By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:15:00 03/13/2011
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine football team arrived in Ulan Bator early Sunday and got a chilling reminder that it would have to deal with more than just Mongolia in the second leg of its AFC Challenge Cup duel.
Temperatures ranging from minus 16 to minus 20 degrees Celsius greeted the Azkals in their first few hours in the Mongolian capital, where they will be hoping to protect their 2-nil first-leg advantage.
The Mongolians need to win by at least three goals to prevent the Azkals from advancing to the AFC group stage, but the Azkals’ coach, Hans Michael Weiss, is confident they can survive the challenge.
“My team must stand this character test,” said Weiss in an e-mail to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “The preparations have been very good and done in a professional environment (in Japan). It could not have been better.”
Weiss took the two losses to a Japanese university side in stride, saying the team learned much from the experience.
“Training in Japan helped a lot,” said Weiss, whose squad was outscored 1-12 in two matches against Kanto University. “Even with two hard defeats, the team learned.”
Azkals team manager Dan Palami is also upbeat with the team’s chances.
“It’s just another adversity that the team has to overcome,” he said. “I know the players very well and rest assured, they will be there fighting for every ball on Tuesday despite the cold.”
But concerns remain on how the players will deal with the extreme weather in Ulan Bator, which is about 4,300 feet above sea level.
“It was freezing out there, we couldn’t stay put,” Borromeo told the Inquirer in an e-mail after checking out the artificial turf at the playing venue. “We had to keep moving. I think we will be okay once we get warmed up.”
Borromeo added: “It would really help tremendously if there won’t be a wind chill and the sun would come out.”
“We will just try our best to overcome the cold,” said co-skipper Chieffy Caligdong, the scorer of the first goal in the opening leg in Bacolod City last February 9, in a separate interview.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m., said to be the hottest time of the day in Ulan Bator.
“It’s really cold especially when the wind is blowing,” said defender Jason Sabio. “But otherwise, it’s no problem.”
The Azkals’ conditioning coach, Josef Malinay, who is with the team in Mongolia, said the game could be played at minus 4 degrees.
“The wind is the killer,” Malinay said.
The squad was still awaiting the arrival of Filipino-Icelandic defender Ray Jonsson and Fil-Dutch midfielder Jason de Jong, who would fly in from Indonesia, where he has been playing club football.
The Azkals had to battle through several travel glitches before reaching Ulan Bator from their training site in Gotemba City in earthquake-hit Japan.
There was one more glitch Saturday when the Azkals were forced to leave their luggage in Beijing, where they took the connecting flight to Ulan Bator. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, their luggage had yet to arrive in Ulan Bator.
Showing posts with label Dan Palami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dan Palami. Show all posts
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Losing in friendlies: A minor Apocalypse
BEFORE I proceed with this sports column, allow me to extend my deepest sympathies to those affected by yesterday’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We can only hope for the least number of casualties and damage, for the safety of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos working there, and for the nation’s quick recovery.
On a positive note, it was a relief to learn that the Azkals players training in the Japanese City of Gotemba right now are in no danger, as what team manager Dan Palami relayed online.
“Azkals are safe... felt the tremors but otherwise okay. Airports have been closed, hopefully it won’t affect flight to Mongolia tomorrow,” Palami said in his message posted on filipinofootball.blogspot.com yesterday.
Palami’s message was enough to reassure Azkals fans who were deeply worried for the team’s well-being.
Before that, however, the fans were already concerned with far less consequential events, especially at how the team was doing in the subzero conditions at the foot of snow-covered Mt. Fuji where they trained. The news reports weren’t good.
Last Wednesday, the team lost 4-0 to Kanto University, then yesterday 8-1, both warm-up matches for the second leg of their AFC Challenge Cup qualifying match against Mongolia on March 15 in expectedly worse weather.
The two successive drubbings from a college team sent many fans panicking on Facebook and Twitter, some with remarks that were not only uncalled for but foolish.
Of course, these comments were knee-jerk, as these didn’t take into consideration the fact that the players were still acclimatizing to the weather that ranged from 0 to -5 degrees.
