The men’s national football team has reassured fans of better performance against Sri Lanka in the World Cup Qualifiers on June 29 and July 3 after losing to the United Football League select team Sunday.
“Even if it was just an exhibition match, we can only learn from the loss and look to get better," Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo said in a tweet Monday.
Co-captain Chieffy Caligdong also said on Twitter, “To all AZKALS supporters, it was just a friendly game. In life, we may experience failures, and disappointments but it makes us stronger."
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was quick to move on. “Can't dwell on the past now," he said in his tweet.
It was the Azkals’ first time to compete with most of their half-Filipino members in play since their series win against Mongolia in February and March. They had an exhibition match in Iloilo last May 24, but without some of their key players.
But Coach Hans Michael Weiss’ quick assessment after the friendly with the UFL selection was different from how his troops felt the day after. “We lost a match that we shouldn’t have lost," Weiss told reporters.
But the mentor also had other thoughts. He said he saw potential national team members among the UFL players.
Some fans vented their disappointment by posting comments via Facebook. Mark Cristino said, “Defense was awful yesterday." Dominic Ramos echoed that view saying, “Maluwag ang depensa ng Azkals."
But Malou Lladone saw last Sunday’s game differently and recalled how the Azkals did in another friendly in Japan weeks ago. “’Di naman nanalo ang Azkals doon sa friendly match na iyon. Pero bakit pasok ang Azkals sa WC qualifiers? Kaya ‘yong game nila kahapon kasama sa training. Kaya kung natalo man sila pag-aaralan nila kung saan sila mahina," Lladone said. -- Earl Victor Rosero/OMG, GMA News
