WHEN the Philippines was drawn alongside South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan in May 2018, any fan who knows his football knew the first-timers had little chance of making it out of the 2019 Asian Cup group stage.
On paper, South Korea and China are too strong and Kyrgyzstan is ranked significantly higher than our Azkals. Having been drawn into Group C, one of the toughest groups in the tournament, if not the toughest, meant the Philippines’ chances of advancing to the knockout stage were slim.
And yet the format that allowed the four best third placed teams to advance to the Round of 16 gave Azkals fans hope. So even after two straight losses against Korea and China, hopes were high that a solid win over Kyrgyzstan would give us yet another historic ticket to the next round.
It wasn’t meant to be. Last Wednesday night, Jan. 16, we saw the Azkals dream crumble following three unanswered goals, no thanks to a hat trick from lone striker Vitalij Lux.
As a fan, part of me, the logical one, knew beforehand that the team wouldn’t go far. And yet the believer in me would remind me that this is football: the ball is round and anything can happen with luck on our side.
While the skeptic sulked after the second goal, the believer, beer in hand, gathered himself and cheered the team on along with fellow believers in a packed sports bar in Mabolo, Cebu.
And for a number of spells, the Azkals, as if propelled by some mysterious force, fought back to create chances that sent us fans into a frenzy.
It was a joy to watch, and for a moment there, an Azkals goal would seem to turn the game around. Unfortunately for us, Lux and his squad had other plans, and the dagger to the heart of the Azkals campaign was buried in the 77th minute.
And yet while all seemed hopeless, Stephan Schrock scored from the unlikeliest places in the 80th minute. As the minutes died, the cheers in the sports bar grew louder each time the Azkals came closer to scoring.
Patrick Reichelt came closest but the opposing goalie was up to task. As all games must end, so did the Azkals’ Asian Cup campaign. And so I asked: what the hell just happened?
I scanned Facebook for expert analysis, but all this was pointless now. The only thing that made sense was that the Azkals participated in the tournament not as equals but as clear underdogs befitting their name. Not even the genius of Sven-Goran Eriksson could fix that.
Our opponents were just faster, had better conditioning and presence of mind, and were more cohesive as a unit. Sure our opponents made mistakes, but the Azkals coulnd’t capitalize on these errors. In contrast, each Azkals mistake was costly.
And yet for all these shortcomings, the Azkals’ performance was not something to be ashamed of. Truth is the Philippines’ performance in the Asian Cup can only bode well for our chances in future tournaments. There’s much to improve but the good news is, it can be done.