Young Azkals get PH SEA Games campaign going with rout of Timor Leste
The Philippines opened the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA) on the right foot, displaying a fearsome strike in their 4-0 loss to Timor Leste in men’s football on Friday at the stadium. Viet Tri Cave, Phu Tho, Vietnam.
Things will only get more difficult from here on for U23 Azkals, who are placed in the same group as defending champion Vietnam, 2019 runners-up Indonesia and Myanmar.
“We slept, we ate, and we kept going,” said captain Stephan Schrock, one of only two veterans allowed to participate in SEA Games football.
The Philippines face Vietnam on Sunday and will enter that match with at least some momentum after Christian Rontini, Dennis Chung, Jovin Bedic and Oskari Kekkonen scored goals to give coach Norman Fegidero his first win. at this year’s event.
Rontini made Schrock’s pass and headed home in the 11th minute, before the Philippines players used a powerful second half to end Timorese’s hopes.
“It’s always going to be tough going into the league because we don’t know exactly where we stand as a team, but everyone showed a lot of commitment and discipline,” Schrock said. “The boys did a great job.”
The Filipinos have a day off before meeting Vietnam on Sunday in a match that could determine their chances of progressing to the semi-finals.
Chung scored after 56 minutes thanks to another Schrock strike before Bedic made it 3-0 in 78 minutes. Kekkonen scored after nine minutes.
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