“The cold really took a toll on the player’s bodies,” Palami said in a report by Cedelf Tupas of the Inquirer, adding that it would take a day or two for them to get used to the weather.
Just imagine the toll that the freezing conditions take on players who have spent most of their footballing lives in sunny weather, such as Emilio Caligdong and Ian Araneta, whose mobility suffered terribly from the biting cold, as what Palami revealed in the news report.
With that, football fans must realize that the performance of the players against the college team was far from a hundred percent.
On the other hand, it would be reasonable for the coaching and training staff to advise its players to “take it easy” against their opponents because their main goal in Japan is to acclimatize anyway.
Wouldn’t it be foolish to instruct players, quivering from the cold, to play with the same intensity as they would in a tropical country without having adapted to the weather?
Besides, there’s also reason to believe that in both warm-up matches, unnecessary injuries needed to be avoided, and so therefore, it wouldn’t make sense to stretch the players’ physical limits in a friendly match.
So the Azkals lost to a college team. Big deal.
Remember, the team is preparing for another team whose capabilities and limitations were exposed in the match in Bacolod City a month ago, a revelation certainly not lost on the coaching staff.
The only other issue of real concern is how well the Azkals’ acclimatization process is proceeding and whether they’d be in good form by March 15.
For peace of mind, it would do well for fans in doubt to just forget the 4-0 and 8-1 losses to a college team.
If that wont’ do, then I’ll just have to remind them that last Nov. 27, the same Azkals team lost 8-0 to Nakhon Pathom FC, a level two club in Thailand, during a warm -up match for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010.
With such a beating, some pundits just gave up on the Philippine team and their chances in Southeast Asia’s biggest football tournament.
But barely a week after, the Azkals silenced the pundits with a shock 1-1 draw against Singapore, before staging the biggest upset in the tournament’s history by humbling defending champions Vietnam 2-0 days later.
What does this prove? Among others, losing in warm-up matches does not equate to a disaster. So to all jittery Azkals fans, do yourselves a favor—relax in time for the big game. It’s just three days away, in case you’ve forgotten.
(nsvillaflor@gmail.com)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 12, 2011.
On a positive note, it was a relief to learn that the Azkals players training in the Japanese City of Gotemba right now are in no danger, as what team manager Dan Palami relayed online.
“Azkals are safe... felt the tremors but otherwise okay. Airports have been closed, hopefully it won’t affect flight to Mongolia tomorrow,” Palami said in his message posted on filipinofootball.blogspot.com yesterday.
Palami’s message was enough to reassure Azkals fans who were deeply worried for the team’s well-being.
Before that, however, the fans were already concerned with far less consequential events, especially at how the team was doing in the subzero conditions at the foot of snow-covered Mt. Fuji where they trained. The news reports weren’t good.
Last Wednesday, the team lost 4-0 to Kanto University, then yesterday 8-1, both warm-up matches for the second leg of their AFC Challenge Cup qualifying match against Mongolia on March 15 in expectedly worse weather.
The two successive drubbings from a college team sent many fans panicking on Facebook and Twitter, some with remarks that were not only uncalled for but foolish.
Of course, these comments were knee-jerk, as these didn’t take into consideration the fact that the players were still acclimatizing to the weather that ranged from 0 to -5 degrees.
“The cold really took a toll on the player’s bodies,” Palami said in a report by Cedelf Tupas of the Inquirer, adding that it would take a day or two for them to get used to the weather.
Just imagine the toll that the freezing conditions take on players who have spent most of their footballing lives in sunny weather, such as Emilio Caligdong and Ian Araneta, whose mobility suffered terribly from the biting cold, as what Palami revealed in the news report.
With that, football fans must realize that the performance of the players against the college team was far from a hundred percent.
On the other hand, it would be reasonable for the coaching and training staff to advise its players to “take it easy” against their opponents because their main goal in Japan is to acclimatize anyway.
