Philippine Azkals head coach Hans Michael Weiss had to bring back Filipino-German midfielder Stephan Schrock out of retirement as the team remains plagued by injuries on key players.
Schrock, who announced his retirement from active duty last January, was elevated by Weiss for Thursday night’s friendly with Nepal at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Schrock, 36, came into the pitch in the 72nd minute for the Azkals, making it his 57th international appearance for the Philippines which won the match, 1-0.
“Manny Ott pulled out, Armani Aguinaldo pulled out and Santi Rubico pulled out. It’s not easy. That’s why we had to play Schroecky,” Weiss said.
“He hasn’t trained for six months but he said ‘Coach, I can play for 20 minutes’. He helped us and I think with a bit more fitness, he can be a game-changer for us.”
Schrock last donned the Azkals jersey last January during the Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
Now that he has been brought back by Weiss, he is expected to provide the veteran presence during the first window of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification from 12 to 17 October.
Weiss was impressed by how Schrock, who debuted in 2011, helped him handle the team.
“Schroecky is more than helpful. He’s very engaged, he’s very hands-on with everything. He’s getting on the nerve of a lot of people, in a good sense,” said Weiss, who mentioned that Schrock and Azkals team manager Dan Palami were integral parts of his return to the Philippines.
For Azkals forward Jarvey Gayoso, who scored for the Azkals in the 50th minute, sharing the pitch with Schrock once more gave him a terrific feeling.
“Personally, I had a number of games in my career with Shroecky and it feels good to play another game with the legend himself,” Gayoso said.
The Philippines will have another friendly match on Monday, 19 June, against Chinese Taipei at the same venue.
