Azkals beat Iloilo-based Koreans in tough match

After being held to a draw earlier this week, the Philippine national football team Azkals beat a young Korean team in another tuneup match in Negros Thursday. But the 4-1 score belied the competitive nature of the match, with the Azkals' coach crediting the Koreans for being aggressive. "They (Korean team) were very good. They were young and were not afraid of any confrontation with the national team," Azkals coach Michael Weiss said of the Korean team, according to a report Friday on news site Visayan Daily Star.

Weiss added that the Koreans played their style, and that he will not be surprised if some of them will become professional football players someday. He noted that the oldest player in the Korean team was a 19-year-old freshman, a Physical Education major student. The game was held at the Panaad Park and Sports Stadium in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City. On Monday, the Azkals were held to a 4-all draw by an all-star Negros Selection nicknamed the Asukals (for sugar). Not taking chances in its Thursday game, the Azkals started strong, with Simon Greatwich scoring the first goal in the 17th minute, to cheers from the crowd of 3,500. But the Iloilo-based Koreans, donning the jersey of Central Philippine University, challenged the Azkals' defense and played aggressively. The aggressiveness was such that the referee gave one of its players, Jae Young Kang, a yellow card in the 19th minute. Azkals member Ian Araneta was also given a yellow card by the referee for a dangerous play. Weiss opted not to field Phil Younghusband in Thursday's final tune-up match, with less than a week to go before the Azkals face Team Mongolia in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying match. Phil watched from the sidelines as his elder brother James dropped a smooth pass to Araneta in the 44th minute for the Azkals' second goal. A defensive lapse on the national side, four minutes into the second half, allowed Korean Gyung Sik Choi to score. The Azkals atoned for the lapse when captain Aly Borromeo scored off a penalty in the 49th minute for a 3-1 lead. The national team had another goal in the 65th minute from William Gueridonn to pull away from the Koreans. CPU assistant coach Joseph Ensaya, a former official of the Negros Occidental Football Association, said their team managed to attempt six shots on goal but converted only one, while the national team had three shots on goal and converted two. "We were able to give the Azkals a good match. It was an interesting and entertaining game for both teams," Ensaya said. Weiss said that with Filipino-Dutch midfielder Jason de Jong, they have a good lineup, and that their focus now is to beat Mongolia. The team is still expecting Fil-foreigners Rob Gier and Ray Johnson to join the training this weekend. – JVP, KY, GMANews.TV