Azkals to play mini-tournament in Bacolod versus Global and Ceres FC
MONDAY, 14 MAY 2012 19:12 RICK OLIVARES / COLUMNIST
WHEN the Azkals take on Indonesia in a June 5 friendly at the Rizal Memorial pitch, the match will carry a certain significance.
As recently as 2010, Indonesia looked at the Philippines as “road kill” as the Jakarta Globe once infamously described that year’s Suzuki Cup semifinals matchup. While Indonesia dispatched the Azkals with a 2-0 aggregate win, the Philippines have since gained a measure of respect not just in the region but also throughout the world. The current No. 148 ranking by Fifa underscores that.
While Indonesia has yet to win Southeast Asia’s most prestigious seniors football tournament, the Philippines is rapidly improving. But the Merah Putih, as Indonesia’s team is nicknamed, is in a state of turmoil and is under threat of suspension by Fifa if the country is unable to resolve its national sports association problems by June 15.
MANILA, Philippines – Tickets will go on sale starting Friday for the Philippine Azkals’ first home match since their Cinderella run in the AFC Challenge Cup.
The Azkals will have the chance to redeem themselves in front of their home crowd which they never had against their Suzuki Cup tormentor Indonesia on June 5 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
MANILA, Philippines – It’s still two years away, but Philippine Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss is already mapping out plans for his team’s campaign in the 2014 Challenge Cup.
Weiss steered the Azkals to an unprecedented third-place finish in this year’s Cup.
He wants to push the envelope further by shooting for the Challenge Cup title in 2014.
MANILA, Philippines – Football coach Hans Michael Weiss is appreciative of the support and adoration extended by local fans to the Philippine Azkals.
Weiss said Filipinos are becoming more passionate about football and it shows each time the Azkals play at home.
“When we play in Manila, the stadiums are totally sold out nowadays,” said Weiss onFIFA.com.
April 20, 2012 2:46pm
Azkals head coach Hans Michael Weiss will be hosting a football clinic this summer, together with some of the Philippine National Football Team members themselves.
The first batch of the three-day camp on May 4-6 will include children 13 years old and below, while the May 11-12 camp will include young adults ages 14 and above.
Wednesday, 18 April, 2012
THE Philippine Azkals, fresh from a third-place finish in the recent Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup in Nepal, where striker Phil Younghusband won the Golden Boot award for scoring the most number of goals (six), face an exciting challenge in three matches lined up this June.
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta told the Manila Standard that Malaysia had invited the Azkals to play one match in Kuala Lumpur on June 1 against its national team, which won the gold medal in the last Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta. The PFF had accepted the invitation.
By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - Bearing the fruit of the Azkals’ milestone bronze medal performance in last month’sAFC Challenge Cup, the Philippines has achieved its all-time highest standing in the Fifa world rankings at 148th.
The Azkals gained precious ranking points in their semis-clinching 2-1 triumph over Tajikistan in between monumental triumphs over India (2-0, elims) and Palestine (4-3, battle for third), en route to a weighted average of 182 points that moved them eight places up from their previous position in the monthly global list.