Stephan Schrock: 11 years of career at PH —THE AZKALS PHOTO
SHAH ALAM, Malaysia—Stephan Schrock and the Philippine Azkals were at press time seeking a place in the semifinals of the Asian Championship 7, a competition that offers a unique style of soccer.
“I think it's a good combination of [standard] Football as soon as and futsal,” Schrock told reporters in Manila on Friday, a day after the Azkals opened the tournament by winning their first two games, first with a 6-1 rout of Hong Kong and then with a close 4-1. Result of -3 over host Malaysia.
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The Azkals concluded the qualifying round in Group B hours later with a 9-2 rout of India before advancing to the knockout quarterfinals, where they will face the bottom team in Group A.
READ: Philippine Azkals beat host Malaysia in Asia 7s
The semifinals are on Saturday, and the final of the competition organized by the team led by former Azkals defender Antón del Rosario is scheduled for Sunday in the EV Area of Elmina, a city located in this district.
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Schrock and the Azkals have transitioned to the 7-a-side soccer scene, where the field is smaller and the action is faster and more physical. It's like the soccer version of basketball's 3×3.
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“It's pretty fast”
Under tournament rules, matches are played in two 20-minute periods, followed by a comeback period in which the trailing team must score a number of goals depending on the deficit it faces.
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That was proven against Malaysia, where the Azkals had to come back from a pair of one-goal deficits to take a 3-2 lead, before responding from the host's equalizer in the comeback period by securing victory with Schrock's goal. .
READ: The legend of the PH, Schrock, heads the bet of the 7 of Azkals
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“It's pretty fast, it's more about the transition game, every mistake can be punished,” Schrock said. “And you can never be sure [of the result] for the extension, or for the comeback period they call for. So it’s a good competition, a really lovely competition.”
If the Azkals continue to advance, they may face stiff competition from other contenders in Japan, winner of the inaugural staging in 2023 at McKinley Hill in Taguig. The defending champions defeated Singapore 9-1 in one of their matches on the opening day.
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Malaysia split their two matches after the loss to the Azkals, but are considered a contender, especially playing at home.