The Philippine National Football Teams (Azkals, etc.)

[rhk111]

This is, indeed, a big blow to the Azkals' Suzuki Cup campaign. Indonesia is resurgent, and Thailand just drew 2 all with powerful Australia.

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Suzuki Cup: Azkals to Miss Patiño, Sato

By: Cedelf P. Tupas - Reporter / @cedelfptINQ
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 11:07 PM November 16, 2016

The Philippine Azkals absorbed a heavy blow with Javier Patiño and Daisuke Sato ruled out of the AFF Suzuki Cup, just three days before they open their campaign against Singapore on Saturday at Philippine Sports Stadium.

With their respective clubs not compelled to release them for national team duty as the tournament doesn’t fall on Fifa dates, Patiño and Sato will miss the Suzuki Cup that will be held for the first time in the country.

The impending absence of Patiño deprives the Azkals of another quality striker.

But the bigger loss is Sato, who played solid at central defense in the 1-0 win over Kyrgyzstan. The Azkals are short on options at that position with only Amani Aguinaldo as a natural centerback.

Azkals coach Thomas Dooley could try out leftback Jeffrey Christiaens or defensive midfielder Dennis Villanueva to pair up with Aguinaldo on Saturday.

(Article intentionally cut, to read more, go to: http://sports.inquirer.net/229682/su...ss-patino-sato)

[rhk111]

The schedule of the Azkals' games and TV Coverage at the Suzuki Cup:

CxllU5rUoAE2oIw.jpg

SOURCE: https://twitter.com/PassionateFanPH/...82029990641664

[interxavierxxx]

This game is an eyesore. We have no game plan whatsoever. Just shoot the ball over to the front and hope for Bahadoran or Younghusband to work their magic. We are in need of a strong grassroots program.

[rhk111]

AZKALS 2016 SUZUKI CUP GAME ONE: Azkals 0, Singapore 0

Good game by the Azkals, their Passing and Possession game is pretty good, but without Patino and Sato the finishing just isn't there, unable to beat a team with only ten men.

The way things are shaping up now, I think Thailand and Indonesia will move on to the next round. But I think we still need to fully support the team, a prestigious tournament like this comes only once every two years, and remember that things are different now since we are co hosting this event.

The other teams like Indonesia and Thailand would be great to watch also. There are still two game days left, on Nov. 22 and 25, 2016.

[rhk111]

This game is an eyesore. We have no game plan whatsoever. Just shoot the ball over to the front and hope for Bahadoran or Younghusband to work their magic. We are in need of a strong grassroots program.

I think things would've been different if Patino and Sato were there, especially Patino since he not only scores but creates chances for his teammates also. But if a team is so shallow a loss of one or two players affect it greatly, then it's not really that good anyway.

Thailand is really way out there in terms of skill level in SEA. Not only are they very good, they are also very entertaining to watch. They drew with Australia 2-2 during their tuneup game before this tournament.

Indonesia is back in full force after having problems with FIFA in the last couple of years, it will be a different team than what we have faced in the last two Suzuki Cups.

[rhk111]

Just great finishing by both teams.

[interxavierxxx]

I think things would've been different if Patino and Sato were there, especially Patino since he not only scores but creates chances for his teammates also. But if a team is so shallow a loss of one or two players affect it greatly, then it's not really that good anyway.

Thailand is really way out there in terms of skill level in SEA. Not only are they very good, they are also very entertaining to watch. They drew with Australia 2-2 during their tuneup game before this tournament.

Indonesia is back in full force after having problems with FIFA in the last couple of years, it will be a different team than what we have faced in the last two Suzuki Cups.

4-3-3 simply isn't cutting it. We need players to attack and create scoring chances. Makes me really wish we had a box-to-box midfielder or an attacking midfielder as good as Eden Hazard.

[rhk111]

Highlights of the Azkals-Indonesia game yesterday:

[rhk111]

4-3-3 simply isn't cutting it. We need players to attack and create scoring chances. Makes me really wish we had a box-to-box midfielder or an attacking midfielder as good as Eden Hazard.

Patino would've been the man to create those scoring chances. Without him, our offense is just mediocre.

But it was good to see the Azkals dominate the game. In the second half the ball was parked almost all of the time in Singapore's side of the Pitch, and we had so many Shots on Target, Free Kicks and Corners Kicks. But the finishing just was missing in action last night ...

[rhk111]

AZKALS GAME TWO: AZKALS 2, INDONESIA 2

Another fantastic effort on the part of the Azkals, but they again had the same problem as they had before during their first game against Singapore: Inefficient Finishing. They managed to score two goals this time thru sheer effort alone, but in the end they dominated Possession and had a lot more Free and Corner Kicks, but could only show two goals for it courtesy of Misagh Bahadoran and Phil Younghusband, both coming from Free Kicks.

