Ready to growl

They are like animals to be honest. They work very hard and they are not in easy conditions.

STEFAN Schrock and the Philippines shoot for their first win against Myanmar. yummie dingding @tribunephl_yumi

The Philippine men’s football team tries to come up with a stronger, louder roar as it shoots for its first victory when it clashes with Myanmar in their Group A preliminary battle in the men’s football match of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games today at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Both teams are coming off a 1-1 draws last Monday and a win by the Young Azkals in their 4 p.m. encounter will put them on top of their group.

In the second Group A match, Timor-Leste debuts in the competition as it battles Cambodia at 8 p.m.

Dennis Chung delivered the late game-tying goal for the Phl XI in extra time to salvage a point with Cambodia.

Azkals captain Stephan Schrock said last Monday’s draw against Cambodia made them hungrier for their next match.

“Facing the next opponents will make them unleash more of their game,” said Schrock, who volunteered to join the Under-22 laden roster in the biennial tournament.

“They are like animals to be honest. They work very hard and they are not in easy conditions.”

The Young Azkals were about to absorb their opening game loss to Cambodia, which took a 1-0 lead at halftime when striker Keo Sokpheng found the back of the net in the 41st minute.

And entering the last minute of stoppage time, head coach Goran Milojevic found an unlikely hero in 18-year old Chung, who hit the equalizer to share the spoils with the visiting nation.

“I am speechless because this is absolutely amazing,” said Chung, whose mother hails from Camiguin, in being the savior of the embattled Nationals in the crunch in his SEA Games debut.

But Milojevic, speaking through an interpreter, was more low-key about his player’s goal, quipping: “He (Chung) is a forward so he is supposed to score goals.”

“While I believe my boys were the better team, the Cambodians played extremely well,” added Milojevic at the post-match conference. “But they never gave up so I am proud how they recovered in the second half. Overall it was a good game for us.”

The home team’s mentor also cited both Schrock and veteran defender Amani Aguinaldo in keeping their teammates together in fashioning the come-from-behind draw.

“Without both of them, the outcome would have been quite different.”

“We played well but we have to do better against Myanmar,” stressed Aguinaldo as the squad takes a one-day break before tackling the dangerous Burmese today, Wednesday.

“We just decided to change some plans, to put more pressure on their (Cambodians) end,” Milosevic said.

The team will once again rely on the genius and leadership of the veteran Schrock and Aguinaldo’s physicality on defense. Also expected to perform well from the young squad are Chima Uzoka, Yrick Gallantes and Dylan de Bruycker.

“All in all, we have to make adjustments and it’s not so easy as it looks from the outside,” the Azkals mentor added.

In the other Group A match, Malaysia and Myanmar also battled to a 1-all standoff while Vietnam got off to a sizzling start in Group B in swamping Brunei, 6-0 at the Binan Football Stadium in Binan, Laguna.

The Malditas were playing Myanmar as of press time also at the Laguna venue at the start of the women’s football competition.