A
year ago, the Dragon Boat team and the Azkals would have given an arm and a leg
to get five minutes’ worth of air time, or even 5 MB worth of social networking
space.
Now,
they don’t have to but along with it comes the ugly stuff.
I
don’t know who started it but I think I know why one poster started comparing
the achievements of both teams and the team composition.
He
or she or he/she doesn’t believe in the Azkals and thinks they are just a bunch
of overhyped sports personalities who are only good for snogging movie starlets
at the expense of other athletes who work hard for it.
Which
is a pity because like the Dragon Boat team, the Azkals also had to wade their
way through the shit of Philippine sports politics.
Like
the Dragon Boat team, the Azkals had to survive without any support from both
the PSC and the POC and even from their affiliated NSA. The football team
pre-2004 even had it worse. One former national team member told me once that
in a 2002 event, their equipment arrived after the tournament, when they got
home from abroad.
Like
the Dragon Boat team, the Azkals had enlisted personnel from the Armed Forces
who fight for the flag.
Like
the Dragon Boat team, the Azkals finally scored a breakthrough in 2010, and in
the process got into the nation’s consciousness. A nation embraced the Azkals
for scoring a first in the country’s football history just as this nation is
embracing the Dragon Boat team for its remarkable achievement in Florida.
Both
teams’ success complements each other and it didn’t come—as the poster wanted
it to be—at the expense of each other.
And
besides, comparing the Azkals to the Dragon Boat team makes as much sense as
saying your neighborhood “lima-lima” legend is better than Lionel Messi because
he can score five points in a pick-up game or that your neighborhood volleyball
spiker is better than Roger Federer because he can slam it at will.
Comparing
the two squads, and pitting the two squads, I think deviates from what both
teams’ achievements had made obvious—that despite financial backing and support
from their NSA, they have done well. What more could they have achieved if they
had the support?
The
Azkals’ success helped led to the ouster of the then sitting president of the
Philippine Football Federation. The success of the Dragon Boat team has led to
questions on how its NSA was not recognized by the POC and how the POC and PSC
have erred but those questions have been overshadowed by this unwarranted
comparison. (So, who benefits from the comparison?)
Stop
comparing the two.
Instead,
support the two and the rest of the national squads—and there are many of
them—who are seeing action in competitions abroad under the media’s and social
network’s radar.
They
are all Filipinos and they all deserve our support.
Smart
San Beda FC (Rizal), Teknika FC (NCR-2), Pachanga FC (NCR-1) and Smart Stallion
FC (Ilo-ilo) needed the last game over their respective rivals to gain slots in
the 2011 PFF Smart Club Championships semifinals to be held at the University
of Makati Football Field.
In
their last game Saturday afternoon, Smart San Beda FC earned a 2-2 draw against
Teknika FC, Pachanga FC dumped Goshenland Baguio United FC 9-1 while Stallion
FC defeated Columbia FC Davao 3-0 to earn the semis slots.
Even
though Stallion FC, Columbia FC and Pachanga FC has similar win-draw-loss
record, it was based on the Goal difference that made Stallion FC and Pachanga
FC top Group B.
In
Group A, Teknika FC needed only a draw or a win to advance to the semis and take
the number 2 spot.
The
group topnotcher and runners-up from each bracket will have a crossover
semifinals scheduled on August 16 and 17, 2011 at the University of Makati
football field. Then, a home-and-away finals will be stated on August 20 and
August 23, possibly at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, the organizers
said.
In
the semis, Smart San Beda FC (Rizal) will face Smart Stallion FC (Ilo-ilo)
while Teknika FC (NCR-2) will face Pachanga FC (NCR-1/Global FC) on Aug. 16 and
17.
MANILA, Philippines
- Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta Jr. said
yesterday Nepal,
ranked No. 136 by FIFA, has been invited to play the Azkals in an exhibition
match here on Oct. 9 and it will be an early preview of what to expect in the
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup finals in March.
Nepal is hosting the Challenge Cup finals
where seven other countries are playing after a series of qualifiers. The eight
teams in the finals are the Philippines,
India, Maldives, North
Korea, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Nepal.
Araneta
said a plan for Manila
to host a four-team invitational tournament has been scrapped because of
conflicts with FIFA schedules. The Philippines, ranked No. 162 by
FIFA, is booked to play in the Challenge Cup and the Suzuki Cup next year. The
national under-23 squad, coached by Michael Weiss, will compete in the coming
Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.
The PFF’s contract with Weiss expires in 2013.
Araneta
confirmed that the Azkals will participate in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung on Sept. 28-Oct.
