Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The World Cup Qualifying fixture against Bahrain on June 11 is fast approaching, but Azkals coach Thomas Dooley isn’t worried about the chemistry of the team, which is still missing a few key names.
Azkals stand out Javier Patiño and new boy Stephan Palla have yet to join the rest of the squad preparing for the fixture against Bahrain.
But Dooley believes that it wouldn’t take long for the pair to settle in with the rest of the Azkals.
“Normally, they don’t need that much time to adjust to a team,” said Dooley, who says there’s a chance that Patiño and Palla start for the Philippines.
“If everything goes well, that they’re coming in rested, that they have a good training session, then they will start.”
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Dooley dismissed any concerns that the players coming in wouldn’t have time to fit in the national side.
“If you are a professional player, you know how you handle team chemistry,” said Dooley. “If you play that high of a level, you have to be a team player, otherwise it’s not going to work.”
Coach Dooley also takes heart in the character of the players coming in.
“They’re great guys and they have Philippine blood,” said Dooley. “They’re much more lovable and much more comfortable to deal with.”
Palla’s story in particular stands out to Dooley, praising his dedication and desire to play for the Philippines.
“Stephan Palla is getting married on the fifth, he’s sitting on a plane on the sixth, and he’s coming on the seventh. And he’s spending his honeymoon with the Azkals,” said Dooley. “That is dedication, he feels honored, and wants to play for the country.
“It’s a privilege and as a professional player you see that, and that is why I don’t think that there would be any problem with those players coming in, and fitting right into the team.”