Wouldn’t it be foolish to instruct players, quivering from the cold, to play with the same intensity as they would in a tropical country without having adapted to the weather?
Besides, there’s also reason to believe that in both warm-up matches, unnecessary injuries needed to be avoided, and so therefore, it wouldn’t make sense to stretch the players’ physical limits in a friendly match.
So the Azkals lost to a college team. Big deal.
Remember, the team is preparing for another team whose capabilities and limitations were exposed in the match in Bacolod City a month ago, a revelation certainly not lost on the coaching staff.
The only other issue of real concern is how well the Azkals’ acclimatization process is proceeding and whether they’d be in good form by March 15.
For peace of mind, it would do well for fans in doubt to just forget the 4-0 and 8-1 losses to a college team.
If that wont’ do, then I’ll just have to remind them that last Nov. 27, the same Azkals team lost 8-0 to Nakhon Pathom FC, a level two club in Thailand, during a warm -up match for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010.
With such a beating, some pundits just gave up on the Philippine team and their chances in Southeast Asia’s biggest football tournament.
But barely a week after, the Azkals silenced the pundits with a shock 1-1 draw against Singapore, before staging the biggest upset in the tournament’s history by humbling defending champions Vietnam 2-0 days later.
What does this prove? Among others, losing in warm-up matches does not equate to a disaster. So to all jittery Azkals fans, do yourselves a favor—relax in time for the big game. It’s just three days away, in case you’ve forgotten.
(nsvillaflor@gmail.com)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 12, 2011.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Azkals take risky route to U Bator
MANILA, Philippines – The resilient Azkals took the risk as they left the training facility in Gotemba, Japan yesterday morning just to catch their evening flight to Ulan Bator, Mongolia via Beijing.
The Azkals arrived safely at the Narita International Airport after taking a bullet train. They boarded the Air China flight to Beijing past 8 p.m.
They were scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 11:30 p.m., with very little time, 40 minutes to be exact, to catch the flight to Ulan Bator at 12:10 a.m.
“(We’re) at the (Narita) boarding gate. Been traveling nine hours and not even on the plane. (We) carried boxes around Japan literally by foot,” said Phil Younghusband on his Twitter.
The Azkals hooked up with teammate Jason Sabio who had been at the Narita Airport since Friday’s earthquake.
Simon Greatwich, who also came in from the United States, but on a different flight, ended up in Incheon, South Korea, and was on his way to Ulan Bator last night.
The earthquake that struck the northeastern coast of Japan the other day left the Azkals, in Gotemba since Monday, in a tight situation as they prepared for Tuesday’s match.
As of Friday evening, there was no certainty if the Azkals would be able to fly out of Japan which was struck by the seventh strongest earthquake in history.
Team officials feared that if the Azkals left Gotemba for Tokyo by bus, and travel around 170 kms, they might get stuck somewhere along the way.
And it was very hard to guess what might happen considering all the damage caused by the earthquake that left hundreds dead, with continuing threats of a tsunami and aftershocks.
Tokyo was a gridlock as of midnight of Friday, with traffic at a standstill, and an ordinary one-hour drive took at least five times longer.
The situation left football president Nonong Araneta and Azkals team manager Dan Palami, who were in Manila, in a quandary.
They thought of pushing for a cancellation of the March 15 match with the Mongolians, and push it back to a couple of days until things normalize in Japan.
But amid all these, the Azkals kept their supporters updated via Twitter, assuring everyone that they are all safe in Gotemba, which is far off the coastlines of Japan.
Araneta and Palami moved their flights to Ulan Bator via Incheon, South Korea from yesterday noon to tomorrow, meaning they will get there on the eve of the match.
But the Azkals, fortunately, did manage to get out of Gotemba, and safely to the Narita Airport on their way out to Ulan Bator.
“The Japanese Football Association did everything they could to make sure the team gets to the airport safely,” said Araneta.
Greatwich joked on his Twitter account that Sabio “has been stuck at the airport for so long he’s starting to look like Robin Williams in Jumanji.”