The problem with having an inefficient finishing is that it eventually made them vulnerable to Counter-Attacks, and Indonesia is one of the best Counter-Attacking teams in South East Asia (SEA). I also felt we were a bit lucky in this game as Indonesia had two attempts that hit the Goal Post. If they didn’t and if one of those balls made it thru the Goal, that would have been it for us.

The Azkals are now are in a difficult position of winning the game against a very tough Thailand team in order to move into the next round. Realistically, I don’t see it happening, and whoever wins the Indonesia-Singapore game will move on to the next round. All the more the need to support the Azkals as this could be their last game in this year’s Suzuki Cup.

Moving forward after the Suzuki Cup, the team needs to find Forwards in the caliber for Javier Patino in order for it to beat the SEA teams consistently. Mike Ott and Kevin Ingreso were supposed to be those guys as they were quite prolific as Strikers in their Youth Clubs in Germany, but so far has been able to do the same at National Team level, so the search continues.

[rhk111]

Highlights of the Indonesia-Azkals game

[rhk111]

AZKALS 2016 SUZUKI CUP GAME THREE: Azkals 0, Thailand 1

November 25, 2016 rhk111 2016 AFC Suzuki Cup

Well, as expected, the Azkals lost to Thailand. I was still sort of hoping otherwise before this game, there was a lot of hype about it, there was even a call to arms by Azkals fans to go to the Philippine Sports Stadium (PSC) in Bulacan to show support for the team.

An acquaintance who is an avid Football fan even asked me on Facebook about it, he went but I just opted to watch the game on TV. And the Azkals fans were out in force tonight, filling the lower stands of the PSC which I think is about as good as it will get for that stadium and for the Azkals in this country.

’Game Play’
The team started very shakily when Coach Thomas Dooley opted to rest some players after two hard games and put in some young players instead like Kenshiro Daniels and Marco Casambre, a teenager playing for Global FC.

Things improved a lot when he put in Misagh Bahadoran and James Younghusband right at the start of the Second Half, but the Thais were just too good at Midfield. We couldn’t really control the ball consistently for any length of time and thus it affected our offense.

The game also exposed how far we are really off from Thailand: They fielded in TEN new players in this game, it was basically their Second String team, and yet we couldn’t even beat them.

(Article intentionally cut, to read more go to: https://rhk111footballblog.wordpress...-0-thailand-1/)

[interxavierxxx]

AZKALS 2016 SUZUKI CUP GAME THREE: Azkals 0, Thailand 1

November 25, 2016 rhk111 2016 AFC Suzuki Cup

Well, as expected, the Azkals lost to Thailand. I was still sort of hoping otherwise before this game, there was a lot of hype about it, there was even a call to arms by Azkals fans to go to the Philippine Sports Stadium (PSC) in Bulacan to show support for the team.

An acquaintance who is an avid Football fan even asked me on Facebook about it, he went but I just opted to watch the game on TV. And the Azkals fans were out in force tonight, filling the lower stands of the PSC which I think is about as good as it will get for that stadium and for the Azkals in this country.

’Game Play’
The team started very shakily when Coach Thomas Dooley opted to rest some players after two hard games and put in some young players instead like Kenshiro Daniels and Marco Casambre, a teenager playing for Global FC.

Things improved a lot when he put in Misagh Bahadoran and James Younghusband right at the start of the Second Half, but the Thais were just too good at Midfield. We couldn’t really control the ball consistently for any length of time and thus it affected our offense.

The game also exposed how far we are really off from Thailand: They fielded in TEN new players in this game, it was basically their Second String team, and yet we couldn’t even beat them.

(Article intentionally cut, to read more go to: https://rhk111footballblog.wordpress...-0-thailand-1/)

It's unfortunate but we have to move forward. I like what I'm seeing from our youngsters, namely Aguinaldo and Casambre.

[rhk111]

It's unfortunate but we have to move forward. I like what I'm seeing from our youngsters, namely Aguinaldo and Casambre.

Aguinaldo, Casambre and Daisuke Sato who is only 22 years old. But notice that all are Backliners, none from the Midfield or Forward. Even Javier Patino is already 28 years old.

Priority now for the PFF should be to search for the next generation of Azkals in anticipation of the retirement of the Younghusbands and Schrock in a couple more years.

[interxavierxxx]

Aguinaldo, Casambre and Daisuke Sato who is only 22 years old. But notice that all are Backliners, none from the Midfield or Forward. Even Javier Patino is already 28 years old.

Priority now for the PFF should be to search for the next generation of Azkals in anticipation of the retirement of the Younghusbands and Schrock in a couple more years.

Any luck from our U-23 and below teams?