ILOILO CITY, (PNA)-Avid football enthusiasts and spectators alike cheered triumphantly after the Philippine national team Azkals was declared back-to-back champion in the recently concluded 2013 Philippine Peace Cup hosted by Sugarlandia city.
With Azkals 3-1 victory over Pakistan last Tuesday evening, the national team as well as several players who showed their prowess hauled another honor for the Philippines.
Azkals official said it is not an easy win for the Philippine team because the Pakistani team scored its first goal on the 15th minute of the game. But on the 33rd minute, the Philippine team tied the score courtesy of Patrick Reichelt.
The national team had to exert a bit of sacrifice before they were able to score for another goal owing to the strong defense offered by the Pakistani team.
On the game’s 78 minute, Chris Greatwich successfully connected a header followed by another goal scored by Stephan Schrock on the 87 minute.
Greatwich earned the monicker as the ‘goal of the match’ while Filipino-German Schrock was declared as the ‘man of the match’ in this year’s Peace Cup football tourney held at the Pana-ad Park and Stadium in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Prior to the game proper, a one-minute prayer was heard at the jampacked venue for victims of the strong earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu.
During the opening game last Friday, Oct. 11, the Philippine Azkals lost against Chinese-Taipei (1-2) while Pakistan also beat Chinese-Taipei at 1-0 score in their match over the weekend.
It can be recalled that Azkals beat Chinese-Taipei in last year’s Peace Cup held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila at 3-1, the first ever international title the Philippines has earned in 99 years.
Dennis Wolf was declared most valuable player in that Peace Cup while the Philippine team earned recognition for its fair play from the start until the international football tourney ended.