Dogfight! Fight mars match as Azkals yield to Laos

MANILA, Philippines - Laos sent the Philippine Azkals reeling with a 2-1 victory in an international friendly match that turned ugly with two fights Monday night at the National Stadium in Vientiane.

Playing with speed and technical skill that belied their low 193rd ranking, the Laotians scored a pair of penalty kicks in a tumultuous second half to get the upperhand and eventually prevail over the 150th-ranked Azkals, who had come into the game in high spirits following an earlier victory over Singapore.

The match’s ruggedness and intensity resulted in a melee in the 62nd and 65th minutes, which left both sides with only 10 men on following the red card slapped on Misagh Bahadoran and a Laotian player.

“Thank you and congratulations to our hosts for being the better team tonight,” Azkals team manager Dan Palami said after the game, which gave the Azkals a 1-1-1 slate in their three-nation ASEAN tour after a scoreless draw with Cambodia and 2-0 drubbing of Singapore.

Unlike in the Singapore fixture three days before, the Azkals were virtually toothless and weary against Thim Xad. The Pinoys launched 13 shots overall and were on-target in only two occasions, as opposed to the three on goal in 10 attempts by the Laotians.

Thim Xad drew first blood when Visay Phaphouvanin, Laos’ ace scorer, won a penalty in the 52nd off Rob Gier’s tackle, which Kanya Kounvongsa gamely converted against Neil Etheridge.

Twenty-five minutes later, Visay drew a foul from a sprinting Etheridge, took the penalty himself and slotted the ball to the right corner for a 2-0 lead.

The Azkals unleashed a searing attack in an attempt for late goals, but only Gier managed to get off a shot that hit the mark in stoppage time. Finding the ball in his area off Jason Sabio’s long throw, Gier knocked it in for his first international goal, giving the Azkals some consolation.

“It was a heated, physical, and highly competitive game that we wanted to win badly, but these do not excuse some of our players for losing their temper and composure, despite any provocation. We truly regret and apologize for this incident,” said Palami.

“We believe that football remains a valuable tool to promote peace and bridge differences, especially when the games are played in the true spirit of fairness and professionalism.”

In the 62nd, Bahadoran tangled with a Laotian player off the ball and got punched in the face, losing half a tooth in an incident that triggered pushing and shouting. However, the referee didn’t see it and just issued a yellow supposedly for dissent.

Three minutes later, Stephan Schröck and Sabio sandwiched Keoviengphet Liththideth, who reacted badly to a tackle, sparking a near free-for-all. Bahadoran and a Laotian player were sent off in the aftermath.