A look back - The Azkals in 2013

While the majority of the football world waits for giants to clash at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil this June, Pinoy fans can cheer for their own a month earlier, as the Philippine national men's football team plays for glory in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.

[Related: Still climbing - Azkals now 127th in the world]

After ending a stellar 2013 by zooming up the world rankings, the Azkals now get another shot at qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup, after settling for third place in the Challenge Cup’s 2012 edition.

Throughout the past year, the national side faced nine teams in various tournaments and friendlies, winning five and losing three, with a draw capping their campaign for the year. There was also that aforementioned climb in the FIFA rankings, going from 147 in January to 127 in December.





Road to the AFC Challenge Cup

The Azkals conquered Group E of the Challenge Cup Qualifiers while playing at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in March, in a three-team group with Cambodia and Turkmenistan after Brunei's last-minute pullout.

It rained cats, dogs, and goals, as the home side demolished Cambodia 8-0, in a delay-marred match last March 24, with Phil Younghusband scoring a hat-trick in under nine minutes in the first half.

They then avenged their 2012 Challenge Cup semifinals loss against Turkmenistan on March 26, with Phil's lone goal sealing the top spot finish for the qualifiers.

The pair of wins meant that the Philippines will join Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Palestine, first-timer Laos, and host Maldives in May, with the AFC Challenge Cup draw set for February 12.

Winners of the 2014 edition of the tourney will join 2012 top finisher North Korea in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, which includes regional powerhouses Australia, South Korea, and defending champion Japan.

Peace Cup and friendlies

After the Challenge Cup qualifiers, the Azkals won the home-hosted three-nation-tourney Peace Cup on goal difference: with a “shocking” 2-1 loss to Chinese Taipei on October 11 and a 3-1 win against Pakistan on October 15.

[Related: What we can learn from the 2013 Philippine Peace Cup]

The national team then played the United Arab Emirates, currently ranked 71 in the world, and as a result, recorded its biggest loss of the year at 4-0 on November 10, in a game held in Abu Dhabi. Manager Dan Palami however tweeted that the UAE friendly was “meant to be a learning experience” for the team.

@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

However, perhaps the most talked-about friendly was against Hong Kong, prior to the Peace Cup, on June 4, where Filipino fans were allegedly abused by local supporters, as the Azkals defeated the hosts 1-0.

With a colorful 2013 finally done, another action-packed football year still awaits fans in 2014. It's not just about the World Cup; the Azkals too have big games worth watching. - AMD, GMA News