“It’s a must-win game,” said Coach Thomas Dooley.
And no doubt about it, the Yemen game is one. A win would keep our (very slim) qualification hope alive, depending on the results of North Korea and Uzbekistan, but dropping points will almost certainly mean elimination.
The Philippines takes on Yemen on Thursday, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, on paper an easy clash for the Azkals.
Yemen have no points from five games, have scored no goals, and have a goal difference of -11, but went to Pyongyang, a highly intimidating environment, where group favourites Uzbekistan lost to DPR Korea, and battled to lose only 1-0, while also going to Uzbekistan’s home in Tashkent and also only losing 1-0.
Yemen are a very tough team to break down, something that the Azkals experienced when we played them Doha last June 16. They held the Philippines off in the first half, had a few chances throughout the game, but lost because of goals from Misagh Bahadoran and Iain Ramsay.
Simone Rota and Rob Gier, according to Bob Guerrero, are training with the team, but Thomas Dooley thinks that both still have to recover a bit more before being fully match-fit, while another defender, Luke Woodland, was not on PFF’s 23-man call-up list for this game, so the Azkals’ have only four defenders fully fit for the match: Daisuke Sato, Amani Aguinaldo, Stephan Palla, and Juani Guirado. Gier, Rota, and Jerry Lucena can still step in at the back in a pinch, but this lack of defenders might be a bit of a worry.
Strangely, Phil Younghusband is on the PFF’s 23-man list, even though he picked up his second yellow card of the campaign in the 0-2 loss against Bahrain in Riffa and therefore suspended from playing this match. The Philippines will have trouble replacing Younghusband’s leadership and hard work, but will get a boost in the returning Henan Jianye striker Javier Patino, who was injured for the games against North Korea and Bahrain.
Predicted formation:
Walsall keeper Neil Etheridge starts in goal, with Sato, Aguinaldo, and Palla in front of him.
With Gier and Younghusband out, Jerry Lucena takes the captain’s armband*, partnered with Kevin Ingreso, while Manny Ott and the ever-dangerous Stephan Schrock should drift infield, with the fullbacks, Iain Ramsay, and Misagh Bahadoran providing the width.
Javier Patino forges into the box as our main scoring threat.
Usually, Manny Ott was partnered with Phil Younghusband at attacking midfield, but with the latter suspended, the former should instead be partnered with Stephan Schrock, who takes Younghusband’s old attacking midfield role.
The Azkals must win against Yemen, who are good at being resolute in defence.
Our inability to have a Plan B against Bahrain and Uzbekistan cost us those matches, a sad truth about our football. The Azkals should be able to form a way to play if our fast passing game does not work.
Our passing game was a bit slow against Bahrain, probably due to the heat and fatigue, and must be upped if we want a result against Yemen. The Azkals’s finishing must also be improved, as we fluffed several good chances against Bahrain, which cost us the match.
And, as I have been suggesting for the last few articles, the Azkals should learn how to score from range. Our inability to score from range has cost us points.
The Philippines has to win this match. Underdogs they may be, Yemen is a tough proposition. We shouldn’t let them think they have a chance in this game.
*According to Cedelf Tupas, Stephan Schrock was appointed captain of this match by Dooley, instead of the automatic 3rd captain Jerry Lucena.
The Flying Winger 