MANILA (30 May 2012) – Michael Weiss, the chief coach of the Philippines national team, is not at all perturbed with the absence of goalkeeper Neil Etheridge between the posts when they face ASEAN champions Malaysia in a friendly on 1 June 2012.
The German tactician said that with the depth the team currently has, Etheridge’s absence due to a suspension imposed by the AFC can be easily overcome by fielding Roland Muller (pix).
“We have a bigger pool, where we can swap players and give others a chance,” said Weiss. “We have a good team anyway. We will make the best of the situation and field in a good team.”
Other than the absence of Etheridge, the Philippines national team will also have to do without the Younghusband brothers due to prior commitment. But the team still has La Salle varsity standout Patrick Deyto, Stephan Schrock and Denis Wolf as options.
After the match against Malaysia, the Philippines will take on Indonesia on 5 June 2012 in Manila before taking on Guam on 12 June in Panaad.
“This will be a good opportunity for the other players to step up as I expect the preparation for the AFF Suzuki Cup will get even more intense in the next few months,” added Weiss.
The AFF Suzuki Cup will be played in Malaysia and Thailand beginning from 24 November 2012.
