Philippines-Azkals will stick to own brand of play vs Indonesia

The Philippine football team is likely to use its tried and tested formula in winning when it faces Indonesia in their upcoming semifinal games next week.

Siblings James and Phil Younghusband, both members of the Azkals football squad, said it’s their own brand of play that brought them to the semifinals of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup.

“I think we're gonna stick to what we've been doing, 'cause that's what's gonna carry us through the end,” James told dzMM’s Sportstalk on Saturday.

The Azkals’ defensive style is heavily based on defense, which has frustrated opposing teams in the Suzuki Cup.

The Filipino booters drew with the fancied Singapore team, 1-all, before stunning Suzuki Cup defending champion Vietnam, 2-0.

They earned a seat in the tournament semifinals by drawing with Myanmar, 0-0.

“The way we played gets results, whether we may have wanted to attack the whole game. It's very frustrating sometimes but if it gets results, it gets results,” said Phil.

They will be facing the Indonesians twice in the Final 4, with one of their semifinal games taking place at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

The other semifinal match could take place at the same venue or, if the AFF approves, it could be staged at the My Dihn Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam.

After Vietnam lost its game to the Philippines, Vietnamese national football coach Henrique Calisto criticized the Askal’s defensive tactics, which he described as “poor.”

"If they think they can win the championship based on that, then poor football. If the Philippines think they can win playing that way then my dear, poor, poor football in this region," he said.

"Football is not this, football is not putting eight players in front of the area with no offensive system," he claimed. "They were fighting and I respect the players but if you think this is football then you are wrong." 

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