Kabuuang 50 batang manlalaro ang kasalukuyang pinagpipilian ni Philippine Football Federation (PFF) National head coach Thomas Dooley para sa bubuuing pambansang koponan na Azkals na isasabak sa 2014 Peace Cup sa Setyembre 3 hanggang 9 sa Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Ito ang inihayag ni Dooley, kasamang dumalo ang manlalaro na si Jason De Jong, sa lingguahang Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum sa Shakey’s Malate kung saan ay nakatakda nilang hanapin ang kabuuang 23 manlalaro na bubuo sa koponan bago matapos ang buwan.
“We had 50 players now in the team and we are looking at finding the best 23 players at the end of the month,” sinabi ni Dooley. “We are now in the process of having the best condition and fitness of the team. We have some players going out and going in but we look forward to putting up the best composition ever.”
Sinabi ni Dooley na hangad sana niyang makasama ang tatlong Filipino-American na miyembro ng United States Olympic team subalit nagpaalam ang mga ito na hindi nila magagampanan dahil magkakaproblema sila sa kanilang mother team.
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“We have talk to the players and they are willing to play for the Philippines,” sinabi ni Dooley.
“But they said they can’t play because they might lost their slot in the US team,” paliwanag pa ni Dooley. Optimistiko naman sina Dooley at De Jong na magagawa nilang magwagi kontra sa makakarahap sa Peace Cup na Chinese Taipei, Myanmar at Palestine.
“We are under pressure. We want to win against them. We had to show to the people what we are capable off,” giit ni Dooley, pinalitan ang kapwa German na si Hans Michael Weiss.
