Underdog Azkals hope for miracle at home

MANILA, Philippines - Miracles do happen in football, at least if you ask the Azkals management, which clings on to hope and belief that the underdog Philippine team can actually pull one over the highly regarded Al Azraq of Kuwait, at least in the second leg in Manila.

“I think we can beat them in Manila, although I don’t know if it will be enough to cover the aggregate,” team manager Dan Palami said after the Azkals succumbed to Al Azraq, 0-3, in the opener of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers second round action in hot and humid Kuwait.

The Azkals are faced with the daunting task of beating Kuwait by four or more goals on Thursday in Manila to steal the berth to the third round via goal aggregate.

Palami is drawing confidence from the Azkals’ showing in the first leg, notably in the first half where Phl XI managed to hold their own against Kuwait’s attacks and conceded only one goal. Al Azraq found their mark two more times in the second half.

“It was very close. We have to look at positive side of things. I mean to have been competitive against an established footbal nation in Kuwait, one of strongest teams in Asia, it was unthinkable just a few months ago and the growth of football and the development of team has really been short of phenomenal, considering where we were and where we are right now,” he said.

Palami and coach Michael Weiss are pinning their hopes on the return of defenders Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock and possibly Paul Mulders and Jerry Lucena to provide the experience and toughness in defense.

And of course, the hometown crowd to fire them up.

“We’re 3-0 behind but with an early goal in the re-leg, and with 2-3 players coming back in top shape with a little bit different system and a little bit offensive approach, sometimes in football miracles happen,” said Weiss.

“If we go with that and with the hometown crowd positively expecting the Azkals in the Philippines, I think things are possible. We just have to make a clear analysis how to make the opponent not get into the game so much like they did, especially in the second half and I already have some adjustments in mind. Plus there’s some quality players coming in so we’d still go for it,” he added.