Hungry Azkals go for a big bite against Asian powerhouse Uzbekistan

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Azkals will be looking for a massive upset against the highly-ranked Uzbekistan that will serve them in good stead before they embark on a tough road trip next month. 

The match pitting the current second and third placed teams in Group H of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers is set at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Philippine Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan. 

The 129th-ranked Azkals are coming in as the underdogs despite the poor showing of the 71st-ranked Uzbekistan in its first two matches. 

"We (totally) the underdogs. There's no question about it. Everything is in their hands. They have to win against us," said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley trying to ease off the pressure on their side. 

The Azkals are currently occupying the second spot in Group H with six points on an impressive back-to-back wins against Bahrain (2-1) and Yemen (2-0).  A win over Uzbekistan will allow them to catch North Korea on top of the group with nine points.  A draw will still keep them at second spot with seven points and more importantly, maintain a three-point cushion against Uzbekistan, which split its first two matches (2-4 vs North Korea and 1-0 vs Yemen). A loss could be a back breaker since the Azkals are penciled to play back-to-back road matches in North Korea (Oct. 8) and Bahrain (Oct. 3) in a span of six days next month.

"We want to be in the level of the top teams in the Middle East. We have to be playing the likes of Uzbekistan to get there. We want to play in the Asian Cup," said Dooley. 

The top finishers of each group and the four best second-placers will automatically qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup aside from advancing into the next round of the World Cup Qualifiers. 

Uzbekistan coach Samvel Babayan isn't troubled with his team's struggles in their first two matches. In fact, the Uzbeks just arrived Sunday night as Babayan believes that jetlag only kicks in during the third or fourth day. 

"We came here to win," Babayan said. "I'm lucky to have players who are playing in the top Asian clubs whom can I rely on."

Babayan will have Server Djeparov, the two-time Asian Footballer of the Year, along with team captain Odil Ahmedov and the goal scorers from their first two matches veteran striker Alexander Geynrikh and a pair of 22-year old rising stars Igor Sergeev and Sardor Rashidov. 

"We don't have to watch out only three, four players. All of them we should try to stop and neutralize," Dooley said. 

For his part, Dooley will have a deep lineup to rely on led by team captain Phil Younghusband, Javier Patino, Stephan Schrock and Misagh Bahadoran. 

Younghusband believes that this present national team has all the tools to score an upset against one of the best Asian teams. 

"We have a quality that can get a good result," said Younghusband during the pre-match press conference at the Marco Polo hotel on Monday. 

While an upset win against the Uzbekistan can cause a tremor in the Asian football landscape, Dooley said the Azkals can get a good result not by miracle but through hard work. 

“If you play against a team like Uzbekistan which is 50 places ahead of us, we have nothing to lose. If we’re going to lose against Uzbekistan, it’s normal. If we win, it’s not a miracle, but it’s hard work from us and we deserve it,” he said.