Aldeguer, Cariño, Amirul others invited to Azkals Mitsubishi Cup tryouts

MANILA, Philippines – With the 2022 FIFA World Cup entering its knockout phase and culmination, Southeast Asia’s biggest football tournament, the Mitsubishi Electric Cup, is getting ready to kick off with the Philippine men’s football national team looking to make serious inroads in the competition.

The 14th edition of the Asean football tournament, played under the Mitsubishi Electric sponsor for the first time, will be held from December 20, 2022 to January 16, 2023.

The Philippines is in Group A, which includes defending champion Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei.

Fifteen players from the Azkals Development Team (ADT) have been invited to the tryouts for the squad.

Among the ADT players invited are Julian Schwarzer, Yrick Gallantes, Dennis Chung, Stephan Schrock, Jacob Maniti, Kamil Amirul, Gio Pabualan, Harry Nuñez, Andres Aldeguer, Enrico Mangaong, Jaime Rosquillo, Dov Cariño and Justin Frias.

Noted ADT head coach Jovanie Villagracia, “I am proud of our players getting called up to try out for the senior national team. This is the objective of the ADT — to prepare the players by playing together in top flight competition so they will be ready for international competition.”

Prior to the long international break due to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as well as the upcoming Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the ADT defeated Stallions, 2-1, to hike their record to 4-3-3 that placed them at fourth spot in the seven-team standings.

During that run of matches, Schwarzer has kept two clean sheets with Mangaong notching one for his club.