source: www.mb.com.ph
MANILA, Philippines — On the verge of making Philippine history, members of the Philippine football team are feeling the pressure but remain confident.
“The team is in high spirits, everyone is healthy and we’re excited to play before our home crowd,” Azkals skipper Aly Borromeo said in Saturday’s pre-match press conference going into this afternoon’s clash with Sri Lanka in the final leg of the first-round qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
“For us, there is no pressure, only excitement,” Azkals coach Michael Weiss said.
And for Borromeo, the better pitch at Rizal and the home crowd, gives them a huge edge against the Sri Lankans, who held them to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Colombo last Wednesday.
“(There is) a little pressure only because the expectations are high. But as far as team performance is concerned, we know we are capable of winning,” Azkals team manager Dan Palami said Friday night when the Azkals were officially named brand ambassadors of Cortal SQR at the Diamond Hotel.
The Azkals need only to hold Sri Lanka scoreless to get into the next round against Kuwait by virtue of an away goal, but Palami said the team will not settle for a goal-less draw “but to play all out.”
If the game ends at 1-1, an extra time will be needed, but if it closes out on a 2-2 score line, the Philippines will be eliminated.
Kick-off is at 3:30 p.m. but the telecast will begin as early as 2 p.m. over Studio 23.
Philippine Football Federation chief Mariano Araneta said Rizal is also ready for night game in the event an extra time and penalties are needed as they have also installed floodlights aside from spending some P8 million for the refurbishment of the 77-year-old venue.
The PFF also said fans can still avail game tickets of different prices Sunday beginning at 11 p.m. at the Rizal gates.
“It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be action-packed and we will show our supporters in Manila that we can win,” Borromeo said. “With the attacking power we have, we should score more goals.”
Borromeo’s confidence stems from the fact that ace striker Phil Younghusband was cleared by doctors to play Sunday after the Fil-British suffered a minor hamstring injury during the first leg.
Younghusband is expected to start alongside the lethal combo of Fil-German Stephan Schrock, the only World Cup veteran in the team having been with the Under-18 German team that competed in the 2004 World Cup qualifiers, and Fil-Dutch Paul Maulder, who plays for a Dutch first division club.
If the Azkals prevail Sunday, it will only mark as the country’s first win in qualifiers.
Before the 1-1 draw against the Lankans, the Philippines lost five of its previous six qualifying matches in the past 14 years, while earning a 1-1 draw against Laos in 2001 at the Philsports Arena.
source: www.mb.com.ph
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