Del Rosario said the Narita Airport “looked like a hotel and the floor are the beds.”
Speaking of Sabio, Del Rosario said in jest, “He’s right next to me in one piece but he stinks.”
Sabio replied, “Anton is right. I smell. I smell like roses and butterflies.”
The Azkals will play the Mongolians in Ulan Bator at around 1 p.m. Tuesday, under freezing weather conditions, and would rely on their Columbia thermal outwear to fight it off.
The Azkals defeated the Mongolians at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, 2-0, last Feb. 9, and now the hosts need to win by a margin of at least three goals to boot the Azkals out.
/via Philippine Star (by Abac Cordero, 3/13/2011)
The Azkals arrived safely at the Narita International Airport after taking a bullet train. They boarded the Air China flight to Beijing past 8 p.m.
They were scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 11:30 p.m., with very little time, 40 minutes to be exact, to catch the flight to Ulan Bator at 12:10 a.m.
“(We’re) at the (Narita) boarding gate. Been traveling nine hours and not even on the plane. (We) carried boxes around Japan literally by foot,” said Phil Younghusband on his Twitter.
The Azkals hooked up with teammate Jason Sabio who had been at the Narita Airport since Friday’s earthquake.
Simon Greatwich, who also came in from the United States, but on a different flight, ended up in Incheon, South Korea, and was on his way to Ulan Bator last night.
The earthquake that struck the northeastern coast of Japan the other day left the Azkals, in Gotemba since Monday, in a tight situation as they prepared for Tuesday’s match.
As of Friday evening, there was no certainty if the Azkals would be able to fly out of Japan which was struck by the seventh strongest earthquake in history.
Team officials feared that if the Azkals left Gotemba for Tokyo by bus, and travel around 170 kms, they might get stuck somewhere along the way.
And it was very hard to guess what might happen considering all the damage caused by the earthquake that left hundreds dead, with continuing threats of a tsunami and aftershocks.
Tokyo was a gridlock as of midnight of Friday, with traffic at a standstill, and an ordinary one-hour drive took at least five times longer.
The situation left football president Nonong Araneta and Azkals team manager Dan Palami, who were in Manila, in a quandary.
They thought of pushing for a cancellation of the March 15 match with the Mongolians, and push it back to a couple of days until things normalize in Japan.
But amid all these, the Azkals kept their supporters updated via Twitter, assuring everyone that they are all safe in Gotemba, which is far off the coastlines of Japan.
Araneta and Palami moved their flights to Ulan Bator via Incheon, South Korea from yesterday noon to tomorrow, meaning they will get there on the eve of the match.
But the Azkals, fortunately, did manage to get out of Gotemba, and safely to the Narita Airport on their way out to Ulan Bator.
“The Japanese Football Association did everything they could to make sure the team gets to the airport safely,” said Araneta.
Greatwich joked on his Twitter account that Sabio “has been stuck at the airport for so long he’s starting to look like Robin Williams in Jumanji.”
Del Rosario said the Narita Airport “looked like a hotel and the floor are the beds.”
Speaking of Sabio, Del Rosario said in jest, “He’s right next to me in one piece but he stinks.”
Sabio replied, “Anton is right. I smell. I smell like roses and butterflies.”
The Azkals will play the Mongolians in Ulan Bator at around 1 p.m. Tuesday, under freezing weather conditions, and would rely on their Columbia thermal outwear to fight it off.
The Azkals defeated the Mongolians at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, 2-0, last Feb. 9, and now the hosts need to win by a margin of at least three goals to boot the Azkals out.
/via Philippine Star (by Abac Cordero, 3/13/2011)
Azkals coach tells fans: Don't worry
MANILA, Philippines — Even though there appears a slight concern in Philippine Azkals’ ability to deal with playing in a freezing condition, Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss is not about to press the panic button.
Only three days left before their crucial AFC Challenge Cup qualifying rematch against Mongolia in Ulan Bator, Weiss remains upbeat the Azkals can cope up with the freezing weather condition despite losing to the Kanto University football team in a tune up match, 4-0, in Gotemba City, Japan last Wednesday.