6. The tournament is traditionally among host Chinese-Taipei, Macau, Hong Kong
and the Philippines.
But organizers are planning to expand the cast to six with invitations sent out
to Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. Last year, the Philippines posted a 1-1-1 record in the
competition, crushing Macau, 5-0, losing to Hong Kong,
4-2, and tying with Chinese-Taipei, 1-1.
Araneta
said he expects Fulham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to fly in for the Kaohsiung tournament. The
Azkals will not undergo special training for the Long Teng Cup. However, the
under-23 team will set up boot camp in Kuwait
or Bahrain or Japan before the SEA Games in Indonesia on Nov. 11-22.
Regarding
a training program for the Azkals in Europe,
Araneta said he spoke with Sen. Edgardo Angara on the phone three weeks ago
about the possibility of arranging a tie-up with a Spanish club. Last year,
three officials from Real Madrid were in Manila
to explore a working relationship with the PFF through Sen. Angara. It was then
agreed that the PFF, still under former president Mari Martinez, would get the
ball rolling by formally requesting training assistance from Real Madrid. An
eyewitness said the Real Madrid and PFF officials shook hands to indicate a
meeting of the minds. The formal letter, however, was never sent. The protocol
in such an arrangement involves a triggering letter of request from a national
federation and a city-to-city agreement to cement the relationship. Martinez was eventually
replaced by Araneta who said he knows nothing about the Real Madrid meeting.
Araneta
said he was informed that the Barcelona Football Club is interested to look
into the early history of Filipino football star Paulino Alcantara who was born
in Iloilo in
1896. Alcantara was the first Filipino ever to play in Europe and made his Barcelona debut at the
age of 17. He finished his football career as Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer with 357
goals in 357 matches, a record that remains unmatched and unsurpassed.
Alcantara later served as Barcelona
club director and Spanish national coach. He died in 1964.
“We
were advised that the Spanish consul would like to visit Iloilo sometime next
month and find out more about Mr. Alcantara’s beginnings, how he is revered in
Iloilo,” said Araneta. “Perhaps, this could be the start of a relationship
between Iloilo and Barcelona and between the Azkals and the
Barcelona Football Club.”
Sen.
Angara recently announced in his twitter account that the Congreso de los
Diputados in Spain, headed
by Jose Bono Martinez, has issued an institutional declaration affirming close
ties between the Philippines
and Spain.
The Philippines
was cited by the Spanish Congress for “unparalleled magnanimity” towards
Spanish soldiers during the Siege of Baler in 1898-99. The bond linking both
countries is celebrated on Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day every June 30 as
decreed by the Philippine government.
As
for the Azkals incentives, Araneta revealed that each player received $1,000
after the recent Sri Lanka
home-and-away series. Before the home game against Kuwait, the PFF gave the Azkals
$500 with the promise of a $1,000 bonus for a win and a $4,000 reward for making
it into the third round of the World Cup Asia qualifiers.
Cortal,
a major Azkals sponsor, also offered incentives for the home match against Kuwait
– P1 Million for every goal in a win and P500,000 for every goal in a loss. As
it turned out, the Philippines
lost a 2-1 heartbreaker. Because of the Azkals’ lone goal in the defeat, Cortal
is committed to pay out P500,000. It’s not certain if the players will get a
share of the incentive. Araneta said he is not involved in the commercial
aspects of marketing the Azkals and wouldn’t know if the players will receive a
share or if Cortal has even paid the bonus. He said team manager Dan Palami,
who has registered the Azkals trademark, is in charge of the marketing affairs.
As of yesterday, a high-profile Azkals player said he had not received a share
of the Cortal incentive and didn’t know if the players would be given by
Palami.
Araneta
said the PFF grossed over P20 Million in ticket sales for the Sri Lanka and Kuwait matches at the Rizal
Memorial. “We were told La Salle spends about P900,000 a year to maintain the
pitch and we’re grateful to La Salle for
transforming it into a world-class field,” he said. “We’re offering to pay half
the maintenance costs as we know La Salle
spent over P8 Million to rehabilitate the pitch and we’ll be making extensive
use of it. We still have a lot to do in sprucing up Rizal, like cleaning up the
restrooms in the gallery section. The unmoving clock on the giant scoreboard is
an eyesore and we’ve had to rent two electronic scoreboards for the recent
matches. We hope the Philippine Sports Commission will consider replacing the
giant clock scoreboard with a digital system.”
MANILA — Bracing for what could be the most
competitive season yet in the United Football League, Global FC and Kaya FC
have tapped members of the Philippine football team to beef up their roster for
the UFL Cup kicking off Oct. 2.
