Azkals need to repeat 2010 Suzuki Cup heroics against Vietnam

2010 was when the Philippines made their mark on the international football stage. Back in the 2010 Suzuki Cup, the Azkals bested Vietnam for the very first time, following five straight defeats and a pair of 2-2 draws, when the two countries first played following the latter's unification, back in 1990 and 1991. It was such a feat that it was later named to Sports Illustrated's list of top 10 football stories of the year. Now, the Philippine national team will have to repeat that feat, and earn a result against the team known as the Red Warriors, if they are to remain in the hunt for the Suzuki Cup. Vietnam Vietnam didn’t look impressive against Myanmar, as the two sides played to a 1-1 draw in their Suzuki Cup opener, Saturday. Even in the first half, where the Red Warriors were at their most dominant, Vietnam didn’t fashion many clear-cut opportunities. They opened the scoring through a free-kick just outside the edge of the area, and looked dangerous only on counterattacks, as they could never find the potency which saw them beat Myanmar 7-1 in the 2010 competition.

The Vietnamese probably felt overconfident back in 2010, going into the game against the Azkals, a team they had never lost to at that point. The Azkals capitalized on their anonymity then, but this time around, as manager Dan Palami said coming into this year's incarnation of the tournament, “We aren’t coming in as a surprise team, but as one of the favorites, so most of the teams are scouting the Philippines.”   Vietnam are themselves in the hunt to reclaim the trophy they lost in 2010. As 2008 champions, they will begin with the 2008 Suzuki Cup Most Valuable Player in goal, Duong Hong Sun, and he is a major reason why the Vietnamese have conceded just two of their last nine games. He was only eventually beaten by a penalty against Myanmar too, and his 37 caps will ensure he has the experience to cope with the pressure as a loss for Vietnam means almost certain elimination. Vietnam are on a good run of form at the moment though, losing one of their last nine games and only two in 2012, against Turkmenistan and China. Yet, they haven’t stood out in the Suzuki Cup so far, will definitely be looking to bounce back against the Azkals. Vietnam’s dangermen In midfield, Vietnam’s possessions against Myanmar went mostly through Pham Thanh Luong, who looked very competent on the ball, spreading it out wide and starting Vietnam’s moves. If he starts, Vietnam’s attack will go through the playmaker and he will need to be shut down if the Azkals are to stop Vietnam. Luong will be looking to find his Hanoi FC teammate Le Cong Vinh in particular. The two are effectively like Thailand’s Thonglao and Dangda with 94 caps between them. With 31 goals in 54 appearances for the national side himself, Vinh is highly regarded as one of the best strikers in South East Asia. Missing from the 2010 Suzuki Cup line-up due to injury, he has nine goals in the ASEAN Football Championship, making his debut back in 2004 and scoring four goals while just eighteen years old. He sealed the win against Singapore in the 2008 final by heading the second goal and was even listed as number five in Goal’s Top Ten Promising Youngsters in Asia after the tournament and another good season in the V-League. He is now the top-scoring Vietnamese player in the V-League’s history, having scored 40 goals in 40 games for his V-League side Hanoi T&T, after signing for a record amount of money at the time. He also had a brief loan spell in Portugal with second-tier side Leixoes, before returning to Vietnam again. Philippine line-up Juani Guirado and Rob Gier will be at the center to shut down the forward as the Azkals look to prove they aren’t underdogs anymore. With the right tactics and line-up, the Azkals have a good shot at a win. Denis Wolf and Demit Omphroy’s availability is still in doubt though, with the first suffering an ankle injury and the second having the flu. The squad will also have to play with Coach Weiss sitting in the stands, serving his suspension after throwing the ball at Thailand's Anucha Kitpongsri, while the latter was on the ground. The replays showed that Thailand’s second goalscorer had jumped high and dangerously on Dennis Cagara, before falling onto his back, and Weiss took exception to his time wasting while on the floor. Weiss threw the ball like a basketball shot and the referee had little choice but to send him to the stands. While the move was borne out of frustration, it is unsporting in itself, and means he will have to sit amongst the crowd for the game against Vietnam, phoning his assistants on the touchline to get across any changes he wants. Patrick Reichelt’s performance against the War Elephants may certainly warrant more playing time, as he assisted Mulders’ first international goal for the Philippines with a smart turn and pass, a move which would leave out James Younghusband. Both Palami and Weiss noted the team played better in the second half with Marwin Angeles in the center too, and Mulders and Angel Guirado may be preferred up top at the expense of Phil Younghusband. Chieffy Caligdong, meanwhile, was taken out before halftime. Replaced by Jeffrey Christiaens, it may well represent the passing on of the baton from one of the Philippines’ most influential players over the last decade, to the new breed in Christiaens. The Belgium-born winger’s fitness, pace, and technical ability will certainly be great assets to the Azkals, while Chieffy struggled against Thailand, stumbling over three times before his substitution. Rob Gier would be the most likely candidate to take over the captaincy if the Azkals’ management take the step to rest the Iloilo native, who turned 30 earlier this year. It’s all or nothing for the Azkals now. A victory will put them in a good position to qualify from the group, without yet having to face the supposed weakest team in the group in Myanmar, match slated for November 30. A loss, however, and the Azkals will be out of the Suzuki Cup with nothing to play for but pride, something that's sure to take a bruising as fans’ expectations have certainly been raised over the last two years. The Azkals will have to be cautious early on against Vietnam, as a loss will mean they will be the first team knocked out of the tournament. Their overall fitness and pace may well be enough to take them past Vietnam, though, as the Red Warriors faded in the second half against Myanmar. Here’s a projected lineup for the game which will be tomorrow, November 27, at the Rajamangala National Stadium, 6:30pm. - AMD, GMA News Projected line-up: