Progress-focused Alas men yield to Cambodia in SEA V Cup Leg 2
MANILA, Philippines — There is nowhere to go but up for a beleaguered Alas Pilipinas men.
Still waiting for his roster to be in full strength and the young guns to learn on the fly, Alas coach Angiolino Frigoni and his wards have suffered another jarring blow after falling to Leg 1 titlist Cambodia, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20, in their SEA V Cup Leg 2 duel Thursday night in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It was also a defeat that saw the Filipinos free-fall to 106th in the FIVB world rankings from 97th the day before and as high at No. 77 in last year’s World Championship in Manila, where they finished at a historic 19th place.
Despite it, the veteran Italian bench tactician has shown trust in his youth-laden squad that is missing its biggest stars — Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo.
Without the power duo, the Nationals were like headless chickens as they fell prey to more complete foes in last week’s six-nation Leg 1 in Candon, Ilocos Sur, where they wound up fifth — their worst effort in the annual meet.
Alas though will have a chance to bounce back as it tackles Indonesia, the Group A leader with a 1-0 card, on Saturday night at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
But whatever happens, Frigoni is more focused on just letting his players relish the experience as they gear up for this September’s Asian Games in Aichi, Japan.
After all, he prioritizes achieving progress, not perfection.
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