Philippine Azkals satisfied despite losing Dubai football friendly

Gulf News

Philippine Azkals satisfied despite losing Dubai football friendly. Philippine Azkals show good form in Dubai despite losing football match against Azerbaijan. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

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00:00Azerbaijan handed the lower-ranked Philippines a 1-0 decision in an international football

00:16friendly at Al-Shabaab Stadium in Dubai, but the Filipinos went on feeling victorious despite

00:20the setback.

00:21We were actually even more dominant than I expected, we even had more chances than them

00:28and I think that bodes well for the team in the future and tonight we were able to

00:33show our hosts and Azerbaijan how it is like to fight like a Filipino and to fight like

00:41an Ascals.

00:42Including the Philippines' commendable scoreless draw with Malaysia last week, the Dubai friendly

00:46was only the team's second match under new coach Thomas Dooley.

00:49I love it, I mean it's the first time I was in the Philippines, people are very friendly,

00:53very nice, very honest, very humble, they showed dignity today in the beginning before

00:59I signed with them, I said this team can go far, we've worked only for two weeks together

01:03now so I'm very, very happy that they actually fulfilled my thoughts about how we want to

01:08play.

01:09Give him a high grade, an outstanding grade for giving us, for letting us play the kind

01:15of game that we have right now.

01:16The six sessions that he has had with the team has given us this kind of game, there's

01:22still a lot to be done but what's important is that we're on the right track and we're

01:26taking big steps for our preparations for the Challenge Cup in May.

01:29Coach is, well, his playing career is very impressive and he's come in and he's shown

01:35how professional Philippine football should be and he's setting the team and we're playing

01:39more football now so I think there's more exciting things to come with the new coach.

01:43The Filipinos were more aggressive in the second half, creating dangerous opportunities

01:47from close range.

01:48Crowd favourite Phil Younghusband had at least three chances to equalise.

01:52I had two or three attempts, unfortunately they didn't go in, well hopefully I can score

01:55the next game but it was, we had a good try and unfortunately we couldn't score but maybe

02:00next time.

02:01A consistent top goal scorer for the Philippines, Younghusband had some anxious moments just

02:06after the break when he went down clutching his right ankle.

02:09A minute later, he had the team's first clear shot at the goal but it went straight into

02:13the keeper's hands.

02:14The Philippine team will also play training matches in Qatar next month as part of their

02:18preparations for the Asian Challenge Cup in May.

02:21We'd like to invite everybody on April 11th, we have a game in Qatar against Nepal and

02:29then on the 14th also in Qatar against Al-Ali Football Club there.

02:33So we will be having a short training camp in Qatar and from Qatar we go back to the

02:39Philippines and in May we will be in Bahrain.

02:41A lean but passionate crowd gathered for the friendly, although it was the Philippine

02:45side that was mobbed by fans after the match.

02:49Giovanni Tabada for Golf News.

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