Azkals battle HK in 4-nation meet opener

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals plunge into their first international foray since their historic second-round stint in the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 Fifa World Cup as they kick off their campaign in the 2011 Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese-Taipei beginning today.

A mix of veteran campaigners and prospects in the Under-23 pool, Phl XI (165th in the world rankings) dukes it out with defending champion Hong Kong (155th) in the opener of the four-nation tourney at 4:30 p.m. at the 55,000-seater Kaohsiung National Stadium.

Azkals coach Michael Weiss said the team still “lacks cohesion due to the entry of new recruits but is making good progress.” He noted that the first game against Hong Kong could already “determine how the Azkals will go in the tournament.”

Last year, the Philippines yielded a 2-4 setback to Hong Kong but drew with the Taiwanese (1-1) and defeated Macau (5-0) to finish third in the round-robin format hostilities. Hong Kong had two wins and one draw to emerge champions, followed by the hosts with one win and two draws.

Both the Azkals and the Hong Kong booters are fielding in relatively stronger lineups this year, with Phl parading a slew of young Fil-foreign recruits and Hong Kong tapping its national team in place of the U-23 side that ruled the 2010 edition.

Co-skippers Aly Borromeo and Chieffy Caligdong, Phil and James Younghusband, Ian Araneta, and Angel Guirado lead the veterans in the team while Fil-German goalie Roland Mueler, Fil-Spanish midfielder Carli de Murga, and Fil-British siblings Mark and Matthew Hartmann are among the newbies.

After Hong Kong, the Azkals will play host Chinese Taipei (172nd)  Sunday night (7:30 p.m.) and wrap up their stint against Macau (191st) Tuesday afternoon (4:30 p.m.).