Thailand boots Azkals out of AFF Suzuki Cup

Thailand’s Praweenwat Boonyong accidentally kicks Stephan Shrock of Philippines in their 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup match last Friday night at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. (INQUIRER PHOTO)

Bocaue, Bulacan – With bated breath, Filipino fans of more than 3,000 watched the Philippine Azkals launch several attempts but nothing hit the mark.

Then in the 81st minute, forward Sarawut Masuk found the back of the net, breaking the hearts of the crowd as defending champion Thailand showed the Philippine Azkals the exit door, 1-0, last Friday night in the 2016 AFF Suzuki Cup at the Philippine Sports Stadium here.

Former Azkals Simon Greatwich and Anto Gonzales were among the Filipino fans who shed tears in the gallery as the loss denied the Azkals from qualifying to the semi-finals of the prestigious Asean tournament.

“We could have won the game in the first half,” Azkals coach Thomas Dooley said in a post-game press conference.

A win could have given the Philippines a fourth straight semi-final appearance despite Indonesia’s 2-1 win over Singapore in the other match held simultaneously at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Azkals skipper Phil Younghusband, who was fielded in as a midfielder in the game, got everyone on the edge of their seats in the seventh minute after he nearly scored inside the box.

The attempt off a left wing pass from Stephan Schrock only managed to hit the crossbar.

Later, Younghusband again had a chance of scoring in the 30th minute as his header was off the mark following a well-crafted pass of Fil-Japanese Pika Minegishi.

Misagh Bahadoran and James Younghusband, who were expected to make a difference off the bench, had their chances in the second half but their attempts were foiled.

“All we have to do now is rest and start planning for the Asian Cup qualifiers,” Dooley said.

The Azkals had a total of 12 goal attempts, compared to Thailand’s nine.