“No worries for all Azkals fans,” the German mentor, who turned 46 Friday, told the Bulletin in an e-mail interview.
“(Yes) we had big problems adapting to the weather and had a match versus a good university side… but the result really doesn’t matter too much and it shows you that we still have to learn a lot.”
Weiss acknowledged that the college team they faced was superior in both technique and teammanship than the Azkals side, saying: “The team (Japanese) trains under professional conditions since young age, (and) they are affiliated to Yokohama Marinos, a big club in Japan. Some of these players might be pros in the future.”
Azkals team manager Dan Palami agreed.
“It’s okay (with the loss). Our intention was really not to win, but to get the players acclimatized with the cold weather,” Palami said in a phone interview yesterday.
Palami was so confident about the team’s chances that he believes the team’s performance against the Japanese team would be enough to beat the Mongolians for the second time.
“Yes (we can still beat them),” said Palami, who added that the Azkals were safe following a powerful 8.4-magnitude earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami in the northeastern part of Japan.
“The Azkals are safe… felt the tremors but otherwise OK. Airports have been closed, hopefully it will not affect our flight to Mongolia tomorrow,” Palami posted on his Twitter account.
The Azkals were playing another Japanese university team in Gotemba City at presstime and Weiss appears unconcerned if ever the team loses again because he said the locals are still adjusting with the condition and “several players have been missing, so that was also a big factor.”
Fil-American Jason Sabio and Fil-British Simon Greatwich flew from the US and joined the team only yesterday afternoon. Two more Fil-foreigners, Ray Jonsson and Jason de Jong, will rejoin the team in Ulan Bator next week to complete the line up.
Meanwhile, Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation had approved the release of a P2- million grant for the Azkals’ campaign in the Challenge Cup.
He said the amount will help foot the bill for the Azkals’ travel expenses since the mandatory $20,000 aid by the AFC was not enough.
Armed with a 2-0 edge after beating the Mongolians last Feb. 9 in Bacolod City, the Azkals need only a draw to advance to the group stage in Myanmar.
Should the nationals prevail, they will meet Bangladesh, Palestine and the host nation in a single-round battle for the top two slots to the regular draw of the Asian Challenge Cup in 2012.
/via Manila Bulletin (Francisco Santiago, 3/12/2011)
Only three days left before their crucial AFC Challenge Cup qualifying rematch against Mongolia in Ulan Bator, Weiss remains upbeat the Azkals can cope up with the freezing weather condition despite losing to the Kanto University football team in a tune up match, 4-0, in Gotemba City, Japan last Wednesday.
“No worries for all Azkals fans,” the German mentor, who turned 46 Friday, told the Bulletin in an e-mail interview.
“(Yes) we had big problems adapting to the weather and had a match versus a good university side… but the result really doesn’t matter too much and it shows you that we still have to learn a lot.”
Weiss acknowledged that the college team they faced was superior in both technique and teammanship than the Azkals side, saying: “The team (Japanese) trains under professional conditions since young age, (and) they are affiliated to Yokohama Marinos, a big club in Japan. Some of these players might be pros in the future.”
Azkals team manager Dan Palami agreed.
“It’s okay (with the loss). Our intention was really not to win, but to get the players acclimatized with the cold weather,” Palami said in a phone interview yesterday.
Palami was so confident about the team’s chances that he believes the team’s performance against the Japanese team would be enough to beat the Mongolians for the second time.
“Yes (we can still beat them),” said Palami, who added that the Azkals were safe following a powerful 8.4-magnitude earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami in the northeastern part of Japan.
“The Azkals are safe… felt the tremors but otherwise OK. Airports have been closed, hopefully it will not affect our flight to Mongolia tomorrow,” Palami posted on his Twitter account.
The Azkals were playing another Japanese university team in Gotemba City at presstime and Weiss appears unconcerned if ever the team loses again because he said the locals are still adjusting with the condition and “several players have been missing, so that was also a big factor.”
