Draw boosts Azkals spirits

MANILA, Philippines - Motivated by their gutsy showing against favorites Thailand in a 0-0 draw at home, a confident Philippine Azkals side looks forward to finally upending the highly fancied War Elephants when the second leg of their AFF Suzuki Cup 2014 semifinal showdown is played Wednesday in Bangkok.

“Now that we know how they play and now that we have tested their mettle, I think we can actually pull off a win,” Azkals team manager Dan Palami said after Saturday’s scoreless tie at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

“Before, it (beating Thailand) was not impossible but improbable, but now, we’ve gone from improbable to possible so that’s a good thing for me,” he added.

Not given much chance against the powerhouse Thais, the Azkals bucked the odds and held their own against the War Elephants, even creating scoring chances that just didn’t go in.

“We had more chances (to score) and had our share of possession; considering it was against Thailand, the best team in the final group stages, I think we acquitted ourselves well,” said Palami.

“Maybe not the best result but it’s a good result going to the second leg,” he added.

By denying the Thais with an “away goal,” the Azkals would only need at least a scoring draw in Wednesday’s outing at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium to advance to the finals for the first time.

Under tournament rules for a home-and-away series, the aggregate scores of the opposing teams will determine the winner. But if they end up tied after the two matches, the “away goal or goal scored in the opponent’s field” will come into play and the one with most “away goals” will prevail. However, a Thailand victory in Bangkok will dash the Filipinos’ hopes for a title crack.

“They’ve thought that they’re going to walk all over us but we’ve proven they’re in a game now. You know the game in Bangkok is a huge game and they now know they have to bring their A-game if they were to beat us,” said Azkals skipper Rob Gier.

 “If we can withstand the presence of (Thai) fans and we play as aggressive, as strong like we played at home, I think we might just get that goal finally and maybe proceed to the finals,” said Palami.