No pressure to defeat LA Galaxy, says Phil Younghusband

Friday, December 2, 2011

MANILA (Updated, 4:37 p.m.) -- As someone who idolized global football icon David Beckham since he was seven years old, going up against the Los Angeles Galaxy in a friendly match is a big prize in itself.

Just ask Azkals mainstay Phil Younghusband, who spent most of his formative years in England-based club Chelsea.

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Two days before the anticipated game on Saturday, the 24-year-old striker was unable to contain his excitement against the Galaxy, who recently bagged the Major League Soccer crown.

"I don't think there's pressure for us to play against the Galaxy and it's important for us to play our game. Obviously the Galaxy is a team with a high standard of play and we’ll have a more defensive mindset and use our speed to our advantage,” Younghusband told reporters.

In Thursday night's press conference, both camps said they will try to be as diplomatic as possible in the pitch but at the same time give a tough fight for the fans at the 13,000-seater Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Despite holding an advantage going into the match, at least in terms of skills and experience, Beckham still found a reason to be wary of the Filipino booters.

Prior to their Manila visit, the Galaxy survived the gritty Indonesian selection before 20,000 spectators at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, 1-0.

"We know there are talented players here, so we expect a difficult game. We always try to play diplomatic football, but that doesn’t always happen. We want to win the game no matter if it’s a friendly,” the 36-year-old midfielder said.

Beckham's coach Bruce Arena also expressed the same eagerness to win over the Azkals as they try to make it two in a row in their Asian tour, which will end in Australia next week.

"We know that we represent the MLS and the LA Galaxy. We will be competitive, play hard and play fair," he said.

But for Azkals skipper Aly Borromeo, it does not matter who will reign supreme even as he had to sit out and just cheer for his teammates due to a knee injury.

Taking his spot for the meantime is co-captain Chieffy Caligdong, who vowed to give the Galaxy a run for their money.

"It's heartbreaking not to be on the pitch with the guys on Saturday but with the likes of Beckham and (Landon) Donovan actually coming over to the Philippines, playing in our home turf, these are the guys we looked up to while growing up," Borromeo said. (Sunnex)