Top-caliber overseas booters beef up Azkals

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals will bring in the big guns for their ambitious title drive in the coming Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup slated May 20-30 in Maldives.

After five months of trying out both local and overseas-based players, Azkals coach Thomas Dooley chose the final 23 men who will suit up for the Challenge Cup with eight stalwarts from Europe called up to provide muscle.

Fil-German Stephan Schrock of Eintracht Frankfurt and Fil-British Neil Etheridge of Fulham banner the reinforcements from Europe, along with captain Fil-British Rob Gier (Ascot United), Fil-Danish Dennis Cagara (Lyngby) and Jerry Lucena (Esbjerg fB), Fil-German Roland Muller (Servette FC), Fil-Swiss Martin Steuble (FC Wil) and Fil-Dutch Paul Mulders (SC Cambuur).

They will join forces with stalwarts from the United Football League led by Phil Younghusband, the Golden Boot winner of the 2012 Challenge Cup, and his brother James of the Loyola Meralco Sparks, and veterans Juani Guirado, Patrick Reichelt and Carlie de Murga of Ceres, and Chris Greatwich and Anton del Rosario of Kaya.

Rounding out the cast are Jason de Jong, Misagh Bahadoran and newbie Daisuke Sato of Global FC, OJ Porteria of Kaya, Patrick Deyto of Green Archers United, Balot Doctora and Simone Rota of Stallion, and Nate Nurkey of Pachanga Diliman.

Missing is Fil-Spanish forward Javier Patiño, who apparently wasn’t released by his club Buriram in the Thai league, as well as seasoned winger Chieffy Caligdong of Green Archers, who is coming off injury.

Most of the players in the final 23 are currently training in Bahrain and are set to fly to Maldives on May 16. Players from Ceres will follow the team after their stint in the AFC President’s Cup in Bacood City.

“Our Challenge Cup preparations are in place. We are almost there,” said Dooley, the former US captain and World Cup veteran who has been tasked to lead the Azkals to the Challenge Cup crown and its corresponding berth in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Sydney.