Our replacement goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard played well making some key saves and giving us a chance, but having Etheridge(who led the English Premier League in saves a week ago) on goal certainly would have boosted the team's confidence if he was available. One of the comments by a S Korean fan, chook90 in the S Korea forum: "What if Neil Etherage was playing?" Got the spelling of Neil's surname wrong, but the question was legitimate. and reply by Seol Korea: "Given how bad we were at the final third, game would've ended 0-0."
After Korea scored, instead of staying deep, I find it encouraging that the Philippines weren't content on keeping the goal differential at 0-1 and started pushing their players forward acc. to the Korean commentary on their forum.
One of the fans also praised former Daejeon and current Azkal's starting centerback Alvaro Silva for playing a good game against S Korea. Other comments in the S Korean forum "In my opinion, philippines is the strongest opposition for us in this group stage." "Well I watched their(China) game agaisnt KGZ, they were really lucky. Not much of a threat compare to Philippines." "Eriksson is surprised with the way his team played tonight, he never thought they'd play this well vs a strong team like Korea. Well done, now dump China please. You prepared your team well, and in the end the tactics and training paid off despite conceding a goal"
Philippine player rankings (Fox sports) GK – Michael Falkesgaard (7) A solid performance from the Philippines shot-stopper. He made quite a few crucial saves to keep the Azkals in the game. DF – Luke Woodland (8) Woodland made as many as five clearances and three tackles and along with his fellow central defenders, was one of the best players on the pitch. DF – Álvaro Silva (9) A near-perfect performance from Silva as he made as many as 11 clearances and three crucial tackles. The only small mistake he made resulted in the goal. DF – Stephan Palla (8) Same as his fellow centre-backs, Palla was one of the best performers on the pitch. His stats read nine clearances, one tackle and one interception. DF – Daisuke Sato (6) Not up to the mark on the night as he misplaced quite a few passes. Would want to put in a way better shift in the next encounter. MF – Stephan Schröck (8) The captain created a lot of problems for the Koreans and led from the front. Was full of running throughout the match. MF – Patrick Reichelt (7) Though he wasn’t as good in the first half, he improved considerably in the second to drive the Azkals on the brink of earning a huge point against the Korean side. MF – Manuel Ott (6) Stationed in the middle of the field, Ott wasn’t at his best tonight and was taken off for Adam Tull in the 78th minute. MF – John-Patrick Strauss (8) A solid defensive performance from the midfielder with as many as six clearances and two interceptions. He was taken off in the 89th minute for Phil Younghusband. MF – Kevin Ingreso (7) Though his teammates gave their all, Ingreso wasn’t quite at his best tonight still managed to win as many as five duels. Was taken off in the 75th minute for Iain Ramsay. FW – Javier Patiño (8) A great performance from the Philippines forward who gave his all tonight to get on the scoresheet. He stretched the Korean defence and found pockets of space, it was only his finishing that probably let him down. Substitutes Iain Ramsay (7) Spent a little over 15 minutes on the pitch and managed to create a chance. Adam Tull (5) Tull came on for Ott in the 78th minute but couldn’t get into the thick of action. Phil Younghusband (N/A) Philippines’ record goalscorer didn’t spend enough time on the pitch to create a difference. www.foxsportsasia.com/football/asian-football/afc-asian-cup/1014107/afc-asian-cup-2019-korea-republic-1-0-philippines-player-ratings/
Respectable result from our guys. If Patino would've scored that one, or Falkesgaard saved that one, the conversations here would be very different. On to the next game. Momentum is on, and confidence must be high after that performance.
Absolutely you can but surely there must be some form of realism along with that. You can't just keep walking around thinking there's gonna some type of miracle that's gonna happen every time especially when the opponent is a team like Korea. Like I said before, there was nothing in the build up that would suggest the Philippines would get anything less than a hammering. Was it possible that they could avoid it? Absolutely as they just proved but it was never on the cards. Complete horse sh!t and a disservice to Falkesgaard to say the least!
