By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno – PNA News
MANILA — The Philippine Azkals opened their AFF Suzuki Cup campaign on a high note after subduing Singapore, 1-0, at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod on Tuesday night.
Patrick Reichelt’s lone strike made the difference as Sven-Goran Eriksson got a win in his first match as the Azkals’ new head coach.
The breakthrough came in the 78th minute when Reichelt, off a throw-in, razzled and dazzled through Singapore’s tight defense inside the box and slotted the ball past Hassan Sunny, who actually had a piece of it but could not secure the save, into the net.
The win, coupled by Indonesia’s 3-1 victory against East Timor in Jakarta, forced a four-way tie between the Azkals, Singapore, Indonesia, and idle Thailand on top of Group B with a win each to show. Thailand, through its 7-0 thrashing of East Timor, holds the tiebreaker edge on goal difference, while Indonesia is second and the Azkals in third.
