Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — After Thursday’s (September 3) friendly against the Maldives, the Philippines will take on highly fancied Uzbekistan, but Filipino footballer Phil Younghusband believes that this current crop of Azkals can pull off an upset against the Central Asian powerhouse.
The Azkals started their World Cup Qualifying campaign with a bang, claiming victories against Bahrain and Yemen in their opening fixtures despite playing with an unfamiliar system and with new additions to the lineup.
The Striker-cum-midfielder says that the two wins have given the Azkals confidence ahead of their next World Cup Qualifying match.
“After the last two games, we have confidence knowing the way coach wants us to play and the formation that he has put us in,” said Younghusband. “We know we can get some good results and we were able to do that against Bahrain and Yemen.”
The Philippines currently occupy the 125th spot in the FIFA world rankings, while the Uzbeks sit at the 76th spot. Though the Azkals are 49 positions lower than their opponents, Younghusband says that they could take down the Central Asian power.
“We believe that we have a chance even though they are 49 places ahead of us,” he said. “If we play well and everything goes to plan then we can get a good result.”
In the Azkals’ first two fixtures, the Chelsea youth product found himself in an unfamiliar role, playing deeper in the midfield but still managed to put in a solid performance for the squad.
Younghusband described being shifted around the field as “part of the job,” but admits that he is still getting used to playing in that position for coach Thomas Dooley.
“You never really get used to it until you have played four or five games in the same position, and unfortunately with the national team last time I was only able to play two games,” he said.
But even if he still finds himself getting accustomed to the new role, Younghusband believes that he has a grasp of what is expected of him.
“I understand my role and I understand my job within the team, and I’ve got good players around me to make it easier,” he said.
