Philippines

The Philippines have been riding the crest of a wave since their fairytale run to the semi-finals of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.

They kicked off their campaign by drawing 1-1 with three-time winners Singapore, Chris Greatwich grabbing the equaliser deep into injury time. The Azkals really shook things up with their 2-0 defeat of defending champions and co-hosts Vietnam before grabbing their spot in the semi-finals with a 0-0 draw against Myanmar,

It was always going to be a tough ask achieving a result against Indonesia as both legs of the semi were played at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta but The Philippines exited with heads held high after narrow 1-0 losses in both matches.

Their performances captivated the nation and the team has attracted widespread public and media attention over the past 18 months. They followed up their heroics in the AFF Suzuki Cup by reaching the semi-finals of the AFC Challenge Cup for the first time in March.

New coach Michael Weiss has kept the 2010 squad pretty much intact and added a number of Europe-based players, including former Germany youth international midfielder Stephan Schrock and striker Denis Wolf.

Draws with both AFF Suzuki Cup titleholders Malaysia and 2010 beaten finalists Indonesia in early June underscored the growing strength of the team, which has been seeded for this year's edition.

Nickname: Azkals (Street Dogs)
National coach: Michael Weiss (Germany)



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