THE Philippine Azkals take on powerhouse North Korea on Thursday night at the King II-Sung Stadium in Pyongyang, with a modest target of one goal or a draw in the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa) World Cup Qualifiers.
“North Korea is a very strong team, so hopefully we’ll go for one goal or a draw,” Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President Mariano Araneta told the BusinessMirror.
But for PFF Technical Director Aris Caslib, the Azkals will go through the grinder against North Korea, which has a World Cup experience.
“First we’re playing an away match. Second in North Korea, when they support any national team, they get the entire nation watching. And third, which is our perennial concern, is the build-up of the team before the match, because we get to receive our players three or four days before the competition,” Caslib said.
North Korea leads Group H of the qualifiers for the Russia World Cup with three victories, trouncing Uzbekistan (4-2) at home, Bahrain (1-0) in Manama and an easy win in a forfeited match against Yemen (0-3), which fielded an ineligible player.
Caslib, however, believed that the Filipinos have a chance to pull off a draw.
“A draw is achievable but we just have to address the match in the same way Uzbekistan scored against us and the way North Korea plays. When we watch North Korea play against top-flight teams, they play direct ball and that’s how Uzbekistan scored a lot of goals against us,” he said.
Philippines came from a heart-pounding setback at home against Uzbekistan, 1-5, after two straight victories over Bahrain (2-1) and Yemen (2-0). The Azkals are third in the group with a 2-1 won-lost record for six points.
The Azkals are already in Pyongyang after a grueling journey via Bangkok and Beijing.