Azkals told to focus on AFC buildup

MANILA, Philippines - After that ego-boosting conquest in the three-nation Philippine Football Peace Cup, team manager Dan Palami reminded the triumphant Pinoy booters to stay the course as they look forward to the bigger battles ahead.

The Azkals fashioned out a pulsating come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Pakistan Tuesday night to cop the Peace Cup title for the second straight year, boosting their confidence as they move on to the next phase of their buildup for next year’s AFC Challenge Cup.

“This is a small victory but this is a sweet victory,” said Palami.

He preferred a tempered celebration, though, considering they still have their work cut out as they aspire to rule the Maldives Challenge Cup and qualify for the prestigious AFC Asian Cup in 2015.

“We should not lose sight of the bigger picture which is the Challenge Cup,” he said.

Coach Michael Weiss readily shared Palami’s view.

“It’s a good win but we still have problems with fitness of players, creativity and keeping the ball,” said Weiss.

“We want to win that championship and to go there and to do that will take more than just a win in the Peace Cup as it will take a lot of effort from the stakeholders of the sport,” said Palami.

The players are well aware of this.

“We have to be much better in the Maldives,” said Fil-German Stephan Schrock, who dazzled the crowd with what Azkals co-captain Rob Gier described as a “world-class performance.”

Pushed to wall in the match against Pakistan, the Azkals displayed the resilience and never-say-die spirit that have earned them the admiration of fans. Not losing heart after going down, 0-1 deficit, Phl XI clawed its way back in and got the needed two-goal margin to snare the Peace Cup crown.

“We showed heart,” said Schrock, who capped a memorable effort with a title-clinching goal in the 88th minute. “We worked together as a group and I think that’s the most important thing.”

“To go down, 0-1, in a game we had to win and come back the way we did shows the character of the team,” offered Gier. “We always fight for each other and obviously Schrocky (Schrock) was world-class tonight (Tuesday night).”

The Azkals got off to a bad start in the 2013 Peace Cup, yielding a 1-2 loss to Chinese Taipei before a stunned crowd at Panaad. But they received a lifeline when Pakistan beat the Taiwanese, 1-0, and pounced on the opportunity when they met the Pakistanis on final day.

“I think this was an important win on a different kind of level,” said Gier.

“I told the guys that we didn’t want to come in this football-crazy city and not put on a performance. It was important for our own confidence. I think the guys responded to that very well,” he added.