ABS-CBN Sports + Action, a free TV channel that serves as your primary go-to hub for all the sporting events you care about, indulges football fans as it airs the group stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup held in Maldives with focus on the tournament’s group B, which includes the Azkals, the Philippine national team.
Each game, each goal, each cheer counts for the Azkals in this year’s Challenge Cup as the country’s national football team looks to improve on their third-place record in 2012’s AFC Challenge Cup. At the same time, the winner of the tournament will earn a spot in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.
A stronger and more experienced national team will enter this year’s tournament as the roster includes returnees from the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup third-placing Azkals team such as captain and defender Rob Gier, midfielder Paul Mulders, goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, and brothers Phil Younghusband and James Younghusband. They will be joined by emerging new recruits in defender Simone Rota, midfielder Martin Steuble, goalkeeper Patrick Deyto, and forward Ruben “Balut” Doctora, Jr.
Calling the shots for the Azkals this year is international coach and former team captain of the USA national football team Thomas Dooley. The USA Football Hall of Famer brings with him his experience and a new playing style that enforces teamwork, pressing defense and tiki-taka style of passing.
Aside from the Azkals, group B of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup includes Afghanistan, Laos, and the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup first runner-up Turkmenistan.
All of Azkals’ games will air live on ABS-CBN Sports + Action beginning with the team’s first matchup against Afghanistan on Tuesday (May 20) at 11:30pm with replay on Wednesday (May 21) at 4:00pm. This is followed by its games against Laos on Thursday (May 22) at 6:30pm with replay on Friday (May 23) at 4:00pm, and against Turkmenistan on Saturday (May 24) at 6:30pm with replay on Sunday (May 25) at 4:00pm.
ABS-CBN Sports + Action continues its coverage of the AFC Challenge Cup group B with the special telecast of Turkmenistan vs Laos on Wednesday (May 21) at 10:00pm, and Afghanistan vs Turkmenistan on Friday (May 23) at 10:00pm.
[stextbox id=”astig”]Watch the matchups between the Azkals and the rest of group B of the AFC Challenge Cup during the group stage beginning with the live coverage of the Azkals’ first game on Tuesday (May 20), 11:30pm on ABS-CBN Sports + Action (SkyCable channel 17).[/stextbox]
Photo via wikingandtheazkals.blogspot.com