Just Four Things: Kyrgyzstan Vs. Philippines
Credit- AFC Asian Cup Twitter
Attacking De-Lux
Given the line-up that Kyrgyzstan played against South Korea on the 2nd matchday, there would still be questions about head coach Aleksandr Krestinin’s decision on why Vitalij Lux didn’t start against the Tageuk Warriors after today. A bright man-of-the-match display for Lux, who plays for German 4th division side side, SSV Ulm. He was all over the Philippines box, lurking to strike when the ball comes into the box.
The Azkals defensive line has failed to keep the forward quiet. He was a menace in their final third. He drew first blood when he converted Akhlidin’s Israilov’s low cross first time into the near top corner. His second goal was even better. He turned his body and took the shot first time on the left and smashed it into the top corner. Philippines keeper Michael Falkesgaard stood no chance saving either of them.
His treble was then completed on 77 minutes when Mirlan Murzaev’s low strike hit the post and Lux pounced on the rebound to score past a recovering Falkesgaard. After this match, Krestinin will probably think twice on benching him.
No Formation Change?
It was a must-win game for Sven Goran Eriksson and his Azkals. But Eriksson stuck to his guns and deployed the 5-4-1 system that he played against the heavies South Korea and China. Against them, it’s understandable why they played in that formation. But with a 3rd-place finish on the line that could’ve guide them through to the next round, it’s kind of surprising that they used a defensive approach.
As a result, it invited Kyrgyzstan to attack and kept Philippines at bay in large parts of the match. They had 18 attempts at goal compared to Philippines nine. It was only until late in the match The Azkals have been attacking, but by then it was too late. The introduction of the Younghusband brothers, Phil & James, midway in the second half yielded some impact. It resulted in the Azkals finally having a good amount of possession and attacks at 2-0 down. But Kyrgyzstan still got a third in the end. It could’ve been different if Eriksson used a different formation from the start.
Systematic Pressure
Even if Philippines do have the ball, they would have some problems stringing up a proper attack. Not only they can’t find a clear path to find their teammates, but Kyrgyzstan made life difficult for them. With their 3-5-2 system transitioned to a 5-3-2, the defense will keep a steady line to give Javier Patino a hard time getting service.
With the defence in charge of keeping shape, it was the midfielders and strikers that would pressure the player in possession with the ball. It disrupted their composure and their passes went wayward. This was the same system that they attempted to stop or at least frustrate South Korea, who actually should’ve scored more. The defensive shape seemed to have been somewhat loosened late in the match. Although by then, the job is done.
What Now For Philippines Football?
Sven Goran Eriksson was appointed on a short-term basis. While he guided The Azkals to another semi-final appearance in the Suzuki Cup, he got his approach all wrong here at the most crucial match after two extremely difficult tasks against South Korea & China. But the fact that they went toe-to-toe with Asia’s best is something worth memorable.
They qualified for Asia’s top football competition and for their momentum in international football to stop here would be a huge waste to their hard work to get here. After all, football is not the most popular sport in Philippines. Plenty of work is needed to elevate them further. Even their top league only has six teams and it’s a shame it’s in that state since their clubs have been performing well in the AFC Cup. They can start with the national youth teams who endured contrasting fortunes with the senior team. Granted, naturalization is a huge factor on why the latter has been far more successful. Question is though: Is there anyone in Philippines with a vision to build the football scene there?