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The
Philippine football team Azkals has just achieved a historic win in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup semi-final series against the
host team Maldives, 3-2, allowing them to head straight to this year's AFC Challenge
Cup finals.
Greetings
from the Pinoy football fans were then flooding social media networks, since
post game last night.
The
national team have also earned positive comments and praises from lots of Pinoy
football enthusiasts from around the world, expressing how glad they are for
the Philippine footballers to reach this far.
Before the
Azkals secured this win over Maldives, everyone was tensed especially when the
Philippine team needed 30 minutes of extra time to finally trounce their opponent,
with a final score of 3-2.
In the
first five minutes of the game, the Azkals already have shown dominance in the
field, making several goal attempts.
It was the
Azkals striker Phil Younghusband, who hit the first goal in the 19th minute of
the game. That goal marked the 36th international goal for Phil Younghusband
and second in this tournament.
Aside from
scoring, the Pinoy dribblers also have executed great defensive tactics,
barring the Maldives team from advancing for offense.
The host
team had tried to match the Azkals' tempo during the first half and that team
effort has offered them a goal in the 36th minute, making the score even at
1-1.
But the
Philippines immediately retorted with another goal in the 38th minute, courtesy
of Jerry Lucena.
The first
half ended with a score of 2-1, in favor of Azkals.
In the
second half, the host team showed more aggressiveness, particularly in counter
assaults. This resulted to a penalty kick awarded to them in the 54th minute of
the game. That kick however was saved by the Azkals keeper Roland Mueller.
When the
clock hit the 66th minute mark, Maldives successfully tied the score to 2-2.
Since then,
both teams have played well defenses until the regulation time (90 minutes) has
ended with an even score. Because of this, a 30-minute extension was given for
both teams to play on and break the deadlock.
But
probably due to exhaustion, the host team's field moves and assaults apparently
became dawdling.
Seeing this
chance, Chris Greatwich hit for a goal in the 14th minute. This goal has sealed
victory for the Philipine team.
But with
just two more minutes before the game finally concluded, the Azkals only has 10
players left in the pitch due to injury. But then again in the end, that player
number deficit did not actually bring any adverse bearing for the Philippine team.
There were
also certain scenes later in the play, in which both teams were somehow
becoming enraged likely because of intense emotion and game pressure. This
resulted to a commotion in pitch.
In the end,
determination of the Pinoy footballers has prevailed, hushing the unreceptive
home-court crowd.
So far this
is the first time for the Philippine Azkals to enter the Final series of an
international football tournament. This win seemed to be the Philippines
rejoinder to Maldives when the latter beat the first team in their 2010
Challenge Cup qualifiers series with a final score of 3-2.
In 2012,
the Philippine Azkals has only ended up in third place.
According
to the Azkals players, playing with Maldives was indeed a great challenge for
the team. Besides a homecourt advantage to Maldives, many players of the Azkals
were also unable to play due to injuries.
Among those
injured dribblers who weren't able to play for the Azkals team in that game
include the first choice goalkeeper, Neil Etheridge, Juanni Guirado, Dennis
Cagara, who was recalled by a club in Denmark, and also Stephan Schrock, who
was ousted in the later part of the second half due to hamstring injury.
The
Philippine Azkals will then be facing Palestine in the 2014 Challenge Cup
finals series, to be held this Friday, at 11:30PM (Philippine time).
Overall
winner or champion of the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 will be playing in the 2015
Asian Cup, which will be held in Australia.
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