MANILA (27 July 2011) – Philippines national team manager Dan Palami admitted that they will need a miracle if they want to overcome Kuwait in the second round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers tomorrow night.
The team fell to a 3-0 in the first leg match that was played in Kuwait City.
And tomorrow night, the Philippines will be hoping that they can count on their winning streak at the Rizal Memorial Stadium to turn things around.
“We need a miracle,” said Palami. “We haven’t actually lost at home yet, this is partly because of the crowd factor. We also haven’t conceded a goal for a long time.”
Philippines coach Michael Weiss also added that the team will be opting for a more attacking line-up against Kuwait to create more opportunities where they will need score at least three goals to push the game into extra-time.
“We will loosen up a bit in defence, press early and look for an early goal just like against Sri Lanka,” added the 46-year-old German. “But it’s risky.”
The return of captain Aly Borromeo and wily midfielder Stephan Schrock from one-game suspensions will give the Philippines more bite for sure while the sell-out crowd of 13,000 will buoy the team’s confidence.
Philippines have not lost a home game since November 2006 when they lost to Laos (1-2) in the Asean Football Championships at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.
