Gayoso, Azkals gift returning coach Weiss with victory over Nepal

MANILA, Philippines – Head coach Hans Michael Weiss had a triumphant coaching comeback with the Philippine Azkals as they defeated Nepal, 1-0, in an international friendly match on Thursday, June 15, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

First-half substitute Jarvey Gayoso scored the only goal of the contest at the 49th minute as he poked home the ball from close range after a wild scramble inside the penalty box.

The opening win in the two-match friendly window at home now gives the Philippines plenty of confidence and momentum heading into the game versus Chinese Taipei.

“Very happy to help the team, but just like what coach Weiss said, it’s not perfect, but I think it’s very important to get the win,” said Man of the Match and goalkeeper Patrick Deyto as the Azkals look for a fresh start with Weiss.

“We talked about it in the meeting of the team that we need a good result to create momentum for the Azkals. We want to put more belief for our team so this is the first part and it’s a good first step so we have to, we will be better on the 19th against Chinese-Taipei.” 

After being away from Philippine football for almost 10 years, Weiss decided to return and help reinvigorate the men’s national football program following a coaching carousel the past years.

In Weiss’ first match back with the Azkals, he opted to mix in youngsters Sandro Reyes and Oskari Kekonen in the starting lineup alongside veterans Daisuke Sato, Kevin Ingreso, Mike Ott, and matchday captain Carlie de Murga. 

Longtime goalkeeper Neil Etheridge wasn’t available for the match. However, Stephan Schröck, who announced his retirement from international football earlier this year, was surprisingly listed as a substitute on the official matchday team sheet.

The Azkals started out the match well as they dominated the possession, kept Nepal scoreless, and had numerous chances to break the deadlock. 

Weiss, though, wanted more from his players as he changed things up and inserted forward Patrick Reichelt and defender Enrique Linares for Kekkonen and Martin Steuble.

Unfortunately for Reichelt, he only had a few minutes on the pitch as he sustained an injury and was replaced by forward Gayoso just before the halftime whistle.

The Azkals continued their offensive barrage after the restart and was awarded two consecutive corner kicks that resulted in Gayoso’s goal. 

On the other end of the pitch, the Azkals defense was momentarily broken down, but goalie Deyto produced an outstanding save at the 62nd minute to deny Nepal a crucial equalizer. 

Ten minutes later, the crowd of 3,250 had another moment to cheer for as Schröck removed his warm-up gear and entered the pitch for Kenshiro Daniels. 

The 36-year-old Schröck quickly showcased his flair and brilliance on the pitch as he dribbled past defenders and produced eye-catching passes during his cameo. 

Deyto, who filled in for Etheridge in the match, had another critical save at the 88’ mark as he denied an on-target attempt by Nepal to officially keep the clean sheet for the Philippines.

The Azkals will aim for back-to-back victories as they welcome Taiwan next on Monday, June 19, 7 pm, at the same venue. – Rappler.com