Azkals’ errors gift Uzbekistan Olympic team 3-0 win

The Philippine Azkals were soundly beaten by the Uzbekistan Olympic Side at the Al Maktoum Stadium in Dubai. A Kenja Turayev score bracketed both sides of an Ivan Nagaev first half goal to seal an expected but frustrating loss for the Philippines.   First Half   The usual problems of defensive organization and players out of position presented the Uzbekistan Olympic side with a glorious chance in the opening minutes, as a perfectly weighted pass sent through Oleg Zoteev, who rounded Roland Müller. With the goal gaping, he could only hit the post, but the missed chance foreshadowed what was to come.   The Azkals’ makeshift defense again failed in their offside trap and soon after let Kenja Turayev through. He made no mistake and gave the Uzbeks the early lead at the 12th minute, slotting the ball to the left side of the onrushing Roland Müller.   Just before halftime Ivan Nagaev was then found by a floated ball from the right wing and he drifted away from James Younghusband to double the Uzbek lead before the break.   Second Half   The Uzbeks came out and dominated the second half, increasing their share of possession from 58 percent in the first half to 65 percent overall. A long range effort was stopped well by Müller, but when knocked back into the box, Luis Guirado failed to decisively clear the ball and presented a good chance to Turayev who notched his second of the game.   Turayev could have had a hat-trick as he beat Müller in goal. He would have scored if not for the covering Jason Sabio, who cleared off the goal line. With the Uzbekistan Olympic Side beating the Australian Olympic team 2-0 last Saturday, this could well be the toughest game of the training camp but it was the same mistakes which presented themselves in the 3-0 loss.   Out of Position   The most glaring decision for fans was choosing to play James Younghusband at right back. Captaining the Philippines in the absence of Cheiffy Caligdong and Aly Borromeo, head coach Michael Weiss opted to play the former Chelsea man in defense. Playing midfielders as full backs has been a common tactic of Weiss, but fans are losing patience as the experiments seem to be failing.   Two successive failed offside traps allowed in Oleg Zoteev and Kenja Turayev, with the latter opening the scoring before a poor defensive line left Nagaev unmarked and free to double the lead before halftime. A poor defensive clearance from Juan Luis Guirado presented Turayev with the chance to double his tally and cap the win off for the Uzbek Olympic side.   The Olympic side could have had a fourth when Fozil Musayev burst through on the left from a sublime through ball. Rather than play the ball across the box he blasted the ball at Müller who stood firm to perform one of several solid saves in the game.   Last Chance for Weiss?   The positives for the Azkals will be the work rate and effort shown by the players. Running throughout the game, the attacking side of the Azkals presented them with ten shots throughout the ninety minutes. Ian Araneta came closest when, coming on as a substitute, he bent the ball with his left foot, though the Uzbek keeper saved well.   Losing may not have been much of a shock as the Uzbekistan senior team are ranked 5th in Asia, 67th in the world according to FIFA. Yet fans are clearly beginning to lose patience with Weiss and the continuing defensive problems.   Social media, in particular, picked up the discontent of fans at playing James Younghusband at right back with Carli De Murga on the field, while strong performances from Jerry Barbaso and others in the game against Icheon showed that they perhaps deserved a chance in their more natural positions.   Though he continually suits the team up against stronger opponents in friendly games, the Challenge Cup may well be all or nothing for Coach Weiss. Failure to rectify the same defensive issues after so long would be seen as failure by many, despite the relatively good record Weiss has enjoyed as Azkals manager. While winning the competition remains a dream, advancing to the semifinals would certainly see all fans overlook these friendly results though competitive games would still be a positive result.   Major tournaments determine everything on the international scene and the Challenge Cup may well be make or break for Weiss. The Azkals’ next game will be in Qatar against Qatari League side Al Ahli on Monday, February 13, before the team flies back to face the Australian Olympic Side on February 16. – AMD, GMA News