Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Philippine Azkals midfielder Phil Younghusband hopes the team can carry the momentum of the two victories in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers going into the next matches.
“We are in a good position after the two wins, but more importantly, we have some confidence going forward,” said Younghusband, the country’s leading international scorer with 42 goals.
The Azkals defeated Bahrain, 2-1, at home, before blanking Yemen, 2-0, in Doha, Qatar for a second place berth in Group H. North Korea holds the top spot by virtue of goal difference.
“There are no easy games in this group. We know we would need to play better and work harder against Uzbekistan,” said the Chelsea youth product.
Read: Dooley: Azkals a unique team with unique players
Under head coach Thomas Dooley, the Azkals came away with six points while playing with a new system, a change that saw Younghusband dropping into the midfield.
The switch allowed the Loyola man to play a more creative role within the team, which proved to be effective in their recent victories.
“There are a few players that are not playing in their natural positions, but we got players who can adapt and I think that’s good for the team,” Younghusband said.
The skipper added that the Azkals improving as they get more games under their belt with their new system.
“It is not easy to learn a formation within such a short period of time,” Younghusband said, pointing out that the Azkals had only around 10 days of together as a team before the Bahrain match last June.
Apart from the change of formation, the Azkals also added to the roster Iain Ramsay, Stephan Palla, Kevin Ingreso, and Luke Woodland, players who Younghusband believes are a massive boost to the squad.
“The new players have made the team stronger and it gives you more confidence knowing you have these players on your team.”
The Azkals will resume their World Cup campaign against Uzbekistan on September 8 at the Philippine Sports Stadium.