Global,
the defending UFL Cup champion, snapped up Fil-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer
Guirado to strengthen its squad that already includes Azkals forward Misagh
Bahadoran.
Already
formidable with Azkals skipper Aly Borromeo and defender Anton del Rosario in
the fold, Kaya FC shored up its defensive line with the acquisition of Jason
Sabio and added more attacking teeth by tapping Nate Burkey.
Kaya
has also hired former national team mentor Juan Cutillas as head coach.
“The
competition will be very strong this season,” said Football Alliance chair
Santi Araneta, who also owns Kaya FC.
“We expect better quality and exciting games.”
Araneta
said talks with a television network are near completion to pave the way for
the UFL games to be aired live for the first time in history.
“This
will change the landscape of Philippine football,” said Araneta.
The
26-year-old Guirado has been without a club since last June after his contract
with CD Ronda in the Spanish third division expired.
Guirado,
who agreed in principle to join the team after meeting with manager Dan Palami,
sees playing in the UFL as an opportunity to help raise the profile of the
fledgling league, which has been riding high on the success of the Azkals.
“I
am happy with the direction of the team that Mr. Palami is putting up,” Guirado
said through his cousin and interpreter, Rafa Garcia.
Financial
terms of the deal were not disclosed and Guirado said this was only secondary
when he made his decision.
“What’s important is I could help and be able to experience playing in the Philippines,”
said Guirado, who has already scored three goals in five matches for the Azkals.
THE
Philippine national football team gears up for another challenge when it faces
neighboring countries in the Long Teng Cup at Kaoshiong, Chinese Taipei on
Sept. 28 to Oct. 4.
Team
manager Dan Palami said the national team will take on the host, Macau and Hong
Kong’s under-23 team and possibly Vietnam,
Singapore and Malaysia after
the three nations were invited by the organizers.
Palami
said the Azkals lineup will be a mixed selection of senior players and under-23
members depending on the availability of players.
Most
of the members of the senior team are on a one-month break and the players are
scheduled to gather in the third week of August.
After
the Long Teng Cup, the under-23 players will be back in the Philippines to train for the Southeast Asian
Games, while the senior team will be bound for the Middle
East to play against Gulf countries.
“”We
are still arranging the games for the friendly. There still no definite country
yet,” said Palami.
Aside
from the matches outside the country, the Philippine team is tentatively booked
to play a friendly against Nepal
on Oct. 9.
There
are also negotiations for a friendly game against Pakistan
and India.
Palami
said that all the friendly games will be played at the Rizal Memorial Stadium
since the pitch at the PanaadPark and Stadium in Bacolod needs to be improved.
Palami
mentioned that his team will be open to playing in an exhibition match with the
Cebuano selection team upon invitation of Ricky Ballesteros for friendly game
after the rehabilitation of the football field of the CebuCitySportsCenter.
“Of
course we want to, we’re interested. But there should be a good venue because
it’s very different to schedule events if walang venue,” Palami said.
Malacañang on
Saturday urged Filipinos to rally behind the Philippine dragon boat team that
topped the 1,000-meter small boat event of the biennial 10th International
Dragon Boat Racing Championship in Tampa,
Florida.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said support from Filipinos will
mean much to the team, which still has several competitions in the next few
days.
“Let’s show our support for them," she said on government-run dzRB radio,
noting that most of the 12 members of the dragon boat team are soldiers from
the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
She also urged Filipino sports fans to show the same fervor that they did in
supporting the Philippine “Azkals" football team.
Valte also pointed out it is a big sacrifice for Filipino athletes to prepare
just to represent the country in international events.
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For its part, the team said it was grateful to receive support via its Facebook
account.
"What more can [we] say?
The medals,
the results, the people’s love and support. The athletes, the coaches, the
fellow dragon boaters, the sponsors. Mula noon hanggang ngayon, nagtatala tayo
ng kasaysayan. Let's celebrate the fact that one of the unpopular sports in the
country is finally put into the spotlight!" the team said on its Facebook account.
THE
Philippine Football Federation is looking into the possibility of getting a
Fil-French goalkeeper and two Fil-British standouts to play for the Azkals in
the future.
Eighteen-year-old
Alphonse Areola could someday beef up the aging Azkals’ roster should talks to
make him play for flag and country prosper.
The
6’2” Areola currently plays for the Paris St. Germaine Club, a squad which sees
action in a first-division league in France.
Areola,
who used to be a member of the France’s
national under-16 team, is currently PSG’s third-choice goalkeeper.
