Jr Azkals suffer 2nd straight loss, bow to Timor Leste 1-2

The Philippine Under-23 Football team suffered their second consecutive setback in the 2011 South East Asian (SEA) Games in Jakarta, Indonesia with 1-2 loss against Timor Leste. What was billed as a sure win for the Jr. Azkals turned into a shock victory for Timor Leste who seemed revitalized after several years of being dominated. Timor Leste came out with some great passing and ball movement to score twice and push themselves into contention for qualification from the group. Timor Leste took the lead when Antonio Marcos Sousa crossed for Murilo de Almeida to tap in his third goal of the tournament. OJ Porteria equalized for the Philippines in the 37th minute following a string of passes between the Jr. Azkals before half-time. After the break Timor Leste quickly retook the lead as Diogo Rangel was played in behind the defensive line and he poked the ball through Müller’s legs. Support from the Philippine crowd never wavered but on the pitch the players just couldn’t find that second goal to record their first points of the tournament. First half The game started with a slow tempo but flashes of inspiration broke the methodical play. First a fine through ball found Mark Hartmann with space in the box and his shot was tipped over well by the keeper. Moments later Timor Leste countered and Sousa, who hit the woodwork twice in their last game against Brunei, found space on the right to cross in to Murilo de Almeida to tap in on the 17th minute and put Timor Leste ahead. Both Sousa and Murilo were left unmarked and the shaky defense continued to upset the Philippines’ momentum and rhythm. The Philippines eventually found their rhythm and began passing the ball around at the back. Building up the play they equalized, crossing from the left with OJ Porteria on hand to tap in at the far post. Though the buildup was patient and over twenty passes were made before Porteria scored, the goal will probably be remembered for the teenager’s celebration as he ran to Jason De Jong and the pair began a choreographed routine. The goal seemed to give the Jr. Azkals the confidence needed to press the Timor Leste players and fight more for the ball, shifting momentum to the PHL side just before the break. Going into half-time with the scores level, though, was a far cry from the 5-0 victory the last time the two countries faced each other in 2010. Second half Timor Leste came out the brighter side and quickly retook the lead as they once more broke through the defensive line. Passing through the defense Rangel got through on the right and not properly challenged he went through to nutmeg Müller and put Timor Leste back in front in the 48th minute. Timor Leste got behind the defensive line several times and threatened next from a corner, Roland Müller uncharacteristically flapping at the ball but was saved by Porteria who cleared the resulting header off the line. Carli De Murga, who picked up another yellow card and will be suspended for the next game against Laos, had the best chance to equalize when he played a good one-two with Manny Ott to cut through Timor Leste’s defense. His first touch was quality and set himself up for the shot, though his strike was tame. Timor Leste then countered and substitute Neckson Leonora, who came on for Matt Hartmann with Jason De Jong taking over the role of captain, gave away a free-kick with a rash challenge in the 75th minute. Crossed in from the left, Timor Leste headed onto the bar from point blank range, just inches away from making sure of the win. The Jr. Azkals pressed the game from then on, Timor Leste looking to cling on for the win. Last year’s UAAP forward of the year Jinggoy Valmayor forced Emerson into a good save from 25 yards out. Yet despite dominating the final twenty minutes they couldn’t quite find the back of the net and Timor Leste held on to record their second 2-1 victory of the tournament. In context Timor Leste’s senior team is ranked 201st in the world on FIFA rankings. Without any FIFA points this year, losing 2-1 and 5-0 to Nepal earlier in the year in World Cup Qualification, they are still the bottom side in Asia, 46th in the continent. The Azkals, meanwhile, beat Nepal 4-0 when they played in October this year meaning that even at the under 23 level a win was expected before the game. Group standings The Philippines are bottom of the group with two losses out of two. They scored in both but conceding five shows the problems at the back. Timor Leste’s win surprisingly sees them top the group as Vietnam’s 0-0 draw against Burma gives Vietnam four points in total. Burma are themselves in third, also with four points, while Laos and Brunei look to pick up their first points as they face off against each other later. For the Philippines to qualify now would require wins against Laos, Burma and Brunei while hoping for positive results from the other games. - OMG, GMA News