Philippines vs Tajikistan: Match Preview

Come kick-off at 7:30pm tomorrow night, March 27, few things will be certain. The result will still be unknown. None of the teams in Group F are guaranteed progression to the Asian Cup. There are still three competitors for the two qualification slots, with several different permutations.

The Philippines does know one thing, though: Our fate is still under our control. We top the group with 9 points. Yemen and Tajikistan are tied on seven points, in second and third respectively, since Yemen has a superior head-to-head record over the latter.

A win or a draw takes the Azkals to the Asian Cup for the first time. However, our place in the United Arab Emirates next year is by no means guaranteed. Tajikistan are fighting to win in Manila, which would be the only way they would qualify, while Yemen play a mathematically-disqualified Nepal in Doha forty-five minutes after our game kicks off, where a win would bring them to the UAE.

A possibility still exists that the Philippines would still miss out. If Tajikistan and Yemen both win tomorrow, then we would drop down to third in the group, despite being top at the start of the day.

So it all comes down to matchday six, the final round of games.

Team Selection:

The Philippines have a team approaching full strength for tomorrow. Amani Aguinaldo, who has been stricken with a long-term injury for several months, is the only high-profile absence.

Cardiff City keeper Neil Etheridge, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe fullback Daisuke Sato, and former Henan Jianye striker Javier Patiño arrive to bolster the team who defeated Fiji in a friendly last week, adding to the likes of Phil Younghusband, Mike and Manny Ott, and Misagh Bahadoran.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Philippines will probably line up in Thomas Dooley’s preferred 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 formation. Javier Patiño will start upfront, to provide the offensive focal point that the team has been needing since his injury. Captain Phil Younghusband might either be dropped deeper or deployed beside Patiño for a front two, but that might isolate the midfield from the attack, and Phil’s range of passing and vision suit him playing in a slightly deeper role, just behind the striker, where he can both supply the frontline and score goals himself.

In the latter position, Younghusband would spearhead a dangerous-looking midfield trio that incorporates the Ceres-Bacolod pairing of Manny Ott and Kevin Ingreso.

Manny Ott provides a blend of aggression, energy, and creativity. His box-to-box runs can power the team forward, freeing space and creating chances for the frontline.  Ingreso plays deeper, as the shield for the defence, recycling possession. His shooting, as demonstrated by his well-taken half-volley against Fiji, is also a threat.

If Dooley does play a front three, Patiño will be flanked by two wingers. Dooley has several options in this regard, with Misagh Bahadoran, Iain Ramsay, Hikaru Minegishi, and Mike Ott competing for the two places out wide. Any two from these four are likely to play, but Bahadoran’s experience and Mike Ott’s good form for Ceres should get them chosen ahead of the other two.

The defence is also a key area. Neil Etheridge is an almost-certain starter in goal, providing the solidity that has been found slightly lacking in our other keepers. Central defence is more of a question, with Ceres’ Sean Kane involved in the equation with Dennis Villanueva, Carli De Murga, and Simone Rota.

De Murga has been the rock in the heart of Ceres’ defence so far this season, and with his experience, should be picked.

Villanueva, who can also play as a midfielder, adds the ability to start play from the back, something Dooley’s possession-based game would appreciate, which could be a factor if he is chosen to play in front of the more experienced Rota, though Sean Kane could challenge Villanueva in this respect, as another converted midfielder.

The opposition:

Tajikistan are also determined to win. Anything less than three points will end their bid to go to the Asian Cup.

Coach Khakim Fuzaylov has stated that “It’s a very important match for us”, while defender Iskandar Dzhalilov has declared that, “A win over the Philippines would go down in Tajik history.”

Tajikistan have the weapons to hurt us. Though we beat them 4-3 in Dushanbe in last June’s reverse fixture, they gave us some real scares, almost coming back to draw from 3-0 down until Daisuke Sato’s 79th minute thunderbolt settled matters, despite a late goal from Manuchekr Dzahalilov.