He
is reportedly being groomed to become one of their top goalies and as a part of
France’s
senior national team as well.
At
the moment, Areola is keen on joining the French men’s national squad.
The
parents of London-based standouts Aaron de Rama and Jessie Arroyo have also
come forward and expressed their children’s interest in seeing action for the
national squad.
National
team manager Dan Palami, who is leaving for Europe
this August, said he is set to reach out to at least six Fil-European
prospects.
Azkals’
team member Rob Gier, a Fil-British right back, has informed Palami of the new
prospects as the squad’s newly designated scout. Peter Atencio
MANILA, Philippines
- Philippine Azkals midfield spark plug Stephan Schröck returned to action in Germany
Saturday, helping Greuther Fürth defeat Dynamo Dresden, 1-0, at the Trolli
Arena.
Schrock
was deployed at left midfield by Greuther Fürth manager Michael Büskens in the
2. Bundesliga clash.
The
Filipino-German was the spearhead of several attacking plays and was unlucky to
miss several scoring chances.
With
the hosts pushing forward in the 18th minute, Schrock recieved a pass and
pulled off a strike that missed the target.
His
teammate, Olivier Occean, scored the game's lone goal off an assist from
Sebastian Tyrala in the 48th minute.
A
minute later, Dresden
were reduced to 10 men when Cristian Fiel was sent off for a foul.
Schrock
tried to increase Greuther Fürth's lead in the 51st minute but his shot was off
the mark.
The
visitors tried to launch a fightback but their efforts went for naught, even as
another Dresden
player, Pavel Fort, was given a red card in the 70th minute.
In
the 81st minute, Schrock looked set to ensure their win with a goal but his
shot was blocked by Dresden
defenders.
Greuther
Fürth boss Büskens rested Schrock in the 84th minute, bringing in Christian
Rahn to replace the Filipino-German.
The
24-year-old Schrock, whose roots are from Parang in North Cotabato, made his
international debut for the Azkals against Sri Lanka last June 29.
He
scored the Philippines' lone goal in the Azkals' 1-2 loss to Gulf powerhouse
Kuwait in the second leg of their FIFA World Cup qualifying tie at the Rizal
Memorial Stadium last June 28.
Greuther
Fürth are currently 4th in the 2. Bundesliga table, with 6 points from 3
matches and just a point off league leaders Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Before
the 2. Bundesliga match, Greuther Fürth were coming off a 10-0 demolition of
German 6th-tier league club Eimsbütteler TV in the opening round of the
2011-2012 DFB-Pokal cup competition.
Greuther
Fürth will travel to Paderborn's
Energieteam Arena for their next league match on August 13.
MANILA, Philippines -
Once the Philippine Azkals get back into training later this month, the team
will have its hands full trying to capture a slot in the AFC Asian Cup, the
next big thing after the Fifa World Cup, while attempting to climb in the world
rankings.
“Bringing
home the AFC Challenge Cup next year, that’s our immediate goal because that
will ensure our participation in the Asian Cup in 2015,” Azkals manager Dan
Palami said.
The
Azkals have qualified to the main draw of the AFC Challenge Cup on March 3-18
in Nepal along with Palestine, India,
Turkmenistan, Maldives, Tajikistan,
North Korea,
and the hosts. Winner of the tournament will earn a ticket to the 2015 Asian
Cup where 2011 champion Japan,
host Australia, and Korea
are seeded.
Palami
said the Asian Cup is big for the Azkals, who failed in their recent effort to
reach the 2014 Fifa World Cup after losing to powerhouse Kuwait in the
second round, 5-1, on goal aggregate.
“It
(Asian Cup) is not akin to the World Cup but the hype and excitement will be at
level of World Cup also,” he said.
While
preparing for the Asian Cup-qualifying Challenge Cup, the Azkals also look to
improve on their current 162nd standing in the Fifa world rankings.
“Our
intention right now is to play as many international friendlies as possible to
improve our FIFA rankings,” Palami said.
For
this, the Azkals are arranging friendly matches against India or Pakistan and around three countries
in the Gulf region in between their participation in next month’s Long Teng Cup
in Chinese Taipei.
Philippine
Azkals manager Dan Palami is off, with Brussels,
Belgium as the first stop on
a working tour of Europe, searching for more
football players of Filipino lineage to lure to the national cause. Some of the
veteran Fil-foreign players on the Azkals are playing bigger roles with their
mother clubs in Europe, and are going to be
less available as the seasons wear on. Some of them may not even be released by
their pro teams, at all.
When
asked how he was going to attract these players, and if the job was easier now
with the team’s relative fame, Palami had a standard-issue answer.