Fil-American Jason Sabio and Fil-British Simon Greatwich flew from the US and joined the team only yesterday afternoon. Two more Fil-foreigners, Ray Jonsson and Jason de Jong, will rejoin the team in Ulan Bator next week to complete the line up.
Meanwhile, Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation had approved the release of a P2- million grant for the Azkals’ campaign in the Challenge Cup.
He said the amount will help foot the bill for the Azkals’ travel expenses since the mandatory $20,000 aid by the AFC was not enough.
Armed with a 2-0 edge after beating the Mongolians last Feb. 9 in Bacolod City, the Azkals need only a draw to advance to the group stage in Myanmar.
Should the nationals prevail, they will meet Bangladesh, Palestine and the host nation in a single-round battle for the top two slots to the regular draw of the Asian Challenge Cup in 2012.
/via Manila Bulletin (Francisco Santiago, 3/12/2011)
Azkals’ loss to Japan squad downplayed
MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine Azkals team manager Dan Palami downplayed the team's recent loss in an exhibition match in Japan.
The Azkals lost 0-4 to players from the Kanto Gakuin University.
Palami said the cold weather in Japan took its toll on the player's bodies.
However, he remains confident that the Azkals will eventually adjust to the freezing temperature.
The Azkals are training in Japan to prepare them for the sub-zero conditions in Mongolia in the second leg of their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup showdown on March 15. – Report from ANC
The Philippines-Mongolia match will be shown LIVE March 15, 12 noon on Studio 23, with a replay at 7p.m. The match will also be shown 3 p.m. on BALLS SkyCable Ch. 34.
/via abs-cbn
The Azkals lost 0-4 to players from the Kanto Gakuin University.
Palami said the cold weather in Japan took its toll on the player's bodies.
However, he remains confident that the Azkals will eventually adjust to the freezing temperature.
The Azkals are training in Japan to prepare them for the sub-zero conditions in Mongolia in the second leg of their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup showdown on March 15. – Report from ANC
The Philippines-Mongolia match will be shown LIVE March 15, 12 noon on Studio 23, with a replay at 7p.m. The match will also be shown 3 p.m. on BALLS SkyCable Ch. 34.
/via abs-cbn
Friday, March 11, 2011
Azkals safe in Japan
MANILA---The powerful earthquake that struck most of Japan Friday spared the city of Gotemba, where the Philippine football team is currently training for the second leg of its AFC Challenge Cup showdown with Mongolia in Ulan Bator next week.
Several members of the team yesterday assured that the contingent of 24 players, coaches and team staff are safe in Gotemba, a mountainous city three hours away from the Japanese capital of Tokyo.
The Azkals had actually just finished a scrimmage against Kanto Gakuin University when the earthquake measured at 8.9 on the Richter Scalerocked Japan.
“We just finished playing when the quake hit,” said skipper Aly Borromeo on his twitter account. “We thought we were all dizzy from the game.”
Borromeo added: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the locals in Japan. Don’t worry about the team. We are all safe over here.”
“The team is alright here,” said defender Anton del Rosario. “It’s very bad out here. Flooding everywhere but we’re far from it.”
“The Azkals are safe,” assured Azkals team manager Dan Palami, who arrived from Japan Wednesday after observing training the past three days. “Felt tremors but otherwise okay.”
Palami, however, expressed concern on the status of the flight of the Azkals to Ulan Bator tonight since the Narita Airport in Japan remains closed.
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta also said the PFF was still tracing the whereabouts of two United States-based players – Simon Greatwich and Jason Sabio – who were scheduled to arrive at Narita Airport today (Friday).
Greatwich was in a United Airlines flight from Houston which was scheduled to arrive in Tokyo at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Araneta said that Greatwich’s flight may still be airborne or diverted to Osaka Airport.
Sabio’s Japan Airlines flight from Chicago has reportedly arrived in Tokyo after the earthquake struck. "Sabio is in Tokyo, but we have not gotten in touch with him yet" said Araneta.