You may have different opinion but it still doesn't take away the fact you've just given a complete disservice to a player who was instrumental in helping limit Korea to just the lone goal. There's nothing more he or any other goalkeeper including Etheridge could've done to prevent that goal. It should've been dealt with by the defender, in this case Silva. Apart from that, Silva himself was also immense. So you better watch you say!
https://sports.inquirer.net/333718/ It was a debut many years in the making and the Philippines surely left its mark, notwithstanding the result. On a cold Monday night at Al Maktoum Stadium, the Azkals combined their grit and resilience with their tactical genius and work rate for the rest of the continent to see as they went toe-to-toe against a giant in South Korea in their Group C opener. That the Koreans needed a 67th minute strike from Hwang Uijo to finally grab maximum points was a mere footnote to what was a memorable introduction for the Azkals, who showed a spring in their step as chants of Pilipinas reverberated inside the cavernous, newly-refurbished facility throughout the match. READ: Asian Cup: Azkals impress in loss to South Korea “After a game like this, you will be having one teary eye and one which is okay with the result and the performance,” said midfielder Stephan Schrock, the captain for the night as coach Sven Goran Eriksson opted to start Javier Patino in favor of Phil Younghusband. “We are very proud. Korea had a lot of good players, they are composed and much better than the average Asian team. We surprised everyone with the performance tonight. We did very good. We have something to build on.” The Azkals will take a two-hour bus ride to Abu Dhabi late Tuesday as they prepare for their duel with China on Friday. Getting a result against the Chinese is paramount for Eriksson’s side if it wants to advance to the last 16. Few expected the Azkals to stay competitive against a Korean team that regularly plays in the World Cup and only recently stunned former World Cup champion Germany, 2-0. But the Azkals were hardly fazed by the quality and experience of a Korean side, which had established players in Ki Seungyeung of Newcastle United and Lee Chungyoung, formerly of Crystal Palace. The tactical brilliance of the staff led by Eriksson and deputies Scott Cooper and Chris Greatwich allowed the Azkals to cope with the Korean assault for majority of the match. The Azkals defended deep, but they tracked runs off the ball and produced a solid defensive block that hardly allowed the Koreans to break through. On the counter, they proved dangerous with Schrock and Patrick Reichelt threatening on the right and Patino holding up the play to relieve the pressure. It took some tweaks and the introduction of Lee early in the second half for Korea to finally break down the Azkals. Lee, who played four seasons in the Premier League, praised the Azkals for their gallant stand. “Everyone thought Korea will win this game, but we saw in the first half that it was not easy,” said the midfielder. “It was a tough game for us. I’m happy to get a result, but the Philippines is good. They have a good future in this tournament.” The three-man defense anchored by Alvaro Silva put bodies on the line just to deny the Koreans opportunities, while Michael Falkesgaard produced three big saves to keep the Azkals in the match up until the late stages of the match. Patino led the line ferociously and provided the Azkals an attacking outlet when they recover the ball from deep positions, but his finishing let him down particularly in the second half when his tamed effort failed to beat Kim Seunggyu on the Korean goal when the match was still goalless. “We kept it nil nil for a long time,” said Younghusband, who came on in the 88th minute. “The longer it got, the more confidence it gave us. Every player had to work in this team. If you lose concentration or you sleep, South Korea will take advantage.” Still, it was a debut to remember for a Philippine team that struggles to get support for the sport back home. “The feeling is incredible: The whole atmosphere,” said Reichelt. “You can feel that this was all a different stage. And we showed that we belong in this stage.” “I’m happy with the performance; but I’m also sad because we could have gotten something out of it,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami. “But if somebody told us before the game that it was going to be just 1-nil, I would take it anytime against a team like South Korea which is always in the World Cup. It gives us encouragement and motivation to do better in our next games.” RELATED VIDEO Azkals team manager Dan Palami talks about PH's close loss to South Korea The Azkals manager Dan Stephen Palami feels the team is encouraged and more motivated to do well against China in the AFC Asian Cup after a strong performance in a 0-1 loss to South Korea in their Group C opener last Monday night.
It sounds like the Azkals are planning to play a different style against China "Eriksson, whose side allowed Korea to control possession 80% of the match, said he would want to see the Azkals work in that department. “I think we played one of the best (teams) in this tournament tonight, and we created chances against them, so that gives us hope for the next two games in this group that we can do something even better,” the 70-year-old Swedish tactician said. “I want to see that we dominate and keep the ball better against China. We created some good chances (against Korea Republic), and I’m sure we can do that against China as well, but we must keep the ball a little more than today.” https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/...ter-loss-azkals-confidence-went-up-says-coach
As long as they don't try and maintain possession I can see that working (so maybe having 30-40 possession). If they try and ticki-tacka I think they'll get owned.
Eriksson is very familiar with the Chinese players, their strength, weaknesses, tendencies and their style of play since he used to manage there. Hopefully he comes out with a game plan using that knowledge to our advantage.
