Match Report:
The Philippine Azkals seized third place in the group last night with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win over DPR Korea at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
After trading chances for the majority of the first half, including a Ri Myong Guk save from Javier Patino’s volley, Etheridge saving point-blank from Ro Hak Su, Martin Steuble shooting just over, and So Hyon Uk shooting wide on the rebound, Manny Ott’s 43rd minute through ball had Javier Patino beating Jang Kuk Chol for pace in the box. The Henan Jianye striker’s low shot was parried by North Korean keeper Ri Myong Guk, but only as far as Misagh Bahadoran, who headed the rebound home.
The visitors restored parity in first-half added time, with the Philippines failing to clear Kang Kuk Chol’s free kick delivery. Ri Hyok Chol knocked it down and pulled it back for So Kyong Jin, whose first shot was blocked, but So placed the rebound past a fallen Neil Etheridge for 1-1.
The North Koreans then took the advantage three minutes into the second half after Kang Kuk Chol’s clever set piece trick led to another penalty box scramble. Ro Hak Su’s headers were first hacked off the line by Amani Aguinaldo, then saved by Etheridge, but the ball fell to Ri Hyok Chol, who bobbled it in from close range.
After several Azkals chances went awry, Dooley’s introduction of James Younghusband shook things up, and the Loyola Sparks midfielder featured in several chances before being crucially involved in the 84th minute equaliser. Younghusband passed the ball to Patino, who hacked it towards debutant Miguel Tanton. Tanton spotted an onrushing Manny Ott and back heeled it into the Ceres FC midfielder’s path. Ott, from just outside the box, hit it first time, beating Ri Myong Guk and into the bottom corner.
The Azkals weren’t stopping there. Into stoppage time, Martin Steuble chipped a ball to Patino, who beat Ri Yong Chol and pulled it to the centre of the penalty box, where Iain Ramsay was waiting. Ramsay’s blasted it home, despite Ri Myong Guk getting a touch, and won the game for the Philippines on captain Juani Guirado’s last international match.
Analysis:
Team Analysis:
The Philippines seemed to start out in a 4-3-3 formation like the one above. Dooley, with another successful example of his tactical tinkering, started Miguel Tanton, Kaya’s 26-year-old midfielder, alongside Luke Woodland as a shield for the back four. Manny Ott played a more attacking role, behind the forwards, Bahadoran, Patino, and Steuble.
Of the three midfielders, Ott was the standout, heavily involved in the first goal and scoring the second. Tanton played excellently, shielding the defence well and assisting Ott’s goal. Woodland, however, was taken off at the half in favour of Iain Ramsay, and his most memorable contribution was a retaliatory shove on a North Korean player which warranted him a booking.
Up front, Patino made an enormous difference, assisting the first and third goals, and very much involved in the second. Misagh Bahadoran scored the first goal, and Martin Steuble’s chip over the North Korean defence for Patino allowed the ex-Buriram United man to set Ramsay up for the winner.
Match Analysis:
In the first half, we played well, especially through the centre, where our first goal came from, but North Korea pressured us and hit us hard on the wings, causing some damage. Kang Kuk Chol’s delivery, which forced us to concede the equaliser, came from the left wing.
Dooley’s tactical reshuffle at the half paid off, switching Iain Ramsay for Luke Woodland. He turned it into a 4-2-3-1, pushing Bahadoran wide right, Steuble behind Patino, and Tanton alongside Ott in an attempt to stretch the North Korean defence. Despite the North Korean goal, this seemed to work, especially because the visitors were flagging in the heat and because of the high pressure game they played in the first period. The Philippines created chance after chance, but lacked a spark to really ignite the game. Dooley then took off Bahadoran and put on James Younghusband. The Sparks midfielder’s impact was instantaneous, jumpstarting the move for the equaliser, adding energy and experience. He was the straw that broke the North Korean defence’s back, and after conceding the equaliser, the visitors couldn’t hold back anymore, allowing Iain Ramsay to score the winner in one of the Azkals’ best games in their history.
Postgame Comments:
The Azkals defence looked suspect at times, especially when defending crosses and set-pieces. This is a place where we should improve, as the four out of the last six goals we have conceded have come from set-pieces (Ismail Abdul Latif’s free kick in Bahrain, Anzur Ismailov’s header from Alexander Geynrikh’s delivery, and the two we conceded here, scored by So Kyong Jin and Ri Hyok Chol, both from Kang Kuk Chol set pieces). This should be an area where the team should improve. Otherwise, the team played brilliantly. On the bright side, the Azkals have scored their first first-half goal since Phil Younghusband’s penalty against Indonesia in the penultimate 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup group stage game.
Miguel Tanton and, as mentioned before, James Younghusband have made a case for themselves as team mainstays. Tanton performed well as the defensive shield, and JYH tore into the visiting defence after his 78th-minute introduction.
Javier Patino could’ve had a hat trick with all the chances he got, but more than made up for his misses by his involvement in all three goals. He gets the MOTM award for me.
Manny Ott just misses out on the man-of-the-match award, but he played a spectacular game, controlling the midfield, scoring and setting up one.
Thomas Dooley’s contract expired after last night’s game, but he stated that he would like nothing more than to extend his contract. With all this improvement after the worrying spell in October and November last year, where he seemed too stubborn to be able to change his failing tactical setup, Dooley certainly deserves the extension.
Now for the question: Who is to replace Juani Guirado? The Ceres centerback has called it a day for his international career. We have quite a few choices. We could look for experience of Ali Borromeo, who is playing very well for Kaya, especially with so many young players to teach. We could also go for youth in Luke Woodland, whom Dooley was grooming to replace Rob Gier or Guirado, but, as shown in last night’s match, is slightly rash, if enthusiastic. We could also push Simone Rota or Stephan Palla into the CB position, or even put James Younghusband into centerback.
Match Verdict:
Even with so many players retired or injured, including mainstays Phil Younghusband, Stephan Schrock, Patrick Reichelt, Rob Gier, Paul Mulders, and Jerry Lucena, our team rallied and stepped up. Though the team has some room for improvement, mainly in our back line, we can certainly build and grow from this great night in Philippine football, and who knows? We may be celebrating the AFF Suzuki Cup in December.
The Flying Winger 