“What’s
my pitch going to be? It’s going to be the same as it was with guys like Rob
Gier, when nobody knew – or cared – about the Azkals,” explained Palami. “It’s
a chance to play for flag and country.”
What
the general public does not realize (particularly those who have biases against
the inclusion of “half-Filipino” players), is that it is often a great
financial sacrifice for these young men to come to the Philippines at the cost of jobs with limited
slots in the soccer hotbeds in Europe. Some of
our players receive $10,000-$20,000 salaries to play professionally in Europe, which is no mere pittance. Yet, many of them have
risked their professional careers and taken leaves of absence to suit up for
matches wearing the Philippine flag.
Managing
sensitivities on the issue of race is also something the Philippine Football
Federation is now conscious of. Bear in mind that the huge sums being given as
sponsorship money to the Azkals actually go to the coffers of the PFF for
grassroots development. With the sport’s development having been “dormant for
decades” as Palami says, it will “take four years” or so before we develop
another Chieffy Caligdong. In the meantime, the team needs the technology
transfer and seasoned talent of Fil-foreign players who are willing to don the
flag.
There
are a lot of big tournaments awaiting the Azkals, who are also part of the
United Football League individually, and to some extent, members of the
Under-23 team. The Southeast Asian Games involves the younger Azkals, while the
Suzuki Cup and AFC are slated for next year. These major tournaments coincide
with breaks in major European leagues, as FIFA avoided the overlap between
national and club teams. In the meantime, there are more diamonds in the rough
home and away, waiting to be discovered.
MANILA, Philippines — In an effort to improve the Philippine football team’s world ranking, team manager Dan Palami said they plan to play four superior teams in friendly matches beginning next month.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has set aside dates from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11 for international friendly matches, and Palami said they will take advantage of it by playing three senior national teams from the Gulf region before hosting a game against either India or Pakistan at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
The Manila game is tentatively set Oct. 11.
“Our intention right now is to play as many friendlies as possible so our rankings can go up,” said Palami who hosted a dinner for the newly-formed Azkals Press Corps on Thursday.
The Azkals are ranked 162nd while India is at 153rd and Pakistan 171st.
Palami said a selection from the Under-23 pool preparing for the Southeast Asian Games in the Indonesia in November will join the Azkals during the friendly matches “so that they will have more international exposures.”
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano Araneta Jr. had earlier said the Azkals will be at full strength during these international exhibition matches since Filipino-foreign players will be released by their professional clubs in Europe.
Before the friendly matches, the Azkals, alongside a selection from the SEA Games pool, are set to compete in the Long Teng Cup, a four-nation competition set Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 in Taiwan.
MANILA, Philippines – As far as Azkals team manager Dan Palami is concerned, coach Hans Michael Weiss has done a good job in handling the national football team.
“I think I'll give him a passing grade in one sentence,” Palami said in an interview on ANC’s Hardball sports show. He said the German football coach has done a lot in improving the Azkals’ game. “He has introduced a different system,” explained Palami. “Sometimes the players have yet to understand why this has to be so but again we see now how they play.”
Weiss was criticized by some after the Azkals bowed out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
They took particular notice on Weiss’ alleged over-reliance on the Nationals' starting unit.
Palami, however, pointed out that the Azkals’ football skills progressed under the tutelage of Weiss.
“It's more European style rather than the long ball,” he said.
He added that another plus for Weiss is his behavior outside the pitch.
“I don't see him being controversial, he knows how to handle himself,” said Palami.
Meanwhile, the team manager believes local football fans understand that Philippine football is still in its infancy stage.
He saw this after the Philippine team’s recent loss to Kuwait.
“Judging by their response, I mean if they didn't understand, they would have gone off the stadium knowing that 2014 World Cup is over,” said Palami.
“We couldn't help but shed tears, not because we lost, but because the fans were there even after we lost the game,” he added.
MANILA, Philippines - A fast-rising goalkeeper being eyed by the Philippine Azkals as their next marquee player, could become the first Filipino to see action in the French top flight football.
Alphonse Areola, who was tagged by Azkals manager Dan Palami as one of the team's possible future members, is expected to be named on Paris St. Germain's (PSG) starting XI when they face Lorient in their season-opening home match Saturday.
The 18-year-old, who has Filipino parents, is currently second-choice goalkeeper in the club but was thrust into the spotlight after PSG's new shotstopper, Nicolas Douchez, was injured.
FIFA.com confirmed Friday that Douchez remains sidelined by his ankle injury and is unavailable for the Saturday clash, which will allow the teenager Areola to make his French Ligue 1 debut.
