Confident Azkals, Brave Reds face off

MANILA, Philippines - The Azkals face the Brave Reds of Sri Lanka tonight in a speck of an encounter when ranged against global qualifiers but means the world for Philippine football.

“This is big for us. For a long time, we haven’t joined any World Cup qualifying and we’ve not hurdled the first round in five times that we joined. Now we can make history by making the second round,” said Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta.

At 6:30 tonight (Manila time), the Azkals take one small stride for redemption and one giant step for Philippine football as they mix it up with the Sri Lanka Brave Reds in Colombo in the first leg of their opening round showdown.

The PFF has formed what it felt was the strongest team possible, tapping Fil-foreigners like Stephan Schrock, Manuel Ott, Nate Burkey and Paul Mulders to reinforce the core of Neil Etheridge, Phil and James Younghusband, Aly Borromeo, Chieffy Caligdong, Angel Aldeguer Guirado, Anton del Rosario, and Ian Araneta.

A two-week training camp in Germany, highlighted by four test matches, prepared the Azkals for the away game at the Sugathadasa Stadium and the home game at the Rizal pitch on Sunday.

“Everybody’s prepped up. We’re looking at the game with cautious optimism. We have the talent, the materials. It’s just a matter of putting everything together for the game,” team manager Dan Palami said on the eve of the match.

Phl will have to adjust to the absence of Fil-Danish holding midfielder Jerry Lucena, who’s nursing a foot injury, and Fil-Icelandic left back Ray Jonsson, who’s committed to his club Grindavik.

Still, Palami is confident of the team’s chances.

“As long as we’re able to play the game we’re supposed to play, I don’t see any reason we won’t win,” he said.

He added that the plan is to put pressure on the Brave Reds early. “Winning by two goals will be most ideal for us.”

Sri Lanka’s Korean coach Jang Jung admitted his relatively young team wasn’t as well-prepared as the Azkals but vowed to put up a good fight.

“Our team has had only two weeks time to practice... We don’t know about the Philippines so much and it’s going to be a close match,” Jang said. “Two weeks asking a young team to improve is difficult, they need more time, but we will try our best. The boys are ready to fight.”

The Azkals are looking to beat Sri Lanka by at least two goals in the first leg then deliver the coup de grace in Sunday’s second leg. Winner of the Phl-Sri Lanka duel will advance to the second round against higher ranked Kuwait in another home-and-away dance on July 23 and 28.

The Philippine men’s football team has made strides after wallowing in the doldrums the last few years.

In 2010, the Azkals inched their way to the AFF Suzuki Cup’s main tournament then broke expectations by beating powerhouse Vietnam, 2-0, en route to making the semis of Southeast Asia’s biggest competition for the first time.

Then they turned their sights on the AFC Challenge Cup, scuttling Mongolia in the qualifying playoff, 3-2 on aggregate, then finished second to Palestine in Group A in the qualifying group stage to advance to the main draw of the 2012 tourney.

Riding on the momentum of this pair of relative successes, the Azkals now hope to level up in the world’s premier football event, the Fifa World Cup, at least in the Asian Qualifiers stage of the prestigious tourney.