Parvizdzhon Umarbayev of Lokomotiv Plovdiv provides creativity, Istiklol’s Dilshod Vasiev gives them a potent attacker, while star midfielder Nuriddin Davronov could feature, having been injured for in our match against each other last June.

 

 

Conclusion:

Four years ago, the Azkals reached the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup final. A win there would take them to the Asian Cup and allow them to lift the country’s first major international trophy in more than a century.

We lost that final 1-0 to Palestine, thanks to Ashraf Nu’man’s stunning free kick.

Tomorrow, we have the opportunity to banish the memory of that loss. A chance to take us farther than we have ever gone.

When Phil Younghusband leads the team out at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, he will know that our fate is in our hands, but not only that. He will also know that he and his teammates have the chance to make history.

 

Tajikistan vs Philippines: Match Preview

The second match of the Philippines’ 2019 Asian Cup qualifying campaign kicks off tomorrow in Dushanbe.

Despite a 4-1 win over Nepal in their first qualifier, back in March, the visitors surely have a deep dent in their confidence, due to the 8-1 thrashing the Azkals received in Guangzhou in last week’s friendly against China.

Tajikistan, on the other hand, opted not to play any friendlies, instead focusing on their ten-day internal training camp. “We didn’t play any friendly game in this period,” stated Coach Khakim Fuzaylov. “Our opponent played a friendly match, but we organised a game inside of our team.”

Fuzaylov wants to bounce back from slipping up in their first qualifier, a 2-1 loss to Yemen away in Doha. “This match is a six pointer. We will play at home and have no right to make a mistake in front of our own fans.”

“Unfortunately, we began our campaign with a defeat in the away game. We controlled that match, but could not gain a positive result, but we took important lessons from that match.”

Tajikistan will be without their captain, Istikol midfielder Nuriddin Davronov, while goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, fullback Jeffrey Christaens, midfielder James Younghusband, and winger Hikaru Minegishi are unavailable for the visitors.

The Philippines lined up in this a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation:

 

A relatively solid-looking back line and midfield shield was exposed multiple times by China’s ruthless attack. Matters were compounded when James Younghusband was forced off by an ankle injury on twenty minutes and Daisuke Sato asked to be substituted on thirty-two.

Patrick Deyto was nervy, Amani Aguinaldo was uncharacteristically uncertain, and his centerback partner Luke Woodland was a bit of a liability.

The frontline played slightly better, pulling back a goal ten minutes before the break to make it 2-1, as the Philippines sought to get back into the game, but they were a no-show in the second half.

The team has to improve drastically if they want to come away from Dushanbe with a result.

 

This is how the Philippines could possibly line-up tomorrow, though due to the unpredictability of Thomas Dooley’s tactics, it could well be wrong.

Deyto probably plays in goal, though if his confidence is still shot, Kaya’s Nick O’Donnell could step in.

Unfortunately, there are no other real centerbacks in the squad,  so Woodland and Aguinaldo will have to retain their roles, unless Dooley changes systems.

Ott and Ingreso will probably partner in midfield, unless Phil Younghusband is brought deeper as he did play last year.

The changes we have upfront could be the game-changer. Misagh Bahadoran, a natural winger, was drafted into striker, but he will probably be pushed back out wide with a returning Javier Patino back from a slight knock. On the left, Dooley has options. Ceres’ Iain Ramsay could start there. Mike Ott can also play on the wing.

Stallion’s experienced Reuben “Balot” Doctora could make an impact from the bench, or his club teammate Fitch Arboleda.

The Philippines has played against Tajikistan, in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup group stages, winning 2-1, with Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado cancelling out Alexei Negmatov’s opener.

Five years on, however, Tajikistan are a much-changed team. They are confident of a win at home, and the Philippines need to be on the top of their game to dispel the ghosts of the defeat in Guangzhou and get a result.

