Philippine Azkals vs Uzbekistan: World Cup Qualifying Preview, Live Stream & Where To Watch
Philippines and Uzbekistan will resume their campaign in the qualifying tournament for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Azkals, the popular team name of the Philippines' national soccer squad, will host Uzbekistan on Tuesday at Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.
While they are expected to play in front of a loud Filipino crowd inside one of the biggest stadiums in the country, Uzbekistan are still favored to win against the Azkals on Tuesday.
Uzbekistan are currently ranked No. 71 in the world, while Philippines are ranked No. 129. The Uzbeks started the World Cup qualifying with a humbling 4-2 loss to North Korea in June, but they bounced back with a 1-0 win against Yemen on Thursday.
Uzbekistan coach Samvel Babayan is wary of the Azkals because any player can contribute, but he believes stopping veteran striker and Philippine team captain Phil Younghusband will be the key to victory on Tuesday.
"I think the Philippines national team has a very good team," Babayan said via CNN Philippines. "But I will underline the team captain, if we could neutralize him then we could build our game."
However, Younghusband is not convinced that Uzbekistan will focus on neutralizing him in their upcoming match. He said that he is sure Babayan knows how dangerous his teammates are based on their recent games.
Younghusband also pointed out that they have high morale heading into the match after their success in their first two qualifying matches. They scored an impressive 2-1 win against heavily-favored Bahrain on June 11, which was followed by a 2-0 victory against Yemen on June 16.
The Azkals also posted a 2-0 victory against Maldives in an international soccer friendly match in the Philippines on Thursday.
Philippine national team coach Thomas Dooley, who previous played in the World Cup for United States, also likes their chances heading into the match. He said that the pressure is on Uzbekistan because of the huge gap in ranking.
"If you play against a team like Uzbekistan which is 50 places ahead of us, we have nothing to lose," Dooley told Philippine Daily Inquirer. "If we're going to lose against Uzbekistan, it's normal. If we win, it's not a miracle, but it's hard work from us and we deserve it."
Schedule and Live Stream
The Philippines vs. Uzbekistan 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match will kick off at 8 a.m. ET. Live stream information and broadcast schedule are available on this link.
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