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No wonder the Azkals is showing incredible energy and gusto lately. After beating Bahrain 2-1, the team quickly creamed Yemen 2-0. A fresh new batch of Azkal players, equally talented and determined as the vets, dished out winning performances in DOHA where the game was held.
Along with Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran, Fil-British newbie Luke Woodland certainly impressed the crowd during the Jun 16 game against Yemen — to think the 19-year-old player only got Fifa’s clearance to play in the eve of the game.
“He got his first start against the Yemenis, dishing out a solid performance and impressing with his distribution from the backline as the Azkals stormed to a 2-0 victory for a share of the Group H lead in the Fifa World Cup qualifiers,” writes Olmin Leyba on The Philippine Star.
It helped that the player was at ease with Daisuke Sato and Jery Lucena, the two other players comprising of the three-man back court formation.
Continues the report: A former mainstay of the English U-17 and U-18 sides, Woodland was reduced to a spectator in the first game at home [against Bahrain] after failing to secure on time the clearance to switch nation from Irish, Welse and Scottish Football Associations, a requirement from the Fifa Players’ Status committee.
Azkals will be playing against Uzbekistan on September 8, and says Woodland, ‘we’ll work hard and look forward to the game.”
Well, us too, young lad. Us, too.
Photo: Luke Woodland/Twitter
