MANILA – The Philippine Azkals have unveiled their 25-man training pool for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ) in Suzhou, China next month.
United City midfielder Stephan Schrock, as highly anticipated, headlines the pool revealed on Thursday night as the national team's captain.
Also called up is Birmingham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, whose brilliance at the posts late into the EFL Championship season helped his club survive a possible relegation.
He has been named the vice captain for the Azkals as well.
Joining Etheridge in the netminder rotation are Rot Weiss Ahlen's Bernd Schipman and Kuala Lumpur's Kevin Mendoza.
Schrock's midfield allies called up include Erzgebirge Aue's Patrick Strauss, PT Prachuap's Iain Ramsay, Bochum's Gerrit Holtmann, Magdeburg's Raphael Obermair, Suphanburi's Patrick Reichelt, Nitra's Oliver Bias, Azkals Development Team's Jarvey Gayoso and Mark Winhoffer, Pacific's Matthew Baldismo, and Molde's Lloyd Fagerlie.
Called up as defenders are Terrenganu's Carlie de Murga, BG Pathum's Alvaro Silva, Ratchaburi's Luke Woodland, Djurgardens' Jesper Nyholm, Port's Martin Steuble, Mito Hollyhock's Jefferson Tabinas, ADT's Mar Diano and Niko de Vera, and Neuchatel Xamax's Michael Kempter.
The Azkals confirmed an earlier statement from United City that Mark Hartmann has been called up at the forward position.
Only one other striker has been called up, St. Joseph's Angel Guirado even as the delay in Bienve Maranon's naturalization process left the Nationals with no choice but to sit him out.
The Azkals are set to hold a training camp in Doha for the WCQ.
The Azkals must need to sweep their remaining three matches, against Guam on June 3, bubble host China on June 9, and Maldives on June 15, to solidify their chances of locking an outright spot in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and enter the third round of the WCQ. (PNA)
