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Azkals get thrashed by UAE in friendly
By ROY MOORE
(Updated 1:23am) Less than a month after becoming the top team in Southeast Asia, the Philippine national team, also known as Azkals, got a humbling at the hands of the United Arab Emirates, losing 4-0 in a friendly, Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
UAE, ranked 71st in the world, extended their win streak to 16 straight matches, a run that includes winning the 2013 Gulf Cup and a perfect start to Asian Cup Qualifications, and in their first match against the Philippines, they easily dominated their foes.
After hitting the woodwork three times in the first fifteen minutes, it was Salem Musalem who got on the end of a nice through ball to burst past his man and slot beyond Sacapano in the 19th minute.
Playing with a very high tempo, the UAE dictated the play by dominating the time of possession, firing over several more times, before Walid Abbas tapped in the second just before halftime.
After the break, Ismael Matar added the third, turning well with his first touch before firing a thunderous strike into the corner of the net in the 59th minute. The match was wrapped up in the 78th minute as Ali Mabkhout stole in to burst beyond the defense and slot in from an acute angle, giving the Philippines a tough lesson in international football.
First half
After two early long-range efforts on goal and some brilliant saves by Ed Sacapano, in goal for the Azkals, in the first 15 minutes of the game, Majed Hassan, off a set piece, smashed the ball onto the woodwork again, almost uprooting it with the thunderous effort.
But soon after, UAE took a deserved lead, as Omar Abdulrahman provided a good through ball for Salem Musalem to burst past the defender and open up the scoring for the home team.
Moments later Ismael Matar should have had his 33rd international goal as he fired open while in space inside the area, following a great flick back to the striker.
Coupled with quality movement, UAE limited the Philippines officially to a single shot in the first half which went well wide, which this writer thinks though was an attempted cross.
That chance came after Angel Guirado drove forward, and with Jeffrey Christiaens to his left, he tried to find Phil Younghusband in the middle instead, and was only a couple of yards away from a perfect ball as it just ran away for a goal kick instead. Chris Greatwich then hit a rebounded effort well wide.
UAE retook control of the game with only a Rob Gier last-ditch tackle on Matar stopping the striker. Walid Abbas then tapped in the second in the 40th minute, as another fantastic through ball found Matar, whose deflected shot trickled across the goalmouth, before being slotted in.
Second half
The United Arab Emirates continued the onslaught in the second half and after Marwin Angeles replaced Chris Greatwich at the break, Ed Sacapano was again forced into action as he stopped an Omar Abdulrahman effort at goal.
But he could do nothing about the next shot, as Ismael Matar’s first touch 25-yards from goal set him up nicely to whip the ball into the corner of the net in the 59th minute.
Abdulrahman was then thwarted by Sacapano again soon afterwards, as the UAE continued controlling the match. With brilliant passing and movement, they strung together thirty passes at times without reply.
The Azkals became slightly more direct and positive when OJ Porteria replaced Angel Guirado, before Patrick Reichelt made way for Mark Hartmann and Chieffy Caligdong came on for James Younghusband.
However, the United Arab Emirates was too strong and a Jeffrey Christiaens pass was too weak, allowing Ali Mabkhout to steal the ball in the 78th minute. With lightning pace, the winger burst past the defensive line and looking up from an acute angle, he curled into the far corner of the goal for a 4-0 tally.
It could have been worse for the Philippines, as Sacapano made another point-blank save after another smart Abdulrahman through ball, including a good dummy to set up the chance.
Learning experience
Azkals Manager Dan Palami tweeted out during the match to say “this is meant to be a learning experience. We should reap the rewards in Maldives. Fluid team movement of UAE worth emulating.”
Within Southeast Asia, only Thailand can rival that kind of passing and movement, though the Philippines seemed to have prepared as well as they could have for the match. Simply put, UAE is on another level, but the only way to get better is to play these kinds of opponents.
