Palami, Dooley get PFF support on Azkals row

MANILA, Philippines - Amid the controversy following the departure of Stephan Schock and Dennis Cagara, the Philippine Football Federation has given its vote of confidence on Azkals coach Thomas Dooley and how he’s handling the national team.

“We stand behind the national teams committee chairman Mr. Dan Palami and coach Tom Dooley about their decisions,” PFF president Nonong Araneta said in a presscon yesterday.

“It’s a team sport and we want to put up the best team, and maybe even if we don’t have the best players, for as long as the team is there to perform, to win, then we’ll stand by it,” he added.

The PFF boss, along with general secretary Edwin Gastanes, Palami and Dooley faced the media primarily to announce the plans for next month’s Philippine Peace Cup and the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup. But the conversation tackled the burning issue about the gripes of Schrock, Cagara and even Neil Etheridge against Dooley.

Schrock and Cagara had publicly declared they’re not playing under Dooley again, slamming him for preferring young guys over them. Etheridge had also complained about not being called up for the Peace Cup.

“We’re thankful for the past six months that Coach Tom Dooley has handled the national team. He’s given chances to a lot of young players who are playing locally, which has never happened before...and these young players have shown that if given a chance to play properly, they will perform for the country,” said Araneta.

“I played in the national team before and wearing the national colors of the country is an honor even if you don’t get paid because not many players are called to represent country...It’s an honor to play for country, the glory is for the country, not the individual,” he added.

An emotional Dooley fired back at Schrock, even saying the Fil-German “is not even the best player” in the team.

“What he did was unacceptable, unprofessional and selfish. You can’t have a player like this in the team,” said Dooley.

“How can I invite that kind of player? He’s not even the best player. He can only play two positions, center forward and No. 10. In all the other positions he plays, he has to be tactically good and he’s limited in tactics. That’s why he didn’t make it to Bundesliga, because it’s all about tactics.

“He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong. But he can only play two positions, center forward and No. 10. That’s where you normally don’t have to play tactics; you do whatever you can to destroy the defense and get into position to score and that’s what he can do very well,” he said.

He explained he reasons he took Schrock out during the Challenge Cup finals and why Cagara didn’t start in the group stages, citing injuries that bogged the two.

Having said their piece, it time to move on for the PFF and Azkals. On Sept. 1-9, they’ll defend the Peace Cup at Rizal Memorial Stadium against nemesis Palestine, Chinese Taipei and Myanmar.

“We just have to move on, prepare for future tournaments like the Peace Cup, Suzuki Cup and World Cup qualifiers next year and we hope to put the best te