PH Azkals seek upset vs Uzbekistan

Philippine men’s football team coach Thomas Dooley says the Azkals have nothing to lose against higher-ranked Uzbekistan. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Philippine men’s football team coach Thomas Dooley knows the kind of competition the Azkals will be facing on Tuesday when they clash with Uzbekistan in their World Cup qualifying match at Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“We are the underdogs,” he said in the pre-match press conference on Monday. “There’s no question about it. Everything is in their hands. They have to win against us.”

The Azkals, currently ranked 129th in the world, will face off against world No. 71 Uzbekistan – the highest ranked opponent the Philippines is set to face so far.

And with the glaring disparity in ranking, Dooley said the pressure is on the Uzbeks.

“If you play against a team like Uzbekistan which is 50 places ahead of us, we have nothing to lose. If we’re going to lose against Uzbekistan, it’s normal. If we win, it’s not a miracle, but it’s hard work from us and we deserve it,” he said.

Captain Phil Younghusband noted the changes in the Azkals’ mindset compared to where the team was five years back.

“Back in 2010, we had Vietnam (in the Suzuki Cup). They were heavy favorites to beat us, but we forced an upset. But this is a bit different. We had no expectations then but we have expectations now. We know this team is strong,” he said.

Dooley believes that the players will pull through and stay with the team’s game plan.

“We just have to play a great game. We have to fight and play the way we want to play. Every team has weaknesses and they try to play through that,” he said.

“We want to make the Filipino people proud and smile all day because the Philippine national team won the game. We hope to continue our success and in football, anything is possible.”