THE Philippines will slip into its familiar role as the underdog when it takes on the top-ranked Laos in today’s opening game of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championships-Qualifying Round at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.
However, the team, ranked 195th in the world and last among the five countries, will have something it didn’t have in the previous AFF Championships, then known as the Tiger Cup——hometown support.
The other teams are from Cambodia, East Timor and Brunei.
In last year’s Southeast Asian Games, a sea of blue shirts packed the Panaad Stadium to cheer the team—which the fans have called Azkals—while some climbed on trees and atop the parked fire truck near the stadium gates.
The team also put on a good show for the fans, holding Thailand well before a late goal allowed a 1-0 win and beating Cambodia, 4-2, for the first SEA Games win in 14 years.
Blue
This year, the Philippine Football Federation is asking again for support for the team and for the fans to wear blue in today’s opening game.
“This is the strongest Philippine team that we have assembled in at least a decade and I have faith the boys will pull through in Bacolod and qualify for the big one in Thailand in January next year,” said PFF president Johnny Romualdez.
Brothers
The team is led by Fil-Brit brothers Philip and James Younghusband, Chris and Phil Greatwitch. Other members are Ali Borromeo, Johanne Sablon, Cebuano Michael Casas, Edward Sacapaño, Matthew Hartmann, Anton del Rosario, Ali Go, Dan Padernal, Emilio Caligdong, Ariel Zerrudo, Andres Gonzales, Jefrey Liman, Henry Brauner and Alvin Ocampo.
Despite Romualdez’s confidence, coach Aris Caslib is more cautious, due to their lack of knowledge with the other teams.
“We can only base our chances on our past engagements with them and that is alarming,” Caslib said. “Another thing is, we cannot take away how the others have prepared.”
The Philippines tied Laos, 1-1, in 2002, and two late goals by Caligdong had them 2-1 over East Timor in the 2004 Tiger Cup, while Cambodia defeated the Philippines, 1-0, also in 2004