The Clairefontaine-trained Areola had an impressive pre-season with PSG, notching clean sheets in the team's wins over other clubs such Italian side AS Roma (3-0) and Argentinian giants Boca Juniors (3-0).
Although Areola also has played for France's national youth football teams, the 6'2" wonderkid has the choice to play for the Philippine Azkals, as long as he is not yet capped for the French senior team, according to FIFA rules.
PSG has offered to extend the youngster's contract to until 2015, even as Areola is allegedly a transfer target for English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
PSG are being tipped as one of the title favorites in the French top league in the coming season.
The club was recently bought by Qatar Sports Investments, which has brought in cash and 7 new players including the 42-million-euro Argentinian playmaker Javier Pastore.
Football, thanks to the Azkals, is fast becoming the country’s obsession, replacing basketball as the Filipinos’ favorite sport.
But in order to preserve football’s emergence as the game best suited for the Filipinos and, at the same time, sustain the newfound popularity of the Azkals, the sport needs the continuous support of both the government and the private sector.
It’s truly a yeoman’s job in seeing the program through.
“TV, print and radio must continue to support football so that the interest will always be there,” said former soccer great Vic Sison, the goalie of the Philippine team that beat powerhouse Japan, 1-0, in Tokyo during the 1954 Asian Games.
On the other hand, the incumbent president of the Philippine Football Federation Mariano “Nonong” Araneta expressed a rosy future for the sport. He said that his group is talking with the Philippine Sports Commission to see how the PFF can oversee the maintenance of the Rizal Memorial pitch.
The 56-year-old Araneta has estimated the cost of maintenance could reach P900, 000 a year.
But the PSC’s allocation from Congress is not enough to spur a nationwide sports development program, including the promotion of football, which entails an enormous budget needed for the upkeep of foreign-raised booters and a coach from Germany, Hans Michael Weiss.
As a result of this dilemma, the PFF is now depending on the private sector for the crucial backup support.
Renowned sports patron Manuel V. Pangilinan, benefactor of the Smart Gilas national basketball team, leads the cash-rich private individuals and firms who are the chief backers of the football team.
In time, the Philippines will rise again and would no longer be the “Sick Man of Asia” in football.
* * *
In the old days, before we became a consumer-oriented community society, children created their own tools, especially for sports. Footballs or soccer balls were made from old rags, with their cover filled with hair gathered from the barber or hairdressers shop. Because these balls totally lacked bounce, naturally ground football was all that was possible.
In poor African and Asian countries, football shoes were out of the question. As these were not available, soccer players wrapped their feet with rags to prevent injuries.
On the other hand, players from highly developed countries are luckier because they can afford to buy such luxuries like football shoes, playing uniforms and appropriate equipment.
It is also worth mentioning here, that the price of one pair of branded football shoes made in the United States or Europe is more than the monthly salary of a worker in Africa or the other least developed countries.
For the longest time, our country has worshipped basketball, a game played from barangay half-courts to the Big Dome. Lately, football has stolen some of the attention of our hoops-loving masses.
The Philippine national football team has gained popularity beyond the dreams of the local football community. With their success, the Azkals have made the sport seemingly attainable to all — even to the female populace.
But in every country, in every sport, female athletes have always experienced a double standard. They are either deemed just another pretty face before even stepping on to the playing field, or they are considered too manly to be a woman.
This same double standard also exists in football, a sport that involves too much contact, roughness, and stamina. And the same double standard exists for members of the Philippine national women’s football team — the Malditas.
The nickname has been controversial, with many criticisms thrown its way. But for us, the nickname represents the evolution of the beautiful, modern Filipina — an evolution not necessarily understood by everyone.
The “mal” in maldita means “bad” in Spanish. The term refers to someone mean, perverse or wicked; loose of tongue; or one who speaks her mind freely.
The last definition fits the national women’s football team well — we are women who came together to redefine norms.
Everyday, we go against everyone thinking that we can’t enjoy the same success on the pitch. We fight our battles in training, push ourselves beyond what we can do, and when training ends and the clock hits 8 a.m., we head to the locker rooms and face the world as beautiful, confident women ready to go about our day.
Some head to school for a full day of classes, before another training session with respective varsity teams. Some go to work or attend to other commitments.
We work had in preparation for the day we represent our country in Laos for the ASEAN Football Federation Women’s Championships this September. But we also work hard to achieve something beyond our football careers.
Despite the lack of support and the lack of cheers, we keep going. In some ways, we were brave enough to answer the call to represent our country. We, the so-called Malditas, make do with what we have to try to create a team everyone can believe in.
