Hawalli, Kuwait— Powerhouse Kuwait showed the Philippine Azkals they have ground to make up if they want to compete against Asia’s best.
But for a few fleeting moments Saturday night, the Azkals looked the dangerous, potent side they have been hyped about.
In the end, though, experience and pedigree prevailed over potential as the hard-luck Azkals absorbed a 0-3 setback to the Al-Azraq in the first leg of their second round World Cup Qualifying duel at the Mohammed Al-Hammad Stadium here.
In an away game that looked more like the home match because Filipino OFWs outnumbered the home fans in the stadium, the Azkals proved unlucky not to score twice early, before the Al-Azraq broke through and then systematically tore apart the Filipinos’ defense to add two more goals in the second half they completely dominated.
Phil Younghusband drew two classy saves from the Kuwaiti keeper and hit the crossbar, while Angel Guirado was also denied by the crossbar in the first half and coach Michael Weiss believes that those chances that came when the game wasn’t lost could have completely altered the result.
“We had a great fight here in Kuwait,” Weiss said. “The first half was one of our best performances. If we scored there we never know how the match would have turned. Kuwait is a strong team and they classically played us out in the second half. I just wish we wouldn’t have conceded a third goal.”
The second leg is slated Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila with the Azkals, who had to endure playing at 40 degrees celsius here, needing to win by four goals or more to make the third round for the first time. A 3-0 win for the Azkals will only send the game into extra time.
“It’s quite disappointing because i knew we could have held them a 2-0 now with a 3-0 result it has become tougher task in Manila,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami. “But knowing that we have played against a team that has just beaten Saudi Arabia and Iraq and has just been crowned gulf champion should be something to be proud of as an emerging football country.”
Yousef Naser opened the scoring in the first half, before goals from Mesad Nasa and Fahed El-Ibrahim sealed the victory for the Kuwaitis, who are now well-positioned to reach the third round following the comprehensive win. /Inquirer