Philippines Aims To Bounce Back From Setback In Group A Opener

YANGON, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- Joint host the Philippines is vying to bounce back from their previous setback when take on Indonesia in the second Group A match of the AFF Suzuki Cup Football Championship at Philippine Sports Stadium, Bulacan, Manila, today. Head coach Thomas Dooley is aware that the Azkals need to score a victory in the match after sharing the spoils in a scoreless draw against Singapore in the opening group match on Saturday. The 54-year-old American who took over the Philippines national team in 2014 stressed the importance of keeping up the fitness level of the Azkals squad. "There was a lack of conditioning and we had to build it up over time," he was quoted as saying in the tournament website;www.affsuzukicup.com. "I told my players that the longer we stay in the tournament, the more we will improve. We have to play smart and get our fitness levels up,” said Dooley. Sharing the same view is his Indonesian counterpart Alfred Riedl who is fully aware the importance of winning the match. The Garuda head coach was confident his side would prevail over the Azkals. "Both teams have to win. If we lose, we are out. It will be difficult for both teams. There is tension but we hope for a good game. "We saw the match between the Philippines and Singapore. We believe we can beat both of them,” said the Austrian. -- BERNAMA