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Senin, 05 September 2016

Undermanned Azkals face Kyrgyzstan today

Game Today
(Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)
10:30 p.m. – Kyrgyzstan vs Philippines

The Philippine Azkals will be without three key players due to injuries when they take on Kyrgyzstan tonight in their only friendly match of the international window in Bishkek.

Patrick Reichelt and Simone Rota are out because of injuries while Stephan Schrock won’t be suiting up because of unknown reasons in the Azkals’ 10:30 p.m. Manila encounter with the Kyrgyz booters.

Reichelt sustained an ACL injury for Ceres-La Salle in the Singapore Cup semifinals, Rota has been dealing with a minor injury while no one has made a clear explanation over Schrock’s absence.

With the three out of action for the Azkals’ first friendly ahead of the AFF Suzuki Cup, coach Thomas Dooley will rely on Misagh Bahadoran, Manny Ott, Phil Younghusband, Neil Etheridge, Daisuke Sato and Amani Aguinaldo.

The Azkals were supposed to play two friendlies in the current international window but the home match against Turkmenistan, originally scheduled last Friday, was cancelled after the visiting team was decimated with injuries.

Adding insult to injury, tonight’s match won’t be shown on television, denying fans of an opportunity to see the team’s progress with two months remaining before the country hosts Southeast Asia’s biggest football competition.

The last time the Azkals saw action was in July when they lost 2-1 to Australian club Perth Glory in Ilocos Sur.

That time, several players, particularly those from Ceres, were out for undisclosed reasons, leaving the national side with a half-baked roster.

Minggu, 04 September 2016

Azkals tackle North Korea in Oct. 10 ‘friendly’

By: Cedelf P. Tupas

WITH preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup far from ideal recently, the Azkals got a boost after the Philippine Football Federation secured a quality opponent in North Korea in a friendly on Oct. 10.

PFF general secretary Ed Gastanes said Sunday the federation is only completing Fifa’s requirements to finalize the match against North Korea.

The Azkals already had a friendly against Turkmenistan cancelled early this month, while losing two key players in Patrick Reichelt and Simone Rota to knee injuries.

http://sports.inquirer.net/221620/azkals-tackle-north-korea-in-oct-10-friendly

Cebuano booters, teams feted in Aboitiz Cup opening

By: Glendale G. Rosal

CEBUANO footballers and football teams were feted during yesterday’s opening ceremonies of the 18th Aboitiz Football Cup at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Organizers from the Aboitizland and the the Cebu Football Association (CFA) handed out awards for the Cebuano players who competed for the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) under-14 girls and boys, under 16-boys, under-19 boys and men’s squads. Also awarded were teams that won in the last year’s National Milo Little Olympics and the National PRISAA meet.

The Cebuanos that competed in the under-14 of PFF in various international tournaments are Alexandria Gumilao of Sacred School Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), Joaquin Buyco and Trevor Lood of Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) while the under-16 boys awardees were Pietre Dakay of PAREF Springdale,Joaquin Sanchez of CIS, Marcel Ivan Ouano of USPF, Leo Maquiling of SHS-AdC and Jesse Semblante of DB Boys Home. Valentino Calvo of DBTC was the awardee for playing for PFF’s men’s team. The under-19 awardees were former DBTC player Vincent Erik Lovitoz who now competes for De La Salle University of Saint Benilde along with teammate Jake Vicen and former Leylam FC player Julian Miranda.

PAREF Springdale, which dominated the boys secondary division of last year’s National Milo Little Olympics, was also recognized together with DBTC, which won in the National PRISAA secondary division.
Read more: http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/104043/cebuano-booters-teams-feted-aboitiz-cup-opening#ixzz4JK10AtYt

AZKALS UNFAZED DESPITE INJURY TO TWO MAINSTAYS

DESPITE the sidelining of Simone Rota and Patrick Reichelt due to injuries, football chief Mariano Araneta Jr. and national team manager Dan Palami are confident the Philippine Azkals will still be competitive in the Asean Football Federation Cup in November.

In a span of a week, defender Rota and winger Reichelt, playing for Global and Ceres FC, respectively, in the United Football League, went down with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, virtually keeping them out of the Suzuki Cup.

The two remained at home when the Azkals Manila last Saturday to play Kyrgyzstan in a friendly match tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

Dr. Randy Molo, the national team’s orthopedic surgeon, remained hopeful about Rota’s status after initial findings showed that his ACL was not as bad as initially feared.

“We will still have an MRI of the injury to gauge its extent,” he said.

“We have more depth now in our national pool. We have quality players who can step up and replace Simone and Patrick,” Araneta said. “Our team won’t be a pushover without them.”

Araneta pointed out the presence of Martin Steuble who can fill in the shoes of the Filipino-Italian defensive specialist.

“Of course, Simone and Patrick are quality players. However, it isn’t cause for panic like in the past when their absence would be critical,” said Palami, “We have enough replacements in our present pool to fill their absence.”

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/sports/azkals-unfazed-despite-injury-two-mainstays