Round 2 for Azkals Vs Al-Azraq

According to Spin.ph,  Azkals will be back in the middleast for a friendly game

 Vs Bahrain On  Oct. 12

and

kuwait on October 16,2012

6:50pm to 10:00 pm

@ Kuwait Club in Khaifan

ticket price:  Kd1,KD2 & KD3 -- available at the stadium

Not so excited about it,.... but I'm looking forward to see  better games for Azkals...

GO AZKALS!!!

here's more about the news from http://www.spin.ph/

A day after signifying their availability for the Azkals' training and friendlies in the Middle East, Phil and James Younghusband were recalled to the lineup ahead of the October 7 to 17 camp.

The Philippine Football Federation has sent a letter addressed to the Younghusbands’ professional team, Loyola Meralco, on Wednesday seeking the brothers’ release for the national team’s 10-day camp, which includes friendlies against Bahrain on October 12 and Kuwait four days later.

The PFF had earlier excluded the brothers from the Philippine Football Peace Cup lineup due to “economic and non-economic issues” and the Azkals showed they can win without the Younghusbands by lifting the country's first football silverware in 99 years.

However, the body stressed the need to assemble the strongest team possible for the upcoming Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup in explaining the decision to reinstate the brothers.
“After careful consideration, the management has decided to include Phil and James Younghusband in this training camp. Both siblings remain assets to the Azkals and remain part of the team,” Azkals’ team manager Dan Palami said in a statement.

“As a team, we take this time to bridge differences as we work towards a common goal: bringing honor and pride to the country, Palami added.

The brothers, who are currently in Singapore with the Sparks for their semifinal match against the Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Cup, are expected to be released accordingly as team owner Randy Roxas had earlier expressed his willingness to lend any of his players to the national team.

The development came on the same day the Azkals jumped three spots in the latest Fifa world rankings to 147th, their highest ranking ever which attests to how far the sport has come in the country.

Apart from the Younghusbands, the notable booters based abroad who will rejoin the team are Dennis Cagara, Rob Gier, Angel and Juani Guirado, Ray Jonsson, Jerry Lucena, Roland Muller, Paul Mulders.

Co-skipper Chieffy Caligdong, Marwin Angeles, Ian Araneta, Misagh Bahadoran, Jeff Christiaens, Ref Cuaresma, Jason de Jong, Anto Gonzales, Nestorio Margarse Jr., Carli de Murga, Demit Omphroy, OJ Porteria, Patrick Reichelt, Ed Sacapaño, Matt Uy, and Denis Wolf are the holdovers from the Peace Cup lineup.

On those lost points- ( AZRAQ vs AZKALS)

As I watched the Kuwait Men’s Football National Team put the finishing touches on a clinical display of top-notch football – a 3-nil win over the Philippines in Kuwait -- I felt bad for a couple of things.

One, for the team, that had worked so hard and is sometimes dealt terrible hands. They carry the burden of expectation not just of themselves but now a nation starved for glory.

Two, for our country that with every game, every win and every draw, hopes to stake its claim as an heir to the world game. Denied in basketball, maybe in the world game, we can be someone.

And three, it’s a sobering lesson that we have a long ways to go.

If the home matches against Mongolia and Sri Lanka taught us anything, it was the advantage of a home field game.

If there was anything that the sobering loss to Kuwait taught us is that we need more experience. And that is something not learned in the span of a week of training camp in Germany or Bahrain. There are no short cuts in sports (one that the Miami Heat can relate to). One must the highest of highs and the lowest of lows before one can build a winner.

For one scintillating half, the Philippine Men’s Football National Team showed the Kuwaitis and whoever was watching that we could be right there with the best of them. We nearly blindsided them on a couple of counter-attacks and repeatedly took possession of the ball. We forced them to be a little more defensive and cautious.

Who knows had a strike, even one strike, found the back of the net early on? That could have changed the complexion of the game.

I got to speak to midfielder Fahed Ebrahim who scored the third goal for Kuwait as they were waiting for their flight to Manila (via Kuwait Airlines) and this is what he had to say, “The Philippines made us think about our strategy and what we were doing wrong.”

Added playmaker Fahed Al Elenezi, “They made us work for our points.”

Read more: RICK OLIVARES BLOG

Philippine Azkals Finally in Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY, July 19: The Philippine Azkals arrived in Kuwait on Tuesday evening after their two friendly matches in Bahrain in preparation for their match with the Al Azraq (Kuwait National Football Team) for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers slated for July 23 at the Mohammad Al-Hammad (Qadsia Club) Stadium in Hawally.

The Azkals were welcomed by Philippine Embassy and Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) officials led by Ambassador Shulan Primavera and Labour Attache David Des Dicang as well as Bader Abdul Jalil, the Technical Director of the Kuwait Football Association (KFA).
KFA Media Officer Talal Al-Mehteb informed that tickets priced at KD 5, KD 3 and KD 2 will be available on Thursday at 5 pm at the KFA Headquarters in Adailiya and at Qadsia Club Stadium. Tickets will also be sold on Friday and Saturday at the two venues.

Source: ARABTIMES