The Azkals can now study that movement to beef up their own attack, an attack which didn’t manage a single shot on target throughout the game, compared to UAE’s 29 shots with 11 on target, before playing India on November 15. - AMD, GMA News
UAE, ranked 71st in the world, extended their win streak to 16 straight matches, a run that includes winning the 2013 Gulf Cup and a perfect start to Asian Cup Qualifications, and in their first match against the Philippines, they easily dominated their foes.
After hitting the woodwork three times in the first fifteen minutes, it was Salem Musalem who got on the end of a nice through ball to burst past his man and slot beyond Sacapano in the 19th minute.
Playing with a very high tempo, the UAE dictated the play by dominating the time of possession, firing over several more times, before Walid Abbas tapped in the second just before halftime.
After the break, Ismael Matar added the third, turning well with his first touch before firing a thunderous strike into the corner of the net in the 59th minute. The match was wrapped up in the 78th minute as Ali Mabkhout stole in to burst beyond the defense and slot in from an acute angle, giving the Philippines a tough lesson in international football.
First half
After two early long-range efforts on goal and some brilliant saves by Ed Sacapano, in goal for the Azkals, in the first 15 minutes of the game, Majed Hassan, off a set piece, smashed the ball onto the woodwork again, almost uprooting it with the thunderous effort.
But soon after, UAE took a deserved lead, as Omar Abdulrahman provided a good through ball for Salem Musalem to burst past the defender and open up the scoring for the home team.
Moments later Ismael Matar should have had his 33rd international goal as he fired open while in space inside the area, following a great flick back to the striker.
Coupled with quality movement, UAE limited the Philippines officially to a single shot in the first half which went well wide, which this writer thinks though was an attempted cross.
That chance came after Angel Guirado drove forward, and with Jeffrey Christiaens to his left, he tried to find Phil Younghusband in the middle instead, and was only a couple of yards away from a perfect ball as it just ran away for a goal kick instead. Chris Greatwich then hit a rebounded effort well wide.
UAE retook control of the game with only a Rob Gier last-ditch tackle on Matar stopping the striker. Walid Abbas then tapped in the second in the 40th minute, as another fantastic through ball found Matar, whose deflected shot trickled across the goalmouth, before being slotted in.
Second half
The United Arab Emirates continued the onslaught in the second half and after Marwin Angeles replaced Chris Greatwich at the break, Ed Sacapano was again forced into action as he stopped an Omar Abdulrahman effort at goal.
But he could do nothing about the next shot, as Ismael Matar’s first touch 25-yards from goal set him up nicely to whip the ball into the corner of the net in the 59th minute.
Abdulrahman was then thwarted by Sacapano again soon afterwards, as the UAE continued controlling the match. With brilliant passing and movement, they strung together thirty passes at times without reply.
The Azkals became slightly more direct and positive when OJ Porteria replaced Angel Guirado, before Patrick Reichelt made way for Mark Hartmann and Chieffy Caligdong came on for James Younghusband.
However, the United Arab Emirates was too strong and a Jeffrey Christiaens pass was too weak, allowing Ali Mabkhout to steal the ball in the 78th minute. With lightning pace, the winger burst past the defensive line and looking up from an acute angle, he curled into the far corner of the goal for a 4-0 tally.
It could have been worse for the Philippines, as Sacapano made another point-blank save after another smart Abdulrahman through ball, including a good dummy to set up the chance.
Learning experience
@roymondous this is meant to be a learning experience, we should reap the rewards in Maldives. Fluid team movement of UAE worth emulating.
— dan stephen palami (@dscpalami) November 9, 2013
Azkals Manager Dan Palami tweeted out during the match to say “this is meant to be a learning experience. We should reap the rewards in Maldives. Fluid team movement of UAE worth emulating.”
Within Southeast Asia, only Thailand can rival that kind of passing and movement, though the Philippines seemed to have prepared as well as they could have for the match. Simply put, UAE is on another level, but the only way to get better is to play these kinds of opponents.
The Azkals can now study that movement to beef up their own attack, an attack which didn’t manage a single shot on target throughout the game, compared to UAE’s 29 shots with 11 on target, before playing India on November 15. - AMD, GMA News
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