After 180 minutes of tense football against a team that has so much to prove, Indonesia can finally relax and look forward to their cup final tie against Malaysia.
Cristian Gonzalez’s scoring touch once again proved to be the difference as Indonesia finally put the Philippines’ resistance to rest, winning 1-0 in the second leg and 2-0 on aggregate.
The pair of 1-0 defeats by the Philippines is not something to be upset about admitted Philippines coach Simon McMenemy, considering the team’s overall performance in the tournament. After years of being considered the minnows of football in the region, the Azkals has gained a new reputation as well as experience.
“The boys are gutted as they would be after losing a semi-final but to get to where they’ve got is an achievement,” says the Briton coach.
McMenemy’s counterpart Alfred Riedl admits the game made his wards nervous especially in the second half when the Philippines was pushing forward and getting the ball in the danger zone.
“Our opponents made it difficult for us to win the match today,” confessed Riedl after the match. He also compares the Philippines as more like a European team than a Southeast Asian team because of their physical fitness.
Riedl also believes the task at hand against Malaysia in the final will be difficult despite winning earlier 5-1 win in the group stages. He thinks the final will be a lot closer compared to their first meeting and challenged his players to handle the pressure much better than they did against the Philippines.
Cristian Gonzalez’s scoring touch once again proved to be the difference as Indonesia finally put the Philippines’ resistance to rest, winning 1-0 in the second leg and 2-0 on aggregate.
The pair of 1-0 defeats by the Philippines is not something to be upset about admitted Philippines coach Simon McMenemy, considering the team’s overall performance in the tournament. After years of being considered the minnows of football in the region, the Azkals has gained a new reputation as well as experience.
“The boys are gutted as they would be after losing a semi-final but to get to where they’ve got is an achievement,” says the Briton coach.
McMenemy’s counterpart Alfred Riedl admits the game made his wards nervous especially in the second half when the Philippines was pushing forward and getting the ball in the danger zone.
“Our opponents made it difficult for us to win the match today,” confessed Riedl after the match. He also compares the Philippines as more like a European team than a Southeast Asian team because of their physical fitness.
Riedl also believes the task at hand against Malaysia in the final will be difficult despite winning earlier 5-1 win in the group stages. He thinks the final will be a lot closer compared to their first meeting and challenged his players to handle the pressure much better than they did against the Philippines.
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