The Philippines Azkals gave it their best shot, but in the end Al Azraq of Kuwait was simply the better team, brushing aside a red card on one of its midfielders and relying on its overall superiority to hack out a hard-fought 2-1 victory to wrap up their second-round 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying series.
The Kuwaitis broke the hearts of the 13,000 Azkal supporters who packed the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium hoping to see their heroes overhaul a 0-3 deficit. And while the Philippines played much better than they did in the first leg in Kuwait, it wasn't enough to overcome their opponents' vast experience and superior skills.
Both teams had scoring chances in the first half, and Kuwait, despite sitting on a three-goal cushion, came out looking to score. Al Azraq often tested goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, hitting the goal post three times in the first 45 minutes. The Philippines had the first shot on goal, though, in the ninth minute, when Rob Gier headed a free kick from Chieffy Caligdong straight to Kuwaiti keeper Nawaf Al Khaldi.
