Azkals give Etheridge option to rejoin Cardiff

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Azkals decided not to call up Cardiff City’s Neil Etheridge for the coming AFC Asian Cup anymore, opting to tap goalkeepers who are available for the entirety of the campaign instead.

Etheridge, the first Southeast Asian to play in the English Premier League, would have been able to suit up just for the Azkals’ opening match against South Korea but the squad deemed it best to let him forego the meet and concentrate on duties for his club, which is fighting to keep its spot in the English top-flight.

With the Fil-British out, the task of defending the net for the Azkals now falls on Bangkok United’s Michael Falkesgaard, who saw action in the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup, and AC Horsens’ Kevin Ray Mendoza Hansen, the Fil-Danish who is set to debut for Phl XI.

Homegrown Nathanael Ace Villanueva rounds out the Azkals’ goalkeeping crew in the Continental showpiece set in the United Arab Emirates, where they’re pitted against the favored Koreans on Jan. 7, China on Jan. 11 and Kyrgyzstan on Jan. 16.

Two Europe-based stalwarts are reinforcing the side of coach Sven Goran Eriksson in Sepsi Osk defender Daisuke Sato and Erzebirge midfielder John-Patrick Strauss, who both played in the Suzuki Cup group stage, even as Buriram striker Javier Patino returns to the fold after missing the Asean tilt due to injury.

From Asean clubs, Alvaro Silva (Kedah), Stephan Palla (Buriram), Luke Woodland (Suphanburi) and Ian Ramsay (Sukhotai) are joining Phl-based stalwarts Phil and James Younghusband, Stephan Schrock, Manny Ott, Kevin Ingreso, Carli de Murga, Paul Mulders, Mike Ott, Miguel Tanton, Jovin Bedic, and Adam Tull.