Azkals book 1st win vs Indons, enter Suzuki Cup semis

MACAU -- The PHL Azkals sent shockwaves all over the region as they finally unlocked the riddle of perennial tormentor Indonesia in a convincing 4-0 victory on Wednesday to book the first of four semifinals berth in the AFF (Asean Football Federation) Suzuki Cup at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Coming off a 4-1 victory over Laos, the Azkals continued to impress in the tournament, playing more cohesive in what is their best showing to date under American coach Thomas Dooley.

Phil Younghusband opened the scoring act with a penalty kick in the 15th minute off a Misagh Bahadoran hustle.

The Azkals continued to pounce on the stunned Indonesian side with three more goals in the second half courtesy of Manny Ott (52'), Martin Steuble (68') and Rob Gier (78').

"We're happy that we advanced to the semifinals but we didn't expect this kind of result," Dooley said.

"I have to mention every single player who played today. They had an excellent performance. That's why I'm proud of this squad," Dooley added.

It was a dominant performance by the Azkals that was a far-fetched 12 years ago when Indonesia dealt Phl a 13-1 humiliating defeat. The Indonesians have dominated Phl in their head-to-head matches, winning 19 times and drew only twice in their 21 meetings prior to this important match.

The first victory over the Mehra Puti side propelled the Azkals on top of Group A with two wins and a third straight semifinals appearance. A victory against Vietnam on Friday will seal the country the top seeding heading into the semifinals.