Taming the Young Lions: Philippines U-23 vs Singapore U-23 Preview

The young Azkals may have tripped on a big stumbling block after facing the AFC U23 Asian Cup's defending champions, South Korea, but now that the dust has settled, they face a familiar foe with Singapore U23 next on the list. That'll be a good gauge to measure how far they've grown compared to our own ASEAN neighbors.

The Azkals U-23 started their campaign in high spirits after some impressive results in the build-up prior to the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers and there was a lot of confidence coming from the talks around the team.

This was not to last, however, as the Philippines had been given front row seats to a masterclass second half from the Koreans, but not before baring our fangs and standing our ground in the first half.

There were definitely some close calls in the first half with some Azkals falling prey to the young Taeguk Warriors, breaking formation and opening up chances that never got converted.

Those mistakes did come back to punish the Pinoy booters as Korea shifted another gear higher, making good on the chances they were given. It goes to show that they really are the defending champs for a reason.

What areas can we improve?

From our point of view, the lack of competitive playing time has taken its toll on us. The Azkals Development Team was supposed to be a platform that they could've counted on for match fitness and cohesion. But the delays, end eventual cancellation, of this year's league deprived them of it.

As a consequence, fitness might be an issue for the Philippine team. But these next few games can help whip them back into shape.

But that's not the only thing that took our attention. There's no denying that they have a great pool of talent plying their trades overseas and at home. The Philippine fans are just waiting on them to finally shine. Perhaps the right pressure from great opposition can unlock these lads.

Next Stop: Singapore U23

On the other side of the fence, the Young Lions were held to just a draw by a team, on paper, considered to be the underdogs. The Timor Leste U23 gave their more renowned opponents a good scare, proving that football isn't played on paper. It's anybody's game.

The young Lions took the early lead as they found their way into the net 34 minutes into the first half, only to find themselves trailing by the 42nd. They narrowly missed losing points with the young Timorese team by drawing level right at the death.

The Singapore team had to pull out all stops and pile on the pressure as they bossed their fellow ASEAN team, getting the lion's share of possession and around 28 chances (five of which were on target). Despite this dominant display, the young Lions fell short and had to settle for level-pegging.

It was definitely a show of force. But with the shots not hitting the mark, it could still be a costly flaw to their own U23 Asian Cup qualification.

What to expect when the Young Azkals meet the Young Lions?

It will definitely be a battle. Although we come as the underdogs, Singapore is not a stranger to the Azkals. We last met them in 2019 at the Merlion Cup, a U-22 competition hosted by the Football Association of Singapore. It ended 3-0 for the hosts.

Singapore is one of those teams that the Philippines hate losing to. With that mentality in mind, we might be in for a treat as they bare their fangs once more. There's plenty of things to fix on both sides. But that's the beauty of national competitions: finding ways to evolve the fastest way possible. And we can't wait to find out who comes on top.

The Azkals U-23 will be boasting a relatively new squad when they face Singapore compared to whom the Young Lions won over last 2019. With players coming in from different parts of the world where football is still ongoing, the Philippines will be banking on that momentum to get an advantage over their ASEAN neighbors.