Preview - Group C: Philippines v China PR Thursday, January 10, 2019 Abu Dhabi: Friendship will take a backseat when Marcello Lippi and Sven-Goran Eriksson lock horns in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 on Friday. It is a friendship that started in the 1980s but China PR head coach Lippi and his Philippines counterpart Eriksson are both on a mission to ensure their teams enjoy a successful AFC Asian Cup. China PR are on a better footing, coming from behind to defeat Kyrgyz Republic 2-1 on Matchday One while The Azkals were unfortunate to suffer a 1-0 defeat after a plucky display against Korea Republic. See also : Match preview Philippines v China PR AFC Asian Cup KO Friday 11 January 2019 17:30 Venue Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium Form Fixtures Previous meetings Top Scorers L Korea Republic 1 - 0 Philippines AFC Asian Cup KO Monday 7 January 2019 17:30 Venue Al Maktoum Stadium Hwang Ui-Jo W China PR 2 - 1 Kyrgyz Republic AFC Asian Cup KO Monday 7 January 2019 15:00 Venue Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium Yu Dabao Pavel Matiash Akhlidin Israilov Eriksson said Lippi was a good friend with whom he has played numerous matches against - in Italy and China PR, in a friendship that has seen many get-togethers. "I respect him and he is a good friend but tomorrow at 5.30pm, our friendship will have to take a backseat for a while. I wish him well but not for tomorrow," said Eriksson, who has been tasked by the Philippines to ensure their maiden appearance in the AFC Asian Cup Finals is one to remember. China PR will be tough opponents, especially as the last meeting between the two sides ended in an 8-1 win for the two-time AFC Asian Cup runners-up. "I hope we don't lose 8-1 this time as that would be a disaster. We won't lose 8-1 because I am sure that we will give China PR a very good fight. "The players are very excited about the match, especially after our performance against Korea Republic. This is a chance for them to prove themselves again. "This generation of players have so much promise and I am sure that in 10 years, football will enjoy more importance in the Philippines," added Eriksson. The former England manager's stint ends after the AFC Asian Cup and Eriksson said he has enjoyed his tenure. "It is a short stint but I liked the challenge. The players have been great and we have a job to do and we will do it." Having coached Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League, Eriksson has insight on the China team but the Swede said it won't be much of an advantage. "Yes, I know Chinese football and I know three of the players in the squad but in today's game, there are no secrets. Lippi will know about us and we will know about China PR." Lippi, who is also set to leave at the end of the AFC Asian Cup, said he is looking forward to facing an Eriksson-led Philippines. "We have known each other since I was with Juventus and it will be great to face another team led by him. It will be a challenge but I believe in my team and we are confident of getting the job done. "Three more points will seal our place in the knockout stage and the players are determined to improve on their performance against Kyrgyz Republic." Good news for China PR is that striker Wu Lei is likely to shrug off the injury he is nursing as Lippi urged his players to play with the intensity they showed in the second half against Kyrgyz Republic. "Philippines play a European style of football as they are very physical and strong. We have to match their style of play and I have been emphasising this to the players." http://www.the-afc.com/asiancup/news/preview-group-c-philippines-v-china-pr
Last stand-off? Sven-Goran Eriksson faces old rival Marcello Lippi in Asian Cup Both veteran managers, Philippines' Eriksson will be eager to build on superior head-to-head with China's Lippi in Group C clash in Abu Dhabi On December 12, 1992, on the 12th matchday of Italy’s Serie A season, two up-and-coming managers came head to head for the first time in their careers. Both were 44 years old, and on this particular meeting, they concocted an entertaining ebb-and-flow of a match for spectators in Genoa, the visitors, Atalanta, outscoring the hosts, Sampdoria, by the odd goal in five. The winning manager was Marcello Lippi, a former Sampdoria player, who had been appointed to take charge of Atalanta that summer. The defeated manager was the Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson, who, like Lippi, had already worked in Italy’s top division with other employers. He and Lippi were rising stars of their profession. More than quarter of a century on, they are well established in football’s Hall of Fame, and still apparently brimming with pioneer spirit. On Friday afternoon in Abu Dhabi, they will shake hands ahead of their 25th managerial confrontation, contests spread across a mosaic of matches mostly in Italy, and some in China, where they were rivals in Guangzhou for a period. They have both won major European club trophies, both managed at World Cups - twice at the same one - but this will be a first meeting at an Asian Cup. Eriksson, formerly with England, Mexico and the Ivory Coast, is now in charge of the Philippines. Lippi, who guided Italy to a World Cup victory, is at China. That