Postgame Thoughts on the Azkals-Global tuneup game
On Wednesday night the Philippines Azkals had a friendly kickaround with the UFL league champs, Global FC, at Rizal Memorial Football stadium. The nationals prevailed 3-1 in front of a few hundred fans who watched the game for free. Phil Younghusband, Patrick Reichelt, and Carlie De Murga scored for the national team. Here are my musings on an interesting evening a week before the PFF Peace Cup kicks off.
3-5-2? Really? The answer is no, not really.
Thomas Dooley brought his charges out in an unorthodox 3-5-2 formation to start the match. This was the personnel and the formation from what I could notice.
Burkey PhilYH
Sato SGreatwich CGreatwich JYH
DeJong
Rota Gier Aguinaldo
Deyto
I've been told that 3-5-2 is a lovely system if you have the right personnel for it. Aris Caslib, the former Azkals coach, is said to be fond of it. Simple math will tell you that with so many troops in the midfield and forward areas, it can be a very offensive formation.
It can also be a bit suicidal, since only there are three defenders instead of the usual four. The wingers and holding midfielders in the 3-5-2 need to track back at a moment's notice to put out fires.
The Philippines did alright in the first half with the 3-5-2, taking a 1-0 lead into the dressing room with a goal by Phil that was birthed from a neat run and cross by Daisuke Sato to Nate Burkey, who off-loaded to Phil for the finish.
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But in the second half Coach Thomas Dooley reverted to a more sane 4-4-2 that looked something like this, if I am not mistaken.
Reichelt Burkey
Hartmann
Bahadoran DeMurga
SGreatwich
Sato JGuirado Aguinaldo Rota
Deyto
Dooley admitted afterwards that the 3-5-2 was just an experiment and that it's unlikely it will be seen in the Peace Cup and Suzuki Cup. It's a nice diversion though, quite appropriate for a laboratory game like this.
Some Global players didn't get the memo about not hurting Pambansang Paa Phil. Oddly enough for a friendly, Phil Younghusband got roughed up in the first half. First it was Raul Martinez who picked up a yellow after he downed Phil, and then later on it was new signee Christian Ocaña (the chap with the scrum cap a la Petr Cech) who Nigel De Jong-ed Younghusband with a foot in the abdomen as he went for a stray ball near the touchline.
Moments later Phil retaliated with a kick to the Mexican's leg. A handbag fight thus ensued, with Global's Izo Elhabbib playing the role of peace maker.
Referee Waling Bermejo, with a shake of the head, displayed yellow rectangles to both protagonists.
Dooley took Phil off at the half, never for him to return. ( I presume that in a scrimmage like this, flying subs would have been allowed.)
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Other players in the UFL do tackle Phil fair and hard, but I suspect there is an unwritten rule here: that you do not ever intentionally hurt Phil on the pitch. He is far too important to our national team. Even Philippine Army, notorious for its hard-edged play, seems to spare Phil from the worst of their footballing black arts. And you will especially refrain from going MMA on the guy a week before a tournament.
Any player who injures Phil before a tournament will face the wrath of the Azkals Nation in a major way.
Perhaps Ocaña was trying to impress his coach. I don't know but for sure he has been told that his extra motions were not that cool.
Some of the more interesting run-outs came from the other side. Global weren't just playing Washington Generals to the Azkals' Harlem Globetrotters. They brought out a pretty darn good side and gave playing time to some promising young Filipino players.
Marco Casambre, a lithe teen who was part of the U15 national boys team last year, got a run-out at left back. Casambre is from Claret School, a fabled footballing factory that has produced national players like Ariel Zerrudo and Anto Gonzales. The youngster is very composed with the ball at his feet and should blossom into a fine senior player.
Mark Winhoffer is another Global youth player who has a big future. He scored Global's goal in the 82nd minute, exploiting an error by Patrick Deyto.
Late in the second half Global coach Leigh Manson withdrew keeper Roland Dely Sadia and replaced him with Nixon “Jun Jun” Badelic. He is widely regarded as one of the top young keeper prospects in the country alongside St. Benilde's Ronilo Vallies Bayan.
Badelic played for Emilio Aguinaldo College in the NCAA and Forza in the UFL before transferring to Global. The kid from Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon should develop well under the tutelage of Jorge Kuriyama, Global and Azkals' vastly experienced keeper coach.
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With minutes to go Misagh Bahadoran sprung loose on a one-v-one against him and Badelic handled the situation brilliantly, making himself big on the play without recklessly lunging forward, thus being able to react and stop the shot. There's a great pic of the play here from FullCourtFresh.com's Martin San Diego. That's Casambre defending Misagh on the play.
Expect more talent in the pipeline from Bukidnon, as they have been recently gifted with a brand-new natural-grass regulation-sized field from FIFA.
But the one who sparkled brightest for Global was midfielder Paolo Bugas, their new pick up from Loyola. The Nabunturan, Compostela Valley product is with Far Eastern University. Hours after his buddies on the hoops team topped DLSU, he was also doing the green-and-gold proud with a performance filled with tricky passes, deft evasions of defenders, and all-around class. Manson was effusive in his praise of Bugas afterwards.
Bugas nearly scored off a defensive lapse in the first half, then in the second, delivered wicked cross from the left flank that wasn't converted. It is only a matter of time before he is handed a first Azkals cap.
This game was a great idea, with everyone coming out winning. There was a fun, carnival atmosphere in the crowd, thanks to the live music before and after the game, and during halftime. At the final whistle the fans flowed onto the pitch for selfies with the players.
There should be more free games like this for Azkals fans, so they can really build their bonds with the team. One game a quarter sounds about right.
Lets just hope these fans, and more, show up starting next Wednesday for the Peace Cup opener against Chinese Taipei. Entrance won't be free, but at P60 for bleachers tickets, they will be more affordable than ever before.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH. PFF Peace Cup tickets are available at Ticketworld outlets. Check out this link for more info.
