Azkals-HK Postgame Thoughts: Neil to the rescue

FT: Hong Kong 0, Philippines 1. (James Younghusband, '33)

Neil's heroics masked a rough second half by the defense. Etheridge trotted out one of his finest performances ever as an Azkal. This after being left off the roster of eighteen in the Azkal's last game against Turkmenistan. A performance like this should once and for all cement his status as our number one keeper.

Neil made four extraordinary saves in the second half and one palm-away in the first. His penalty save on Chan Siu Ki was a marvelous piece of quick thinking.

Chan should have kept it simple, aimed for a side and let fly. He tried to go cheeky by driving it down the center in the hopes that Etheridge would leap out of the way. It's a tactic that succeeds often, but Chan's mistake was to punch it low, where Neil's legs were. If he banged it higher then Etheridge would never have saved it.

But credit nonetheless to Neil for not only alertly stopping the shot, but also following up by clearing the ball even though he hadn't fully stood up. Anyone who thinks that goalies aren't as athletic as outfield players should see the play.

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Neil's brilliance was needed on a night when the defense faded badly in the endgame. Hong Kong just looked fitter as the final whistle neared, and as the home side piled on the pressure, the defense leaked shots. It was only the Hong Kong finishing that let them down.

Rob Gier was taken out for OJ Porteria six minutes after the hour mark. Might it have been better if Gier, the organizer of the defense, had stayed on? Or was Gier totally gassed? Or should another defender have been fielded in place of Rob?

It wasn't the best performance, but it was historic nonetheless. The Philippines won even though they weren't on their A-Game. Phil and Chieffy could not create. There were defensive lapses in the first half with some free Hong Kong headers. Juani Guirado and Misagh Bahadoran had some unneccesary fouls.

But it's good to see the team getting a win even when they aren't fully on song. It speaks volumes of how the squad has developed.

The Philippines has now beaten Hong Kong for the first time in seven tries, and that should be a huge point of pride.

Stephan Schrock's impressed not just with his technique but with his hustle. Schrocky was my favorite to get Man Of The Match until Neil blew past him in the second half.

Against Cambodia Schrock put on a clinic of mad skills with his deft dribbling and creative passing. But on Tuesday what stuck out more for me was his energy and sheer drive.

Schrock set up the goal with a daring solo run that resulted in a throw-in that proved to be the genesis of the goal. After the throw-in Schrock's cross glanced off Chan Wai Ho and on to James Younghusband, who headed it in.

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Schrock had a few chances of his own and I seem to remember him dispossesing a Hong Konger on one play that resulted in a chance.

Just before the half Chan Wai Ho decked Schrock in a move that smacked of frustration.

It isn't just otherworldly skill that propels a Footballer to greatness. It's also a willingness to work hard. It's something that simply can't be taught.

Hong Kong are a quality side. They are incredibly fit, have a real threat in Chan Siu Ki, and Cheung Kin Fung, the left winger, showed amazing skill and trickery. They just didn't have their shooting boots on. If Hong Kong ever gets invited to the Suzuki Cup as a guest side then they have a decent chance of winning it.

Hong Kong are second in their Asian Cup qualifying group, and I think it's great that we are playing sides as good as them.

It can be argued that the home side deserved a better result than a loss. But that's Football.

Misagh Bahadoran and Lexton Moy played, even though they were not on the roster. According to Gue David, a former AFC Match Commissioner, this is okay, since it's just a friendly. It never would have been allowed in a competition.

Moy lives and plays in Hong Kong, and no doubt he helped the team with their scouting before the game. Moy speaks Cantonese and surely must know many of the Hong Kong players.

Misagh has been in-form lately, scoring against International clubs for Global in both the President's Cup and the Singapore Cup, so his inclusion was merited.

I'm glad they got into the game, but I wish they had been on the list from the start. I wonder how the other players in the eighteen-man squad felt about them coming in and playing.

I was quite surprised that Mike Ott did not get into the game. Perhaps the team is saving him for the U23 friendly against Singapore on June 13.

Hong Kong made sure that youth was served in this match. Their coach, Kim Pan-Gon, inserted 20-year-old striker Wong Wai into the game in the second half.

It's clear that the wounds between the two nations have not healed. I noticed a large black sign in the crowd that read “Lest we forget, 23/8/2010.” On that date nine Hong Kong tourists were killed in a in a hostage crisis in Luneta. The incident represented the nadir of Philippine-Hong Kong relations in recent times.

I must put myself in the shoes of the Hong Kong people. Their anger and hurt must have been great, especially since the Filipino authorities botched the whole affair so spectacularly.

Should the Azkals have asked for a moment of silence or perhaps offered a similar gesture of sympathy? Maybe, but if you had asked me before the game, I would have thought it unnecessary, since the incident isn't recent at all.

We cannot say how long the hurt of something like this can be forgotten. It is not up to us to say when the people of Hong Kong can move on. But it has been almost three years since Rolando Mendoza hijacked that bus. I was very surprised to see that banner.

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What is beyond doubt is that the shabby treatment of the Filipino fans that night was uncalled for.

Cedelf Tupas was there and reported that the atmosphere was “hostile even during the national anthems.” My friend and fellow Kaholero Idda Torres tweeted that trash was thrown at the Filipino fans and that obscenities were hurled at then. Torres reported that the Pinoys were subjected to taunts of them being a “slave nation.”

Andi Sia, another Kaholero who traveled with the team, said that water bottles were thrown and that many Filipinos were given a harsh one-fingered salute. She corroborates Tupas' report that the Pinoy crowd were encouraged to exit the stadium via a different exit to avoid a confrontation.

The good people of Hong Kong have the right to feel indignant, angry, and hurt over the events of August 23, 2010. But they have no right to abuse Filipino fans, whether our team beats them or not.

I hope a full investigation will be in order.

Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.