Gayoso, Bedic lift Azkals to semis

Collegiate star Jarvey Gayoso and Joven Bedic scored their first international goals as the Philippines crushed Laos, 3-1, Wednesday night to reach the semifinals of the Bangabandhu Cup in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Despite far from ideal preparations in the lead up to the match, the Azkals still proved too strong against the Southeast Asian side with returning Misagh Bahadoran also finding the back of the net in the second half.

With coach Scott Cooper using the tournament as a try-out for players hoping to make the final lineup for the AFF Suzuki Cup in November and the Asian Cup in January, several players made their case with solid performances.

Azkals manager Dan Palami expressed delight over the response of the team after a challenging past few days that saw organizers switch training schedules. —CEDELF P. TUPAS