dynamic Herb Cebu’s JB Borlongan and Far Eastern University-Diliman’s Theo Libarnes.

Neil Etheridge, Amani Aguinaldo, Daisuke Sato, OJ Porteria, Mike Ott, Kevin Ingreso, Patrick Reichelt, Justin Baas, Jarvey Gayoso, Jeff Tabinas and Santi Rublico are some of the prominent names who will represent the team formerly known as the Azkals in the upcoming window.

READ: Azkals hope to fish something out of loss

Other players in the squad are Patrick Deyto, Kevin Hansen, Cholo Bugas, Marco Casambre, Jesse Curran, Simen Lyngbo, Jesper Nyholm, Christian Rontinio, Paul Tabinas, Oskari Kekkonen, Mark Swainston and Andres Aldeguer.

The Philippines is looking at stealing some points in the two games with Iraq, which leads Group F with six points after wins over Indonesia and Vietnam last November.

Also in the November window, the Philippines couldn’t translate a fighting performance under coach Michael Weiss and lost 2-0 to Vietnam and settling for a 1-1 draw with Indonesia in the two games at Rizal Memorial.