Mark Hartmann scored four goals in an explosive first half salvo for the Philippines right in the first half, with a hat-trick inside the first 14 minutes of the match.
Phil Younghusband scored at the 41st minute to add to the Philippine total.
It was a hastily-organized friendly, with the announcement of the match coming less than a week before it was played and a few days after the Azkals’ date with Malaysia was canceled. Papua New Guinea also had a scheduled friendly versus Timor Leste that did not push through. It was the first international friendly between the two countries.
Before the match, Philippine Football Federation secretary-general Edwin Gastanes was thankful that the friendly was approved by FIFA, AFF, and Oceania Football Federation, under which Papua New Guinea is organized.
“It usually takes at least 21 days to a month to arrange friendlies, especially if it is between two countries that are not under the same Federation,” said Gastanes.
With the Azkals building up for the Suzuki Cup, Azkals captain Rob Gier lauded the PFF for moving quickly to organize another match for the squad.
Fast arrangements for the match became possible since Papua New Guinea coach Wynton Rufer and Azkals coach Thomas Dooley used to play against each other in the Bundesliga.
“He was always kicking me,” remarked Rufer during the press conference where the two coaches took part in good-natured ribbing.
“Organization for the match was 24/7,” Dooley said, adding that he and Rufer had been in contact through e-mail for a couple of years. The two former Bundesliga players also played in a few charity matches since their retirement from playing.
Like Dooley, Rufer just started coaching the Kapuls earlier this year, but is based in his native New Zealand. Before the game, he remarked that he would be seeing about six of his players play in a match for the first time.
Coming into the match, the Kapuls were ranked 199th in the world according to FIFA. Their highest was 160th in June 2004.
The Azkals, meanwhile, came into the match ranked 134th in the world and No. 1 in Southeast Asia.
The squad that played versus the Kapuls had a lone fly-in — captain Rob Gier — a far removed situation from as recent as last year, where more than half of the starting eleven were based abroad.
Ends

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