FILE – Philippine Azkals midfielder Stephan Schrock at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup on January 16, 2019. (AFP PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines–Stephan Schrock is set to play his final international match on Tuesday as the Philippines Azkals wrap up the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup campaign against Indonesia at the Stadium Rizal Memorial.
Schrock made the announcement during his pre-match press conference the night before the game that he would act as a no-show for the Azkals. after missing a semi-final stop after losing 2/3 in the group stage.
“As you know in football, nothing is certain, but 99% of the time, this will be my last game for the national team,” Schrock said.
The 36-year-old is expected to make his 57th appearance for the Philippines in the past 11 years.
Schrock made his Azkals debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka in the first round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
His first international goal came in the second round of said qualifiers when he netted a strike late in the first half of the match. Azkals’ second leg against Kuwait in front of a large crowd at the Rizal Memorial.
He also scored the Azkals’ only goal in the country’s first time at the AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates against Kyrgyzstan in the final match of the group stage.
Schrock also appeared in 2019 and the 2021 Southeast Asian Games postponed due to the pandemic as an overage player.
But Schrock’s national team career also saw contention with former coach Thomas Dooley during his tenure from 2014 to 2018 and briefly in 2022 when the midfielder was excluded from the squad for the Asian Cup Qualifiers.
“That was quite emotional for me,” he continued. “Not many people know what I have to sacrifice, how many European contracts to play for the national team. [and] How many moments I missed with my family so I made a lot of sacrifices.
“There will be times when you want to have it in your own hands. And since I was selected in the AFC qualifiers, I thought it was a good time to step down and enjoy the last 90 minutes of my career in the Azkals.”
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