And despite all the criticism, we go about our days with smiles. Smiles that say: Say what you must, I am a Maldita who fights till she gets what she wants. And if I were you, I would definitely be on my side because we are out to defy odds and conquer the world.
Attacking Mid Fielder for the Azkals, Paul Mulders had completed making his full debut for first division dutch football club ADO Den Haag in the 3rd round Vs Omonia in the UEFA Europa League, The Philippine International player came in the 32nd minute and was solid in their home win vs Omonia, playing a force at the center, he tried hard to intercept and create passes for his team but they however lost on an aggregate score of 1-3 that saw his club out of the Europa League Cup.
ADO Den Haag who signed the Filipino-Dutch Mulders to a 2 year deal is on the Eredivisi (Top Football Division in Netherlands) This only means that he will be playing top football for 2 years atleast in the Netherlands.
Paul is a product of Ajax Youth Football System, he made his International appearance for the Philippines in the 5-1 Aggregate win on the 1st Round of the Fifa World Cup 2014 Qualifying match vs Sri Lanka. We have missed him on Kuwait matches due to an injury he suffered playing for the Azkals previous game.
He is expected to be on the starting line up of his Dutch club soon.
It’s probably every girl’s dream come true to be given gift certificates to buy anything in a shop, while members of the Philippine Azkals team stand by to assist. If the shopping money is for Health and Beyond, a health supplement specialty store, and we are still referring to the Philippine Azkals, that girl would not entirely be me. Maybe it’s Bea Robles, the handpicked teenage fan pulled into VIP during the meet and greet event of Health and Beyond because she was screaming heartfelt “I love you’s” to the players from outside the store without shame. Tears swelled in her eyes and her cheeks blushed like a tomato when organizers finally said, “Okay, you! You can come in,” and suddenly she said, “OMG, I’m shy na!” Unable to muster up the same courage to profess her admiration for the hunky men apparently.
Even though the Azkals didn’t snag their win against Kuwait, countrymen were supportive. It was not like it was the greatest upset the country has seen. In fact, they were able to accomplish a feat in itself by providing, if even for a while, some glimmer of hope that we had our chance at the World Cup. It’s just too bad people forgot that Kuwait is a pretty strong team. It would have been quite an upset to win against Kuwait.
What do we know about the Azkals, besides coming into the country, dashingly good looking with promises that this half-Filipino team will make it somewhere? Even while their claim to fame carried a somewhat politically-offensive name (azkals derives from the term asong kalye, meaning half-breed or mongrel), to be frank, it was their ruggedly handsome charm that made them the stars they are today.
Defender Rob Gier and Me
So when not training on the fields defending the Philippine flag, the Azkals mostly do a lot of “being celebrities.” Which is why a day after their game with Kuwait, some members of the Azkals team were at a meet-and-greet function in Health and Beyond to promote living an active and healthy lifestyle. Special guests were given P2,000 each worth of shopping money to buy anything from the store, while the Azkals, dressed in employee Health and Beyond shirts, smiled for screaming fans and stood around to take questions. Present at the event were midfielders Nate Burkey and Simon Greatwich, defenders Rob Gier and Anton del Rosario and striker Misagh Bahadoran.
Health and Beyond has a wide variety of food supplements for health buffs, top-quality vitamins and even products addressing sports nutrition. I go home with some handy vitamin C and echinacea, seeing as my lifestyle is neither healthy nor active. President of Health and Beyond Miguel Garcia, an avid fan of football (he insists on using the term football as opposed to soccer), has been following the sport long before the Azkals even came into the picture. Riding on the growing love the country has for the sport and for the Azkals, he put two and two together and decided the Azkals would be as the perfect faces to endorse Health and Beyond. “Health and Beyond is about nutrition, proper diet, taking care of your bodies in whatever lifestyle you are in. And I think that the Azkals embody that because they are professional athletes. I saw the relationship and thought, what’s better than getting the Azkals to endorse Health and Beyond?” Miguel adds that even if you are not an active person, Health and Beyond carries products that will help people in the office overcome stress.
When the crowd begins to dissipate and the event comes to an end, guests are leaving with bottles of this and that health supplements, a few herbal teas, some protein bars, and that overpriced bracelet that claims to have energy. What’s in store for the Azkals now? Probably, when not in intensive vigorous training, they will continue to embody idyllic forms of what we all want, or want to be—healthy, fit and damn sexy.
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Azkals strikers Rob Gier, Anton del Rosario, Simon Greatwich, Nate Burkey and Misagh Bahadoran have no interest in joining show business for now.