Philippines vs. Yemen: Match Preview

“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.

Philippines vs DPR Korea: Match Preview

The Philippines will look to bounce back from the dreadful defeat to Uzbekistan with a win here in Pyongyang.

If you ask me, it’s one of the worst times to face DPR Korea. On the back of a demoralising 5-1 reverse at home,  we have to face them in one of the most intimidating environments in modern football. No doubt, the 50,000 seater Kim Il-Sung stadium will be packed with home fans, who filled the stadium in the DPRK’s 4-2 over Uzbekistan.

Now to business. The Philippines will miss forward Javier Patino to a hamstring problem. He said he was injured for this match, but might be available for the October 13 Bahrain game.

The Azkals also misses Simone Rota, who, despite training with the team during their camps in Philippines and China, is still in his last stages of recovery from the broken ribs he sustained in the August 25 UFL Cup Semifinal between Stallion and Kaya.

The good news is, Rob Gier is back and seems to be fit. We’ll be needing his defensive experience for the game against DPR Korea.

Global FC’s Azkals contingent, which includes Daisuke Sato, Amani Aguinaldo, Misagh Bahadoran, Paolo Bugas, Patrick Deyto, and Dennis Villanueva, has arrived in North Korea, albeit fatigued, after Global’s Singapore Cup loss to Japanese J-League side Albirex Niigata.

This presents a large problem. Not only will the team have limited time to train, but a a large part of it is fatigued and jet lagged. Somehow, the players have to be on the top of their physical and mental game for the match, which will test every Azkal on the pitch. The match will be every bit as hard as the Uzbekistan game, factoring in the fatigue, short time of training, and hostile environment.

Still, our team is strong, despite the losses of Patino and Rota.

Despite the poor game against Uzbekistan, Dooley has decided on retaining his 3-4-3/5-4-1 formation.

Here’s how I think we will start in Pyongyang:

(NOTE: Schrock and Steuble play a bit more infield, but that will be their starting position.)

Phil Younghusband steps into his old centre-forward role, with Patino out injured. Steuble steps out in his place, though, instead of him, Kevin Ingreso might start instead, either playing in that role directly or partnering Jerry Lucena in the centre of midfield, pushing Manny Ott into attacking midfield, just about where Phil Younghusband was.

Schrock, after the brilliant strike against Uzbekistan, should start there in attacking midfield.

The experienced Rob Gier should start in the heart of the defence, in lieu of Aguinaldo or Woodland, with Palla and Sato playing wide of him.

After Etheridge’s shaky performance after the Uzbekistan match, Roland Muller should start between the posts.

Here could be an alternate formation:

Phil Younghusband moves back into his old role when Patino plays, with Reichelt playing centre-forward.

Again, Ingreso can step into centre-midfield for either Ott or Lucena.

The more experienced Ott might be the better choice, because he gives us an extra dimension in play, and can shoot from distance, something we have seemed to lack during the last three games. Of the five goals we have scored, four have been inside ten meters from the goal, the only exception being Schrock’s thirty-meter blast against Uzbekistan. Actually, Dooley should start allowing players to shoot from outside the box, where we have plenty of weapons, particularly Daisuke Sato, but also Manny Ott, Phil Younghusband, and Stephan Schrock.

Shooting from distance can be useful, especially during situations such as the Uzbekistan game where the players cannot get close-range chances.

Dooley should also allow Phil Younghusband to play a bit closer to goal, to let him display his attacking skill, especially in formations where he is playing in midfield and not in his old role as forward. If he can get forward, he can cause havoc in good defences and draw defenders towards him, freeing up the other players such as Schrock, Bahadoran, and Ramsay.

We have faced North Korea before, during the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

The Philippines lost 2-0, despite Etheridge saving a North Korean penalty, goals from Pak Nam-Chol and Jang Kuk-Chol finished us in Kathmandu.

