Reinforced Azkals bark, ready to bite

BANGKOK – With reinforcement coming in from all corners of the globe, there’s no reason for the Azkals to fail in the group stage of the AFC Challenge Cup in Myanmar.

Besides, the weather is fair in Rangoon, the site of the Azkals’ coming matches, because it’s very much like in the Philippines, ranging in the 20s to the high 30s.

It can’t get too hot or too cold in Rangoon..

The Azkals will play Myanmar today, then Palestine on Wednesday and Bangladesh on Friday, hoping to win at least two of them to qualify for the elite eight next year.

Just last week, the Azkals were in Mongolia, where the freezing temperature, in the minus-20s, told heavily on the team as it took a humbling 2-1 loss to the hosts.

It was actually the third loss in the last four matches for the Azkals, counting their twin 1-0 defeats to Indonesia in the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals last December.

The Azkals, the newest toast of Philippine sports, beat the same Mongolian team, 2-0, in Bacolod last Feb. 9, a margin enough to carry them to the group stage.

The Azkals fought Myanmar to a scoreless draw last December at the close of the Suzuki Cup group stage in Vietnam. But it will be entirely different this time.

That’s the reason why the Azkals called on the reinforcement. It was more like a stress call.

Neil Etheridge, the 6-foot-3, 21-year-old goalkeeper from Fulham, was scheduled to arrive in Rangoon yesterday to lend his big, reliable hands to the team.

Etheridge did not see action in Mongolia, and the Azkals fielded Eduard Sacapano as their goalie.

Also coming in to help the team, and make up for the absence of the injured Phil Younghusband, are Rob Gier from Britain, Patrick Hinrichsen from Germany and Jerry Lucena from Denmark.

Then there’s Fil-Spanish Angel Aldeguer Guirado, a striker who will bring with him his experience playing for Cordoba and Estepona in Division II and Deportivo Ronda of Division III in the Spanish league.

Also pitching in this time are Yannick Tuason, William Espinosa, David Basa and Ricardo Becite, each one of them hoping that their presence will serve the Azkals in good stead.

“I think this is our strongest team possible,” said team manager Dan Palami, despite the absence of Phil, out with a hamstring injury.

Yes, on paper, it should be the strongest one.