Phil Younghusband FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Phil Younghusband needed only nine minutes to score a hattrick.
Younghusband chalked up three quick goals in the first half as the Philippines leads Cambodia, 6-0, before their Group E Qualifying match of the AFC Challenge Cup was temporarily suspended due to rain at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium Sunday night.
Younghusband started off his scoring binge with a short strike inside the box in the 25th minute before coming through anew six minutes after on a curler.
With Cambodia struggling to get into any groove, Younghusband pounced on the visitors’ poor defending with a header in the 34th minute before assisting on a goal by Fil-Spanish Javier Patiño to cap off his stellar night.
The rain started to pour in the second half but it hardly affected the Azkals’ play.
Patino scored his second international goal in the 57th minute – squeaking one in – past three defenders to make it, 6-0, after Stephan Schrock put in also his second international goal at the start of the second half.
Schrock got help from Cambodia after one of its players got a piece of the ball – changing its direction – before finding the back of the net.
The match, which was interrupted by a power outage late in the first half, was stopped in the 65th minute due to rain with parts of the pitch already flooded.
With six goals in and still a lot of time left, the Azkals are on track to match if not eclipse Turkmenistan’s 7-0 win over Cambodia last Friday.