North Korea is no joke, especially at home. We’ll need all the skill of our players and all the help we can get if we can get out of Pyongyang with three points.

Good luck, Azkals.

Azkals vs Bahrain post-match analysis and Yemen match preview

Sorry for the late post. I had a busy weekend. So, I’m also adding the match preview of the Yemen game.

The Azkals have beaten the Middle Eastern men last Thursday, a match that few foreign pundits gave us little chance in.

I was there personally at the match, and I’m still hoarse. I’ve never yelled so loud in my life.

Azkals 2-1 Bahrain: Analysis:

The Azkals played a formation like this as their starting XI:

It was completely different from the formation I predicted pre-match (see previous article).

The formation seems a bit foolhardy on paper, as only Gier was a natural centerback in this formation, but it did hold up excellently against Bahrain.

When the Azkals were on the attack, the formation looked something like this:

Palla, as a sweeper, would move into midfield, while Gier pushed into centerback.

Sato would overlap on the left to give the Azkals space and numerical superiority, Phil Younghusband pulled into midfield alongside Schrock to help Lucena and Ott to retain possession, while Patino forged into the box as the striker.

Notice Phil Younghusband’s new role.

He is more like an attacking midfielder instead of his regular striker or withdrawn striker (“number 10”)  role.

When we were defending, we looked more like this:

A sort of 5-4-1 formation, with Lucena and Palla tracking back to centerback, Ott and Sato moving to wingback, Steuble and Ramsay pushing into the midfield to try and pressure Bahrain into giving back possession, and Schrock and Patino up there to exploit the counterattack, with Schrock roaming dangerously.

But the most shocking thing is: Phil Younghusband is playing defensive midfield.

Seems like Dooley is experimenting with PYH playing in Wayne Rooney’s position under Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United.

A player that does his share of defending and attacking, a position that Phil excelled at last Thursday.

Bahrain were unable to track his runs, as he marauded all over the pitch, sending dangerous balls to both flanks.

But the Azkals took a severe blow a half-hour into the game: our danger man, Stephan Schrock, took an injury.

Dooley replaced him with Misagh Bahadoran, who is a completely different type of player than Schrock.

But Dooley played Bahadoran in Schrock’s role, and “Lord” Misagh played so unlike himself just a year ago.

The old Misagh Bahadoran was a ball-hogger who couldn’t pass and couldn’t shoot.

Misagh 2.0 still had his old skills on the ball, but he played well, playing for the team.

And he made that dangerous run that PYH picked out.

Phil crossed, and Bahadoran lunged at the ball to score his first goal in four years with the Azkals.

Javier Patino was another player who made a difference.

The Henan Jianye striker showed what the Azkals had missed during the last year, with his runs that the playmakers liked to pick out.

He should’ve scored early on when he broke free, but his shot was saved by Jaffer, the Bahrain stopper.

Patino managed to score, though, finishing clinically from Manny Ott’s set-piece.

We had some worries though, after Palla came off with cramps.

In his place came Juani Guirado.

Bahrain piled some late pressure, and got a goal back, when Abdulwahab Al Malood shook off Juani Guirado quite easily, rounded Neil Etheridge, and =slotted home, but this proved to be nothing but a consolation, as we scored a historic win.

Azkals vs Yemen: Match Preview:

The Azkals take on Yemen tomorrow night.

Kickoff is live on ABS-CBN Sports+Action at 11:55 PM Philippine time, so whatever your commitments on Wednesday are, I hope you’ll watch this game anyway.

And if any Pinoys in Doha are reading this article, please come out and watch them at the Qatar Sports Club.

Down to business, then.

The Azkals lined up in a 3-5-2 against Bahrain (see above), but I think Dooley will have to tinker with his tactics again, after we lost Schrock, who will be out for at least two weeks.