Sabio first contacted Inquirer Sports through Twitter and said that he has safely landed in Tokyo, but the passengers remain stranded inside the airplane with limited internet connection.
"Touchdown safely. Narita evacuated. In plane for 3 hrs. Don't know how long I'll be on the plane. Ground shakes every so often," posted Sabio at 6:30pm (Manila time).
/via Inquirer (by Cedelf P. Tupas, 11/03/2011)
Several members of the team yesterday assured that the contingent of 24 players, coaches and team staff are safe in Gotemba, a mountainous city three hours away from the Japanese capital of Tokyo.
The Azkals had actually just finished a scrimmage against Kanto Gakuin University when the earthquake measured at 8.9 on the Richter Scalerocked Japan.
“We just finished playing when the quake hit,” said skipper Aly Borromeo on his twitter account. “We thought we were all dizzy from the game.”
Borromeo added: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the locals in Japan. Don’t worry about the team. We are all safe over here.”
“The team is alright here,” said defender Anton del Rosario. “It’s very bad out here. Flooding everywhere but we’re far from it.”
“The Azkals are safe,” assured Azkals team manager Dan Palami, who arrived from Japan Wednesday after observing training the past three days. “Felt tremors but otherwise okay.”
Palami, however, expressed concern on the status of the flight of the Azkals to Ulan Bator tonight since the Narita Airport in Japan remains closed.
Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta also said the PFF was still tracing the whereabouts of two United States-based players – Simon Greatwich and Jason Sabio – who were scheduled to arrive at Narita Airport today (Friday).
Greatwich was in a United Airlines flight from Houston which was scheduled to arrive in Tokyo at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Araneta said that Greatwich’s flight may still be airborne or diverted to Osaka Airport.
Sabio’s Japan Airlines flight from Chicago has reportedly arrived in Tokyo after the earthquake struck. "Sabio is in Tokyo, but we have not gotten in touch with him yet" said Araneta.
Sabio first contacted Inquirer Sports through Twitter and said that he has safely landed in Tokyo, but the passengers remain stranded inside the airplane with limited internet connection.
"Touchdown safely. Narita evacuated. In plane for 3 hrs. Don't know how long I'll be on the plane. Ground shakes every so often," posted Sabio at 6:30pm (Manila time).
/via Inquirer (by Cedelf P. Tupas, 11/03/2011)
Azkal Simon Greatwich safe, flight diverted to Osaka
Azkal midfielder Simon Greatwich has safely landed in Osaka, Japan. Earlier, there was no word from Greatwich, as Narita airport was closed after the massive earthquake on Friday afternoon.
Greatwich told GMA News Online that the Tokyo airport was closed and that his flight was diverted to Osaka. He said he is now in contact with team officials.
Simon's brother Chris and fellow Azkal tweeted: "Apparently Simon is stuck in Osaka airport, but is okay."
Another Azkal, defender Jason Sabio, arrived at the Tokyo airport from Alabama, USA at around 3:00 p.m. on Friday via Japan Airlines.
At around 7:00 p.m., he tweeted that he and the other passengers were still stranded inside the plane.
He said when the plane landed in Japan, the ground was still shaking. He stressed, however, that all of them were safe.
Earlier this evening, GMA News Online reported that there was no word yet from Simon. He saw the story, reposted it on his Facebook fan page, and wrote: "DONT WORRY GMA IM OK!"
The rest of the team were already in Japan when the earthquake struck but team manager Dan Palami tweeted that they were safe.
The Azkals are conducting high-altitude training in Gotemba City (with an elevation of 1,500 feet), Honshu, on the eastern foot of Mount Fuji, south of Tokyo, Japan.
They have been in Japan since Monday as part of their training to acclimatize themselves to the cold Mongolian temperature for their match against the Blue Wolves, the Mongolian national team, on Tuesday, March 15.
