So here we go again, another friendly series for the Azkals and with that, a new round of missing players, players with previous engagements, club commitments what have you. Either way its going to be exciting and perhaps with the missing players, the coaching staff will be able to utilize other "newcomers" thus adding to the depth of the national team pool. After all "missing" or absent players are not the exception but the norm for National Teams around the world.
So, below is a forum entry I wrote a few days ago in http://usapangfootball.proboards.com/index.cgi edited of course after finding out that Dennis Cagara and Jerry Lucena will be missing the June 1 tiff, it was also a response to some other comments. A caveat, its just my own opinion, you've got one too, so share it with me/us via the comment section far below! Lastly, we really won't know who will show for the games until gameday so take the "roster" with a grain of salt! Enjoy!
My dream team for the Malaysia game:
Having said that, if the said players from Europe will come, defensively, we will be even more "solid". Offensively not as dangerous without PYh but if Wolf plays like he did in the game against Malaysia and the middle eastern training camp, plus Angel and Chieffy at full health, we are in good shape on the attack.
Above is my dream team and thoughts on each below:
Roland Muller(GK): he has had "bad" games for the Philippines, but is it really bad when it involved the U23 and the "old" Coach Weiss? I think he is more than capable of handling Malaysias attack IF his back line and holding mids don't do anything incredibly dumb. He has played well in his league in Germany and has played more than a few with the Philippine NT so he isn't "new" anymore and should be quite effective on his own.
Carli(RB): I now am of the opinion that Carli deserves to be number 1 in the NT's right back position(sorry Anton). He has enough pace to pressure on attack and get back on defense quickly and does not get into bad positions often. May lack the toughness of del Ro but makes up for it with his steady play.
Jason Sabio(CB): Has grown into the best "last ditch" defender with his sliding tackles. The bad: if he misses it puts the goalie in a very very bad position. The good: no one in the Azkals is better than him in this regards, be it local or European player. Plus his awe inspiring and very effective throw ins. Guaranteed starter.
Rob Gier(CB): I have had reservations with his lack of pace but who am I to argue? His last few games with the NT has shown his vocal leadership and key plays WHEN he is not placed in a position where he has to "chase down" an opponent. Veteran Savvy and an important cog of the NT. Why not Ali Borromeo? I still don't think he will be match fit in early June, better coming in as reserve.
Ray Jonsson(LB): I am unsure if he will make this first game. I know he has games with Grindavik at this time but Ray has been, like his play on the pitch, Mister Reliable for the Azkals, he always shows up for the game. My favorite Azkal is now 33 yo yet shows few signs of slowing down. Rarely makes a mistake, if placed on the left side. Pressures the opponent on offense but truthfully his crosses on offense leaves much to be desired. Ray also plays midfielder with Grindavik, talk about versatile.
Paul Mulders(DM): I wasn't sure if Paul was going to play earlier, but if he does, I'd have him play his AFC Challenge Cup position again. I didn't like this position for Paul in the Challenge Cup but the series made me a believer. Paul can play this position(DM) and can put pressure against the opponents midfielders through his excellent passes from deep, very good pace and physically large presence on defense. Sure he wasn't offensively a star in the CC but remember when he wasn't in the lineup due to too many yellow cards in the AFC series? We lost that game and seemed lost at Holding Mid. You can't go wrong playing a Eredivisie player in your team, can you?
Juani(DM): His natural position. Excellent passer from the center position, fearless on defense(he blocked a few shots-on-goal with his face in the Challenge Cup!) He looks like he lacks pace because of his long legs but is really quite fast(see Challenge Cup games). I am unsure if he will show for the June games as he has returned to his "real" work with Pepsi/Frito Lay(potato chips maker), so see below for my alternate.
Chieffy(LW): With a 100% fit Chieffy it is very hard not to include him as a starter in the NT even with our Euros playing. If we get the Chieffy of last year and his incredible pace, he is surely a cause for concern for any opponent, if he gets it in his head to play defense just as much as offense he would be elite! And NO, Cagara is not better than Chieffy at left wing!
Angel(CAM): Angel loves to handle the ball, but most of the time he has enough skills not to make a fool of himself and it showed in the Challenge Cup. With his surprising pace and willingness to get physical bodes well for our team and will be a handful against smaller defenders and lets not forget his height and capabilities in the air! Very dangerous and a definite player to watch on offense.
Stephan Shrock(RW): If he can move around from position to position and be very very affective in the 2.Bundesliga, he DEFINITELY can make waves against a SEA opponent. With his fiery demeanor, will to win, extreme pace, box to box play, if I were the Malaysian coach, I'd tell my players, "watch him"! If you didn't know, Stephan was a large cog in his teams(Greuther Furth) run for promotion from the 2.Bundesliga to the 1.Bundesliga, additionally he was just signed with 1.Bundesliga team, Hoffenheim for their renewed push for Bundesliga relevance. Arguably the best Filipino footballer in the national team today!
Denis Wolf(Striker): Watching my old copies of the mid east training camp plus the last Philippine vs Malaysia match, one can tell Denis' good pace and even better defending compared to PYh. Although Phil definitely has a nose for the back-of-the-net, Denis scored in his very first national team match and also a goal against Al Ahli so he shouldn't be pushing too much pressure on himself to score, he already knows he can. He is a hard worker and with his fellow Phil-German behind him, and a full strength Angel and Chieffy, shouldn't feel as if he is all alone to score, plus as a former 1.Bundesliga player he definitely is someone the opponent can't overlook.
Manny Ott(DM): This FC Ingolstadt II player, despite his young age is a proven veteran of international campaigns with the youth and senior national teams of the Philippines. He was one of the very few bright spot in last years SEAG debacle, scoring a few goals and playing like a man possessed. If the big Spanish league veteran, Juani cannot make the June 1 fixture, then Manny surely must get the nod. Although more of an offensive midfielder, Ingolstadt II has been playing him in other positions to maximize his potential. He is also not a stranger playing the holding mid position for Coach Weiss.
Final thoughts: While it may seem that Malaysia will be easy for us, I personally liked the way the Malay defenders play, they are definitely one of SEA elite teams and we would need to play disciplined all around. As a team, I think they play better than us but individually we have some very very good players and should take advantage of the fact. As always, I believe we need to start on defense. The saying "Championships start on defense" matters in soccer too.
I don't know the new players Malaysia is bringing in, but their coach is an old timer and we should prepare for them as if they are very superior to us. We shouldn't be complacent just because we've been playing better now.
Final score: My guess is as good as yours but considering the home field advantage of the opponent, I think it would be a draw.
ADDENDUM: Having the Younghusbands away from this game can be taken as a negative, but another way of looking at it is now we can utilize other players in their place and have them play in a real competitive international game. This can only mean better depth for the NT and the coach knowing about the(players taking over in the absence of the Yhs) skillsets they can offer. After all, Wolf for Phil and Schrock for James hardly seem to be a loss in skills offered.
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