I think we’ll line up like this:

With no Schrock, Steuble can be moved into the middle, meaning Bahadoran moves into Steuble’s old position on the right,

and Phil plays behind Patino, occasionally dropping deep to reinforce the midfield.

Yemen, though, will be hard to break down, though they are the lowest-ranked team in the group.

DPR Korea played them and only won 1-0.

They’ve nothing to lose, with a civil war being fought in their country.

We should NEVER underestimate them.

That’s how we revived as a football nation.

Good luck Philippines, and SUGOD AZKALS!

Azkals vs Bahrain: Match Preview

IT’S COMING FOLKS.

Tomorrow we take on the men from the Middle East at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bulacan.

Maybe it’s too late to urge you guys to go, but I can supply some match info, if you’re watching on TV or even just following the match on Twitter.

A Moderator named cjeagle from the Philippine football blog Usapang Football posted a picture of the Azkals team photo before their friendly with the UFL All-Star XI at the PSS.

The photo can be found on this page here.

He (cjeagle) said that the men in the photo are the most likely starting XI tomorrow, plus Neil Etheridge (not in photo).

If we did line up like that it would look something like this:

This formation is certainly an odd one, because it uses only three defenders instead of the regular four.

A regular 3-5-2 is used by tactical coaches, either defensively or offensively.

The ‘3’ in the 3-5-2 is composed of three centerbacks, with both wingers needing to be fast, full of stamina, and blessed with enough versatility to chip in at fullback, so when defending, the team has a formation like a 5-3-2.

Here’s a bit of a visual explanation:

FIGURE A:

FIGURE B:

In Figure B, the two wingers move down, and now the formation is defensive.

This formation is foolhardy, even if you have dependable centerbacks and speedy wingers, because a decent counterattacking side can get straight into you.

The starting back line that featured against the UFL XI utilises Simone Rota, a right fullback, Daisuke Sato, a left back, and the only centerback is Luke Woodland, who plies his natural trade in the English League One (England’s third tier of football) at Oldham Athletic as a CENTRE MIDFIELDER.

He was only positioned at centerback by Dooley because of his height!

Sure, given his age and skill level, he can transition to centerback, but not in ten days, and certainly not in such a crucial game such as tomorrow’s.

Dooley is no fool at defending. He’s played over two hundred games in the defence at the very highest level of football.

The starting XI in the UFL All-Stars game was just another bold tactical experiment, by the same man who fielded Kenshiro Daniels, a winger, at RIGHT BACK against Chinese Taipei, and the man who blooded Amani Aguinaldo in a Challenge Cup match.

But I believe Dooley’s going to stick with either “Manong” Rob Gier, “Lolo” Juani Guirado or the youthful Amani Aguinaldo, three very dependable players who’ve played in big games.

This is the formation that I think we’ll play:

This is a much more sane formation, with two natural centerbacks.

I put in Ingreso and Lucena, but it can be any midfield pair from Woodland, Ott, Ingreso, or Lucena.

Dooley has an excellent base form which to choose from.

The Philippines hasn’t had a deeper bench in a long time.

Now for Bahrain…and for history.

Suggested friendlies and call-ups for the Azkals

Tomorrow, in Kuala Lumpur, the AFC will draw our World Cup Qualifying group for Round 2. Even though we will draw our group tomorrow, we won’t be playing our first game until mid-June. Our group is guaranteed to be tough, so, I thought I’d suggest some tune-up games to prepare us for the challenge.

SUGGESTED FRIENDLIES 

Suggested friendly 1: Philippines vs. Guam

When: Any time

Where: Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila

Why: This may look easy, but Guam are a tough team.
The Guamanians drew Singapore 2-2 in the Jalan Besar Stadium last March 31, after taking the lead twice, only to be denied a famous victory by Baihakki Khaizan’s equaliser ten minutes from time. The last time the Philippines faced the Pacific Islanders, three years ago in the 2012 Peace Cup, we needed a late goal from Patrick Reichelt to sneak past them, so this should be a good game, also to test some of my suggested call-ups below.