makes the Italian the favourite. His China top of Group C after their win over Kyrgyzstan, while Eriksson’s tournament debutants seek a first-ever Asian Cup finals point. The Swede will not mind being the underdog to Lippi: he grew used to it over the years in Italy, where he regularly enjoyed applying his tactical nous to thwart Lippi’s teams. He did so again and again. That season of their first duel, Eriksson’s Sampdoria finished above Lippi’s Atalanta on goal difference. His Sampdoria then took six points off Lippi’s Juventus in the 1995/96 season, hampering Juventus’ defence of a league title that had burnished Lippi’s growing reputation. They shared epic jousts, like the dramatic Italian Cup semi-final of 1997/98 when Eriksson, having taken charge of a well-funded Lazio, denied Lippi’s powerful Juventus a domestic double. His side denied them again by beating them in the Italian Super Cup. By 2000, Eriksson’s Lazio had become Italian champions, and when they inflicted a 4-3 defeat on Lippi’s Inter Milan, it hastened one of the rare dismissals of Lippi’s decorated career. Note the scoreline in that game: Lippi versus Eriksson has had a habit of tight margins but also goal-heavy seesaws, even in the cagey turn-of-the-millennium Serie A. Old habits evidently die hard. The last time the two met, as veterans, Eriksson’s Guangzhou R&F lost 4-3 to the Guangzhou Evergrande Lippi had recently guided to the Asian Champions League title. Old habits of style die hard, too. Eriksson’s measured, consultative methods have been both a strength and a subject of criticism in his long career. He embarked on his first Asian Cup having come off second best in a negotiation with his highest-profile player, the goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. Etheridge explained he wanted to spend January playing with his club, Cardiff City, rather than his country; Eriksson found no means to dissuade him. Lippi, the Paul Newman lookalike, always seemed a fiercer type. China’s players have felt his steely edge. Trailing 1-0 at half time to tournament outsiders Kyrgyzstan on Monday, the manager raised his voice. “I got angry with them, and I pushed them,” Lippi reported of the dressing-room dressing-down, not the first such eruption in his two years managing China’s national team. “We have been in this sort of situation before.” But it worked. “I got the reaction I wanted.” Helped by a goalkeeping error, China recovered to win 2-1, enough to embolden Lippi to think: "We could be the surprise team of the tournament.” There are several candidates already for that role. Encouraged by much that he saw in the 1-0 loss to South Korea on Monday, Eriksson keeps faith his Philippines can at least add their name to the parade of upstart results that already pepper the tournament. And he has a personal record to maintain. In 24 meetings with Lippi, Eriksson has won 11 and been undefeated in 16. If this is their last stand-off - and it may well be - the serene Swede wants to give a lasting reminder to the icy Italian that he had his No 1 often than most. www.thenational.ae/sport/football/last-stand-off-sven-goran-eriksson-faces-old-rival-marcello-lippi-in-asian-cup-1.811886
A gathering of veteran former Italian league coaches(Eriksson, Lippi and his assistant coaches) greeting each other in Italian before the pregame press conference. Michael Falkesgaard looks a little left out here. Click the pic link 1083354948174340098 is not a valid tweet id
Never mind the three goals they conceded, they were terrible! Too desperate and were forcing the issue too often on the offensive end. It's like they were trying way too hard to make amends from the previous match and they just kept effing things up by going long and were also committing way too many silly challenges.
Well that is ok. They were expected to lose anyway to China and Korea. These games are good experiences for them against the elite teams in Asia that will stand them in good stead when WC qualifying starts. Hopefully they can win against Kyrgyztan at least. Down the road, they also have a chance of adding a couple more players who play in top tier leagues in Europe, Holtmann(Bundesliga) and Curran(Scottish Premier League) assuming they can convince them to join. And with Etheridge impressing in the Premiership, we still have a lot to look forward to.
The Philippines national team in the Asian Cup reminds me of the USA team from the 1990 World Cup. It’s the first time they qualified since 1950. The 1990 U.S. team lost all 3 games in their group but they improved in the next World Cup. I think the ultimate goal for the PNT is to qualify for the 2026 World Cup because there will be 48 teams in the tournament.
Basically what you're saying is, "they only lost by a single a goal against the most fancied team in the group therefore they should've at least tied against the second most fancied team." It's not that simple. Many different factors come into play. It could also be said that the Philippines should've lost by more against Korea. There are certain aspects of the Philippines' game against China that could've and perhaps should've been much better such as bit better ball retention and decision making. But whether improvements in those areas would be good enough to steal a point is doubtful.