In an interview by “Showbiz News Ngayon” taped July 30 after they appeared on “Happy Yipee Yehey” and aired Aug. 2, Gier said, “I'm just enjoying and concentrating on being Azkals at the moment.”
Bahadoran echoed Gier’s sentiment by simply saying, “I just wanna be [an] Azkals player.”
For his part, Greatwich reasoned, “I'm really quite shy and stuff so we're just trying to keep it low key.”
The five football players were in the noontime “Happy Yipee Yehey” last Saturday as contestants of the game, “Tanging Hinga Mo.”
Gier, who emerged the winner, described their guest stint as “a fun experience.” According to the “SNN” report, Gier became a worldwide trending topic on the microblogging site Twitter that day.
“I was really enjoyed by ‘Happy Yipee Yehey,’” Bahadoran expressed.
On the other hand, Burkey said, “It was a lot of fun. A bit disappointed with my performance, though, but it was fun!”
After competing against Sri Lanka and Kuwait in their unsuccessful bid at the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, the Azkals are on vacation and will resume training soon for their upcoming matches. In an interview, Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Jr. said that in September, the Azkals would be competing in the four-team Long Teng Cup in Taiwan.
More, in October, the team will participate in the four-nation invitational competition hosted by the PFF and sponsored by Asia Brewery Inc.
Lastly, in November, the Azkals will compete in the men's football competition of the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia.
Thanking their supporters, Greatwich asked them in the same "SNN" interview to “Continue to cheer us on.”
Del Rosario expressed, “Thank you very much for all your support. We wouldn't be here without you guys. Keep on supporting.”
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine football team manager Dan Palami said German Michael Weiss will stay as coach of the Azkals despite the team’s loss against Kuwait in the World Cup qualifiers last week.
Although he declined to rate Weiss’ performance after Kuwait sent the Filipino booters packing with a 5-1 aggregate win, Palami, also regarded as the Azkals’ godfather, believes Weiss is still the wise choice for the national team.
“It’s very unrealistic to gauge him against a team like Kuwait, but in fact, even as it is (elimination), the stride that we have made in football has been considered short of phenomenon not just in Asia but in the whole world,” Palami said.
Weiss, who left for Germany on Sunday for a 10-day break, replaced British Simon McMenemy six months ago and has two-year contract with the Azkals.
Under Weiss, the Azkals became the first national squad to reach the second round of the qualifiers since 1950. Under his guidance, the team also earned a berth to the AFC Challenge Cup finals next year.
Asked if he sees a longer partnership with Weiss, Palami said: “A long time is a very strong word. But at least I know that what he’s doing is working for us. For as long as we get the results that we want, not in terms of the bottom line scores but in terms of how we play, then I suppose he really has a plop in the team.”
Meanwhile, Palami is not letting up in further improving the lineup. He is set to leave for Europe this month to recruit possible reinforcements for the Azkals.
The national team is seriously considering on tapping French-born Alphonse Areola, a 6-foot-2 goalie who plays for French First Division side Paris St. Germain.
The 18-year-old Areola, whose parents are Filipinos, is seen to be an able replacement for Fil-British keeper Neil Etheridge, who is expected to have limited time with Azkals following his scheduled promotion as main reliever for his club Fulham in the English Premier League.
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine national football team manager Dan Palami said the Azkals are not getting any younger and will need to replenish their lineup for future competitions.
Palami, who appeared on ANC’s Hardball sports show, cited as an example the Azkals' first defensive unit.
“We have Ray Jonsson, who is about 32; we have Rob Gier, who is 30 years old; we have Aly [Borromeo], 28; and Anton [del Rosario] is 29. So we really need to replenish the back 4,” he said.
Although the team's veterans still have a lot of playing years ahead of them, Palami said the team needs younger footballers who will fill their boots.
More foreign-trained players
He added that while the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is building up the country’s grassroots program, the team management is scouting more overseas-based players who can potentially help the Azkals in future tournaments.
“We are concurrently trying to get the interest of good players outside the Philippines and get them to play for us,” he said.
Palami admitted that it is too early for the Azkals to rely solely on local players.
“In fact when I started managing the team, the first thing I did was to look for locally based players,” he said.
“Unfortunately, our grassroots program had been dormant for a few decades so it will take a while before we get locals. [But] it will probably happen in 4 years,” added Palami.
Among the European-based players reportedly eyed by the team management is Alphonse Areola, an 18-year-old goalkeeper who currently plays for the Paris Saint-Germain football club in France.
