Azkals ready to take win against Thailand

MANILA, Philippines – After holding tournament favorites Thailand in a scoreless draw in front of their home crowd in Manila, the Azkals are confident going into the last leg of their semi-final bout against the Thais at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok Thailand on Wednesday.

The first meeting between the two teams ended in a scoreless standstill with the Philippines having a 55-45 possession percentage advantage against Thailand throughout the match.

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“Obviously I’m happy with the 0-0 but after the game I think it’s a little bit sad that we didn’t score a goal. I think we deserve to have a goal. I am very happy with the way the team has played.” Azkals coach Thomas Dooley told the media during the post-match press conference.

The Philippines will be banking on a slight advantage going into the bout at the home turf of the War Elephants due to the away goals rule, which means even in the occasion of a 1-1 draw, the Azkals will still advance to the final due to their goal on their opponents home field.

Also, the Kiatisuk Senamuang-mentored national club will be missing the services of two of their stars namely Kirati Keawsombut, who caught a hamstring injury, and Adisak Kraisorn, who was sent off during the first leg in the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Dooley asserted he believes their rivals will give them a tough time for their last semis meeting in front of the 50,000 people expected to come in support of their home team.

“I’m a 100% sure that they would put a lot of pressure on us. The good thing is that the two forwards can’t play. We need to be ready. We need to play the same football we did in Manila. If we can hold [them for] 15-20 [minutes] in Bangkok, I think we have a good chance.” – Rappler.com