Praying for the best against Kuwait

Playing in scorching heat that was reported at 44 degrees Celsius or about 115 degrees Fahrenheit, the Philippine Azkals succumbed to the Kuwait Al-Azraq, 3-0, in the first leg of their second round World Cup qualifier at the Mohammad Al Hamad Stadium in Qadsia. Even for a homegrown Filipino, such high temperatures would have a negative effect on one’s performance.  

Despite the Azkals solid defense that held up for most of the first half, the Kuwaitis managed to break the ice 16:54 into the game through a header by the 21-year old Yousef Nasser. Nasser made good a short aerial lob fashioned by the shifty Fahad Al Enezi who outmaneuvered two Filipino defenders before making the pass to Nasser. 

Azkals striker Phil Younghusband almost scored in the 16th minute but the talented and cat-quick Kuwaiti goalkeeper deflected Younghusband’s shot with his right foot. It was one of three attempts in the first period that had a good chance of going past the Kuwaiti goalkeeper.

At this point, the Kuwaitis were clearly dominating the match with the Philippine defense repulsing Al-Azraq’s repeated incursions into Azkals territory. The Philippine offense, on the other hand, was short lived as the squad did not shift from the defensive to attack mode quickly enough. At the end of the first half, we were frankly relieved that our game was holding up against the more experienced and talented Kuwaitis who consider soccer their national sport. We felt that if we could hold them to one goal or, at most, two goals, we would have more than a fair chance in the second round in tomorrow’s game at the Rizal Memorial Track and Field and Football Stadium.

The second half found the Azkals defense even busier as Al-Azraq continued to impose its will on the Filipinos. In the second half, with 67:35 into the game, the Kuwaitis make it 2-0 after a wild scramble right in front of the Philippine goal with the ball bouncing inside the Philippine goal. The goal emanated from a corner kick that was deflected to the ground by Azkal goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

The goal was credited to Musaed Neda, who, at 27, is one of the oldest players of the Kuwait squad. TV replays of the sequence could not establish whether the goal was indeed made by Naeda or it was an own goal by the Azkals.

Earlier, in the 64th minute, Filipino-Spaniard Angel Guirado, took a shot eluding several Kuwaitis but the shot went wide to Guirado’s left. After missing, Guirado fell to the pitch clutching on to his right leg, possibly a victim of cramps. In a gesture of sportsmanship, the Kuwaiti goalkeeper tries to stretch Gurado’s leg to help relieve the pain. Guirado is taken out on a stretcher a few minutes later.

 With less than nine minutes left in the game, at 84:16, the 23-year-old Fahed Al-Ibrahim goes past several Azkals to stretch the Kuwaiti lead, 3-0.

Late into the game, the Kuwaitis continue to attack hoping to make tomorrow’s game a mere formality.

To move to the third round of the qualifier, the Azkals have the very difficult mission of beating Kuwait 4 to 0. It is hoped that the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock (both of whom were suspended for the first leg for incurring two yellow cards in the qualifier against Sri Lanka) will add more sting to all departments of the Azkals game.

On the surface, the Azkals seem to be more physically endowed compared to the Kuwaitis. But what the Kuwaitis seem to lack in terms of physicality is more than compensated for by the fluidity of their offense and defense, a quality borne out of playing together as a team for extended periods and by simply playing against higher level competition. To say that the Azkals will therefore have their hands full with Kuwait is obviously an understatement.

The Kuwait national team has had creditable performances in international competitions highlighted by its participation in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and its winning the Asian Cup championship in 1980. Its national football association has however had a checkered history having been suspended on October 30, 2007, from international football on the grounds of government interference in the national football association. Although the ban lasted only two weeks, the interference of government in the sport is not surprising especially among Gulf states where the royalty take a more than active interest in the sport.

Almost a year later, on Oct. 24, 2008, Kuwait was again suspended from international football for its failure to hold elections by mid-October. The suspension was lifted by FIFA on Dec. 22, 2008 after the necessary remedial measures were taken.