Azkals open Suzuki Cup bid with a bang, rout Laos

MACAU – The Philippine Azkals got off to a strong start in the 2014 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup with their most lopsided win in the history of the tournament.

The Azkals came back from one goal down to score a dramatic 4-1 win against Laos Saturday at the My Dihn National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam.

It was clear from the kick-off that the Azkals was the more superior side but Laos beat them to the draw via free kick in the first 20 minutes of play. Khampeng Sayavutth gave the AFF Suzuki Cup qualifier the initial lead. 

Licking the wound of that conceded free kick, the Azkals bit back.

The Filipinos' relentless attack was finally rewarded when Simone Rota tied the match at the 40th minute mark. Azkals' star striker Phil Younghusband hit his 41st international goal just before the halftime break to double their lead.

It was all Azkals from there as they put the defensive clamps on the clearly outclassed Laos side. Patrick Reichelt sealed the rousing victory with a brace in the second half.

Despite the auspicious start, Azkals coach Thomas Dooley thinks there's still a lot of room for improvement.

"Overall, I think we have 25 minutes where we really struggled in the first half but the rest of the game, created chances," Dooley said.

"When we scored the first goal, we looked okay," he added.

The Azkals will play Indonesia on Tuesday before winding up the group stages against Vietnam in an expected emotional match on Friday.