TRIVIA: Current Guam captain Jason Cunliffe used to play in the UFL for Pachanga Diliman , as well as other Guam internationals Jonah Romero (Kaya FC) and Ian Mariano (Pachanga)

Suggested friendly 2: Philippines vs. Singapore

When: FIFA International Date Where: Singapore

Why: The Azkals should take on a team of our skill level.

The Red Lions, though their flunk-out at the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup group stage might signal the end of an era of Southeast Asian dominance, should be a tough game. Bernd Stange’s boys drew minnows Guam 2-2 at home two weeks ago, but have danger men that can teach us a lesson or two, in Sharil Ishak and Baihakki Khaizan.

Suggested friendly 3:  Philippines vs. Laos 

When: Anytime

Where: Avellana Field, Cebu City, Iloilo Sports Complex, Iloilo City, or Panaad Stadium, Bacolod

Why: Let’s give those loyal Visayan fans something to cheer about! Laos are a speedy team, and they will help the Azkals’ wide men to prepare for battle.

TRIVIA: We’d never beaten Laos before we beat them 2-0 in last year’s AFC Challenge Cup. The Azkals trashed them 4-1 last November in the AFF Suzuki Cup, but we’ve never defeated them in a friendly.

Suggested friendly 4: Philippines vs. Myanmar  When: Anytime

Where: Myanmar

Why: Last time we played Myanmar, we lost in extra time at home in the PFF Peace Cup 2014.

Could we possibly do the same at their home? An entertaining match to watch, anyway.

Suggested friendly 5: Philippines vs. Indonesia

When: FIFA International Date

Where: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta

Why: A daunting prospect, this might be the ultimate test.

Indonesia’s national stadium seats 88,000, but at least 100,00 pack themselves in for competitive matches. The last time we played there was in the 2010 Suzuki Cup, where we played our “away-and-away” fixtures in lieu of a home-and-away semis tie, because the Rizal Memorial Stadium was deemed unworthy of hosting such a match. The Azkals later said post-game that the Indonesian fans rocked their team bus as the team made its way into the stadium. Inside the stadium, the atmosphere rivalled the passion of European and South American fans. The fans were armed with flares and banners, and I wondered post-match why the Azkals only conceded twice in the tie. This friendly should be played as the last preparation, so Thomas Dooley will have more or less an idea of his favoured eleven, which he should start in this game.

TRIVIA: Like Laos, we’d never beaten Indonesia before we thrashed them 4-0 in Hanoi at the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup. This should be much harder, though.

SUGGESTED CALL-UPS Graham Caygill (Loyola Meralco Sparks)

The 25-year-old Filipino-English centre-forward has three goals this UFL season, and ten in all since moving over here in April 2014. He’s strong, good at making runs, and an excellent finisher. Dooley should give him a shot.

TRIVIA: Caygill used to play in England, but moved over here just to get Dooley’s attention and play for the Philippines.

Paolo Bugas (Global FC)

The flying FEU winger actually has an international cap, after he came on for Mark Hartmann in our friendly win against Papua New Guinea last year. He gave the Philippines an outlet down the left with his blistering speed, and put in some good, menacing crosses with both feet. He had an excellent UAAP 77 season, teaming up with Green Archers United forward Jesus Meliza and former Loyola Sparks youth players Eric Giganto and Arnel Amita to power FEU to its second UAAP Men’s Football crown in as many years. Bugas is one for the future, and we could see him as a long-term replacement for James Younghusband if we just give him some experience.

Michael Jonsson (Global FC)

The younger brother of former Philippine international Ray Jonsson, the Global attacking midfielder is no spring chicken at 32, but still has technical skill and work rate to offer, as proved by his spectacular consolation goal for Global against South China FC, the only bright spot in the 6-1 drubbing by the Hong Kong side.

