Phl Azkals get new look under Weiss

MANILA, Philippines –  The Azkals are undergoing a facelift under German coach Hans Michael Weiss.

And so far, team manager Dan Palami likes what he’s seeing.

“I’m satisfied,” he said over the phone yesterday.

The Azkals are gearing up for their AFC Challenge Cup tie with Mongolia, and only on the first week of training under the seasoned German coach, changes are quite visible on the field.

“You can see more precision passing,” said Palami, adding that the Azkals have been training twice a day since Tuesday with no rest called even this coming Sunday.

“He’s quite good. He knows what the team needs and he knows how to squeeze the best from the players,” Palami added.

Weiss, who took Englishman Simon McMenemy, is as good as advertised, and will have his baptism of fire on Feb. 9 when the Azkals play the Mongolians at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.

Then they travel to Mongolia for the second leg of their tie on March 15.

Weiss is coming off a four-year stint in Rwanda as head coach, and has been with the Chinese Football Association as well as the Kyoto Purple Sanga of the Japan Football League.

He’s also had internships with Spain’s Real Madrid, England’s Arsenal, Argentina’s River Plate and FC Kaiserlautern.

“I’m happy,” said Palami, adding that the Philippine Football Federation now has the list of 30 players from which the final 25 will be culled.

Palami said the core of the team that landed in the semis of the recent AFF Suzuki Cup will be around, including goalie Neil Etheridge, Chris and Simon Greatwich, Phil and James Younghusband, Rob Gier, Ray Jonsson, Jason de Jong, Anton del Rosario, Mark Drinkuth, Ian Araneta and skipper Aly Borromeo.

Etheridge and the others coming from Europe will arrive in Bacolod on Feb. 6, just in time for the match. The rest of the team leaves Manila for Bacolod on Jan. 26.

A few names, foreign sounding but with Filipino lineage have been added to the list, those of new European recruits Dennis Cagara, Jerry Lucena, Patrick Herget, John Hinrichsen, Oliver Potschke and Stephan Schrock.

“But it’s still premature to announce the final 25 because some of these new recruits aren’t good enough yet for the team. Medyo hilaw pa. And they’re still working on their (Philippine) passports,” Palami said.

The others in the initial list are Jerry Barbaso, Yanti Barsales, Joebel Bermejo, Emelio Caligdong, Chris Camcam, William Espinosa, Mark Ferrer, Roel Gener, Peter Jaligan, Nestor Margarse, Rey Palmes, Kristopher Relucio, Jason Sabio and Eduard Sacapano.