Editor’s note: This post was written by Ryan Fenix, a football addict who runs the blog The Prawn Sandwich Brigade.

News reports coming in from Myanmar, thanks to Craig Burrows of PinoyFootball.com, suggest that the Azkals will employ the 4-2-3-1 formation later tonight in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers against Myanmar. This is a more defensive variation of the 4-5-1 midfield formation.

Continue reading "Azkals strategy: The 4-2-3-1 formation"

Editor’s note: This post was written by Ryan Fenix, a football addict who runs the blog The Prawn Sandwich Brigade.

In the end, we lost the battle, but we won the war. But not before we had some unnecessarily tense moments out there.

Did the weather play a major factor in the Azkals loss to Mongolia in the second leg of its AFC Challenge Cup playoff in Ulan Bator? Absolutely.

Continue reading "Football Analysis: The Azkals take a step back against Mongolia in Ulan Bator"

Editor’s note: Ryan Fenix continues his analysis of the Azkals with a look at the new offensive strategy installed by Coach Hans Weiss, and the role of each player in the new attack. Photos courtesy of S. Kieron Tan of SKT Digital Productions. Check out the first part if you missed it.

The 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup will always be memorable to Philippine football. The sport which had been forgotten in the country was catapulted to the front pages locally and internationally. There was newfound respect for the rag-tag Azkals, ensuring that opposing coaches and players would no longer look at the Philippine national football team with mock contempt in future competitions. Football won’t be the same again in these shores.

But arguably the greater legacy of our Cinderella run in the Cup is the stability it allowed the Philippine Football Federation to pursue its programs and grassroots level development. This is due in large part to the funding pledged by the private sector in light of the Azkals success.

Continue reading "More football strategy talk: A deeper look at the Azkal’s exciting new offensive attack"

Editor’s note: This post was written by Ryan Fenix, a football addict who watched the Azkals game versus Mongolia in a hospital room shortly after his wife had given birth. He runs the football blog The Prawn Sandwich Brigade.

We should have won by a more comfortable margin against Mongolia in the first leg of our AFC Challenge Cup playoff at Panaad Stadium. I believe Azkals fans, basketball fans, boxing fans, and most neutral observers can agree on this.

It certainly would have helped our chances if we had a few more goals tucked under our belt, because the prospects of our boys playing in sub-zero temperature looms in the second leg of the tie, which will be held at the Mongolian capital of Ulaan Baatar.

Continue reading "Azkals strategy talk: Breaking down the tough defense of Mongolia’s Blue Wolves"