Suzuki Cup: Defeating Vietnam ‘confirms Azkals as contenders,’ says Palami

The Philippine national team repeated the miracle in Hanoi, beating Vietnam for a second consecutive time in the Suzuki Cup group stage, only this time it wasn’t such a miracle.

Back in 2010 the Philippines shocked the world when the huge underdogs defeated Vietnam 2-0. This time around the Philippines were some peoples’ favorites going into the game, showing the huge progress they’ve made in two years.

After the game, Azkals manager Dan Palami said that “beating Vietnam this around was somehow like a confirmation of our status as a contender in this tournament and in South East Asia.” Indeed the win has almost resigned Vietnam, the number one ranked side in South East Asia, to elimination in the group stage.

At the bottom of the article you can find the list of possibilities going in to the last set of games with Thailand guaranteed a top two finish, while the Philippines, Vietnam, and Myanmar could all finish second still.

Another class

The Azkals have continued their rise to new levels, another class, as they take a huge step towards reaching the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup again. They have become contenders for the trophy and confirmed themselves as South East Asian heavyweights. Whether or not they reach the Final Four is in their hands, as a win against Myanmar will confirm their spot in the semis.

The progress is clear to see, not just in the number of new players and the depth of the squad. Indeed only eight players remain from the 22-man squad who competed in the 2010 Suzuki Cup, but the style, ability, and therefore the expectations have jumped.

Angel Guirado, in particular, gave the Philippines a strong target man to play counter attacks through, as his strength allowed him to hold the ball up and wait for others’ runs. This was done to devastating effect in the final minutes of the game as his perfectly chipped through ball put it on a plate for Chieffy Caligdong to give the Philippines the win.

Also important for the Philippines is the depth of the team and their fitness. All of the Azkals’ substitutions so far in the Suzuki Cup have had a big effect on the game. Indeed, Paul Mulders and Cheiffy Caligdong have scored both Philippine goals so far while coming on as substitutes. The Philippines have also won the second halves of their games against Vietnam and Thailand, as Thailand scored both their goals in the first half, and that’s mainly due to the improved fitness of the players.

That depth on the bench and their fitness will also be key against a resilient Myanmar. Fitness allows the team to control the game as the opposition gets tired. Also worth considering is the fact that Carli De Murga, Demit Omphroy, Chris Greatwich, Jason Sabio, and Ref Cuaresma could easily start any game, and they have all yet to feature.

Vietnam’s decline

The win against Vietnam was no fluke. While the Azkals are on the rise, Vietnam are on the decline, and though their current form shows just two losses in their last ten games, they’ve also failed to score in four of those games, scoring more than once in just three matches. Vietnam have relied on a stout defense, rather than a freescoring attack, and part of that decline has come from the barren run of their top scorer Le Cong Vinh.

The V-League three-time golden boot has been struggling of late and Vietnam still haven’t found a replacement for his goals. None of this takes anything away from the Azkals’ performance of course. Several years ago the decline of a Vietnamese forward would have been no problem for Vietnam as their squad depth would have been the envy of the Philippines. Now, the tide has turned.

Looking at Myanmar

To guarantee themselves a semifinal spot, the Azkals must beat Myanmar – something they’ve never done before. On paper, the head-to-head doesn’t look good for the Philippines, who have four draws and eight losses in the twelve games against Myanmar, including the games from when the country was known as Burma.

Myanmar have risen to the number four spot in South East Asia through their undefeated Suzuki Cup qualification stint and already drew with Vietnam 1-1. Their heavy loss to Thailand shows a certain lack in quality, but they will still be a very dangerous side given that they still have a chance to qualify. A win for Myanmar and they will advance if Vietnam cannot beat Thailand.

Coach Michael Weiss said after the Vietnam game that “we [the Azkals] are back in the race and we are now playing against a strong Myanmar side and hopefully will progress to the semifinals.” Calling for some caution, he said it would be “naive” to underestimate the Burmese side, which will be hungry for a win and an opportunity to bounce back from their heavy defeat to the Thais.

Group A possibilities

Group A is still wide open with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Myanmar all in contention for the final slot to join Thailand in the semifinals. Here’s a list of the possibilities that can happen going into the final group stage: