Indonesians, Azkals play to a draw

MANILA, Philippines – Phil Younghusband struck as the Philippine Azkals salvaged a 2-2 draw with Indonesia last night in a highly charged Fifa international friendly at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium that saw three players getting sent off after a bench-clearing incident.

Younghusband, who came off-the-bench in a rare non-start, found the ball in his vicinity after a scramble at the 84th and gingerly knocked it in to knot the count at 2-2, saving the supposedly full-strength Azkals from the clutches of defeat.

His tying goal came just a minute after an altercation that had captains Chieffy Caligdong and Irfan Bachdim getting red-carded for a shoving match that led to more pushing from the rest of the players. Azkals midfieder Manny Ott was also sent off for figuring in the fracas, leaving Phl with only nine players on and Indonesia with 10 the rest of the way.

The Indons drew first blood at the 59th after Patrick Wanggai made good on a cross from Oktovianus Maniani from the right side.

James Younghusband, playing as a sub this time, got a steal and went all the way to the goal to deliver the equalizer a minute after Wanggai’s connection.Dutch-Indon Irfan made the Azkals pay for a botched corner, streaking to their side and firing a shot that sub keeper Neil Etheridge deflected into the goal for a 2-1 Indonesia lead.

Azkals coach Michael Weiss fielded in a different starting lineup for this game, going with Roland Muller at the goal and Denis Wolf at forward, and Paul Mulders at midfield for the first 45 minutes. The Younghusbands, Etheridge, and Jerry Lucena checked in after the break.

“We are now preparing a strong team for Suzuki games and I was discussing with players and staff we would use this friendlies as opportunities to test several options, several players, several formations,” said Azkals coach Michael Weiss.

He complemented his wards for “fighting even if they’re down in men, nine versus 11 and managed to get the draw.”

Meanwhile, Vietnam, the ASEAN power that the unheralded Philippine Azkals ambushed in the group stages of the AFF Suzuki Cup back in 2010, wants a crack at the Pinoy booters before they embark on their campaign in this year’s Suzuki Cup.

“Vietnam has invited us to play in a friendly in Vietnam,” said Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta, who received the invite from his Vietnamese counterparts on the sidelines of the recent Fifa Congress in Budapest.

The Azkals had made the Vietnamese some sort of stepping stone to fame in 2010, hacking out a monumental 2-0 shocker over the then defending Suzuki Cup champions before 40,000 fans at the My Dinh National Stadium.

That epic victory paved the way for a breakthrough semis stint for the Azkals, who went on to make inroads in other tourneys spiked by a bronze medal in the AFC Challenge Cup last March in Nepal.

Aside from Vietnam, which is the highest-ranked ASEAN nation in the Fifa world rankings at 97th, Araneta said representatives from Bahrain and Indonesia have also asked him for a crack at the Azkals (148th). The Indons played the Azkals at Rizal Memorial last night and the Merah Putih would want a Round 2 in Indonesia later in the year.

“They (Vietnam, Bahrain and Indonesia) want to play us anytime during the next Fifa match days,” said Araneta, referring to the next international friendlies slates in the Fifa calendar, Aug. 15, Sept. 7-11, and Oct. 12-16.

“We still have to discuss it with (Azkals team manager) Dan (Palami),” the PFF chief said.

Meanwhile, Araneta said the processing of the German Football Association of DFB’s assistance to the PFF’s long-term grassroots program has already been set in motion in Germany.

“They informed me that they are only waiting for the foreign ministry’s approval to make us a beneficiary and start providing assistance to our grassroots program,” said Araneta, who visited the DFB’s offices.

The PFF and the DFB have forged a partnership for the former’s program intended to develop young players with the end goal of possibly reaching the Under-17 Fifa World Cup in 2018.