Pinoy Soccer - Coach Fegidero opts for height

Coach Fegidero opts for height

Thursday, 15 May 2008

By Jack Biantan

ILOILO CITY - RP national football coach Norman Fegidero will try to lessen his team's disadvantage in experience when he fields a taller and bigger squad against Tajikistan in today's knockout match of the Asian Challenge Cup Group B competition at the Iloilo Sports Complex.

Game time is at 3:30 p.m. two hours to go from now while Brunei and Bhutan are battling it out for prestige at the same time at the Barotac Nuevo field some 30 km away from city proper.

"This will be a fighting team. Taller, bigger and more defensive compared to the smaller side which defeated Brunei,'' coach Norman said before when he presented the list.

Coach Norman added that they will play counter attack football and they will try not to play the Tajiks' game which is organize and slow moving ground ball attacking football.

Taken out from the last game's lineup is right winger Arnie Pasinabo. He is replaced by the bigger and more defensive player James Younghusband.

Younghusband replaced Pasinabo in the late second half in their match against Brunei. James had a couple of decent crosses against Brunei in spite of playing very late in the second half.

He was complaining of a tight hamstring last night but he has promised to be fit for action today and will provide the right crosses for his younger brother Phil and Chad Gould.

Also starting in the middle is Phil Greatwich who will replace Canedo. He team up with his younger brother Chris, who played like a house on fire when he controlled the midfield against Brunei in spite of coming to the Philippines only last Sunday.

The frontline will still be manned by Chad Gould and Phil Younghusband. Phil is expected to lead the attack while Gould will support him.

First game's scorer and team captain Chieffy Caligdong and his left foot is still a main threat at the left side for the Azkals. He much needed crosses are still remains as a main weapon for the Azkals to provide scoring chances for Chad and Phil at the center.

The back four will be practically the same. The Anton Del Rosario at right, Jason Cordova and Ali Borromeo at the center and Joebel Bermejo at the left.

But of course the main man in their defense is still the ever reliable Neil Etheridge. With his big hands and quick reflexes Neil will be tested by the more experienced Tajikistan forwards. JB

Comments (7) >>

george said:

GOOD DECISION COACH NORMAN. YOU MADE AZKALS GREAT!!

May 15, 2008

yoyo francesca said:

that was a weird game. they didn't lack the "fire", nope. the Tajiks were game on infuriating the AZKALS, so a red card and 4(?) yellow cards were given. on and off the field, hala, confrontations. pointing fingers and shouting who-knows-what. we have pictures of the incident after the first half. its no big deal but the support from the crowd was, i mean no offense, hilarious but called-for.

Neil was brilliant! sure his hair was fiery red, but he was worth the cheers and applause. (and occasional shrieks).

it was a good game. i think.

May 15, 2008

locotes said:

Thats a nice article again mr.jack. I assume your in iloilo. How about a VIDEO interview of the azkals and maybe post it on the site for our video archives? That would give the people a track of our national team.right?

Im sure you already tot of this.

May 15, 2008

mary joy said:

chieffy and the rest of the team did great last may 13 game....
but unluckly the game was held in ilo-ilo...
i wish we bacoleñas and bacoleños was able to witneess the game...huhuhu

May 15, 2008 | url

footballer said:

i like the line-up. big and taller is better.

May 15, 2008

Alex Ryan said:

So it's going to be:

Etheridge
Del Rosario - Cordova - Borromeo - Bermejo
J. Younghusband - C. Greatwich - P. Greatwich - Caligdong
Gould - Younghusband

So will Phil Greatwich be playing box-to-box linking up the middle or will he be further back in a more defensive midfielder position?

May 15, 2008

mirak said:

go azkals!

May 15, 2008

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