Stephan Palla (Wolfsberger AC)

The Austrian Bundesliga fullback has been recommended by no less than his Austrian compatriot and Bayern Munich fullback David Alaba. Both have Filipino blood, and Hans-Michael Weiss had viewed him as “an interesting” option for the Azkals defence. The Austrian league, though by no means equal to the Bundesliga, Premier League and La Liga, still has teams competing in the UEFA Europa League, and is a massive step forward as compared to the UFL.

Luke Woodland (Oldham Athletic)

Luke Woodland plays for Oldham Athletic, which is in League One, the third tier of English football. He plays as a centre midfielder for Oldham, where weirdly enough, Neil Etheridge used to play before moving to Charlton Athletic. He’s also represented England at the U-16, U-17, and U-18 levels, so we’d better hurry if we’re to beat the English men’s national team to him.

Iain Ramsay (Melbourne City)

Iain Ramsay is a winger for the A-League team Melbourne City. He said that if Australia didn’t come knocking, he’d consider the Philippines as a “great option”. Ramsay is 27 years old, in his prime, and we should call him up, as he plays in a leading Asian league.

Ruben Doctora (Stallion FC)

If you’re familiar with the UFL, you should know Ruben Doctora is one of the league’s best homegrown players. Even after months out after a terrible knee injury which he sustained while playing for the national team in Maldives. Apparently, the injury hasn’t hampered his form, with a hat trick against Team Socceroo, goals against Army and Kaya, and two game-changing assists against Loyola.

TRIVIA: Doctora already has an international goal, scoring the Philippines’ third in Doha against Nepal last April.

Michael “Mike” Ott (1. FC Nuremberg)

A highly-touted youngster, Mike Ott is the kid brother of current Azkal midfielder Manny Ott. Manny Ott being no slouch, we’ll now look at his brother. Mike Ott’s CV rivals that of Stephan Schrock, first playing for Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga 2 city rivals 1860 Munich, then joining Rene Weiler’s relegated Nuremberg. Mike Ott was called up two years ago by Hans-Michael Weiss, in the June 2013 friendly versus Hong Kong. Weiss never blooded him in the match, and never called him up again. I hope that Dooley manages to get him.

Stephan Schrock (SpVgg Greuter Furth)

If you’re an Azkals fan, this man barely needs an introduction. He’d been in the national side for three years, then in the wake of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup Final defeat to Palestine, Schrock fell out with Dooley, left the team for Germany, and when he got there, lambasted Dooley in front of the German media, calling the Azkals a “chicken farm”. In return, Dooley called a press conference, and blasted Schrock and two other teammates for forty-five straight minutes. But there are reports that things are patching up between the Greuter Furth man and the coach. Dooley confirmed this saying that Schrock would be suiting up by June. I certainly hope so, because the German was the main supply line for the Challenge Cup last June. Our hopes would definitely be boosted if Dooley took Schrock back.

Alphonse Areola (SC Bastia)

The on-loan Paris-Saint-Germain man is a 22-year-old goalkeeper. Areola is a full-blooded Filipino who was born in France. He joined the France team that won the U-20 FIFA World Cup 2013, and rubbed shoulders with up-and-coming French stars like Lucas Digne, Florian Thauvin, Yaya Sanogo, and Juventus stalwart and U-20 team skipper Paul Pogba. In the final, Alphonse Areola was the hero, as the game versus Uruguay dragged into penalties. He saved from Emiliano Velasquez and Giorgian De Arrascaeta to win France the shootout and the World Cup. Areola is still eligible to play for us, because he hasn’t played for the France men’s team, with the likes of Hugo Llloris and Steve Mandanda in the senior squad. There was word that Thomas Dooley was personally sent in January to Paris, to talk to the goalkeeper. With so much goalkeeping talent in the France squad, could we get him?

Do you agree with the list of friendlies and prospective call-ups?

If you have any suggestions, just leave them in the comments.