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The Philipines coach says his squad will give “110 percent” when playing Indonesia at their ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup match at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium on Thursday.
“We will go out and we will pay our opponent the greatest respect - and try to make it very, very difficult for them to penetrate,” coach Simon McMenemy said on Wednesday.
In what McMenemy said would be the biggest matches in Filipino soccer history, favorite Indonesia will square off against the Philippines on Thursday and Sunday for a slot in the AFF Cup final.
He said the Philippines team was on the rise thanks to improvement behind the scenes and the country’s massive growing interest in football.
The Filipinos would play to the maximum of their abilities no matter what the score, McMenemy said.
“We don’t actually set out on the field to win games. We set out to perform as best as we can. We try to bring everything we have to the field,” he said.
“That passion, that spirit has provided results for us. We will do exactly the same tomorrow. We are hoping our hard work, our passion and spirit will shine until the end.”
Not many Filipino players have ever seen 80,000 people in a stadium, McMenemy said, adding that he hoped his squad would stay focused and keep its composure just as when they beat Vietnam on their opponents’ home turf.
The Indonesian squad also has high hopes of reaching the final.
“We had tactical training sessions this morning to anticipate the weakness and strengths of the Philippines team. We are optimistic that we can advance to the final,” Indonesian assistant coach Wolfgang Pikal said.
Despite Pikal’s enthusiasm, two key Indonesian players suffered medical problems on Wednesday.
Indonesian team captain Firman Utina felt a pain in his leg while striker and playmaker Christian Gonzalez had a problem with his left ankle, as reported by tribunnews.com. They were under treatment and expected to play on Thursday.
Pikal said the Filipino squad was a strong team whose potential may have been overestimated.
“They’ve scored only one goal in the competition and they haven’t lost a match. They are not the Philippines team that many think they are. We have studied their strengths and weaknesses and hopefully our players can anticipate them.”
He added the team was worried about the high expectations of Indonesian fans. “We’re lucky that we’re playing twice on our home turf. Hopefully, our players can concentrate for 90 minutes and we will get good results from the two matches.”
JAKARTAPOST
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