The United States Geological Survey estimated the epicenter at 130 kilometers (km) east of Sendai, Honshu; 178 km east of Yamagata, Honshu; 178 km east-northeast of Fukushima, Honshu; or 373 km northeast of Tokyo.-- with reports from Miakka Lim and Mav Gonzales, GMA News
/via GMA News (3/11/2011 9:30 PM)
Greatwich told GMA News Online that the Tokyo airport was closed and that his flight was diverted to Osaka. He said he is now in contact with team officials.
Simon's brother Chris and fellow Azkal tweeted: "Apparently Simon is stuck in Osaka airport, but is okay."
Another Azkal, defender Jason Sabio, arrived at the Tokyo airport from Alabama, USA at around 3:00 p.m. on Friday via Japan Airlines.
At around 7:00 p.m., he tweeted that he and the other passengers were still stranded inside the plane.
He said when the plane landed in Japan, the ground was still shaking. He stressed, however, that all of them were safe.
Earlier this evening, GMA News Online reported that there was no word yet from Simon. He saw the story, reposted it on his Facebook fan page, and wrote: "DONT WORRY GMA IM OK!"
The rest of the team were already in Japan when the earthquake struck but team manager Dan Palami tweeted that they were safe.
The Azkals are conducting high-altitude training in Gotemba City (with an elevation of 1,500 feet), Honshu, on the eastern foot of Mount Fuji, south of Tokyo, Japan.
They have been in Japan since Monday as part of their training to acclimatize themselves to the cold Mongolian temperature for their match against the Blue Wolves, the Mongolian national team, on Tuesday, March 15.
The United States Geological Survey estimated the epicenter at 130 kilometers (km) east of Sendai, Honshu; 178 km east of Yamagata, Honshu; 178 km east-northeast of Fukushima, Honshu; or 373 km northeast of Tokyo.-- with reports from Miakka Lim and Mav Gonzales, GMA News
/via GMA News (3/11/2011 9:30 PM)
We're all safe - Azkals
MANILA, Philippines – The Azkals are all safe and sound after another powerful earthquake, this time with a magnitude of 8.9, struck the northeastern coast of Japan yesterday afternoon.
“Just to let everyone know we’re all safe in Japan. We’re quite far from the coastline so no need to worry,” said Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo on Twitter a few hours after the earthquake.
It was the second earthquake to hit Japan in three days, and yesterday’s was more powerful than Wednesday’s which had a magnitude of 7.3.
There were reports of heavy damage in the areas most hit by the earthquake, with aftershocks as powerful at 7.4 as well as tsunami alerts even in the neighboring countries.
The Azkals are in Gotemba, close to 200 km away from Tokyo, as part of their training for the March 15 match with Mongolia in Ulan Bator.
“The Azkals are safe. Felt the tremors but otherwise okay,” said Azkals team manager Dan Palami who flew home to the Philippines from Japan the other day.
The Azkals were supposed to train in Fukushima but at the last minute had moved to Gotemba.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because in Fukushima, six people died and many more were hurt after yesterday’s earthquake.
It was very difficult to get through the phone and get a first-hand account from the Azkals regarding the earthquake which struck at 2:46 p.m. (Japan time).
“No phone connection. We are all fine. But we don’t know how we are going to fly because the airports are all closed,” said Azkals goalie Chris Camcam on Twitter.
“Just want to let you know that the team is alright here in Japan. Please send your prayers to the rest of the country,” said defender Anton del Rosario.
Because of yesterday’s earthquake, Palami raised some concern regarding the Azkals’ flight to Ulan Bator Saturday evening.
“Airports have been closed but hopefully it won’t affect flight to Mongolia tomorrow,” said Palami.
Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta called The STAR to assure everyone that the Azkals are safe in their training camp.
“They’re okay. No need to worry,” said Araneta, who said two Azkals players coming in from the United States might take longer to get to Japan.
Araneta said he still has to receive word on Jason Sabio, who’s coming in from Chicago, and Simon Greatwich, who’s flying in from Houston.
“They were supposed to arrive in Japan at 2:30 and 4:25 yesterday. Maybe their flights have been diverted because of the closure of the airports,” said the PFF chief.
But Araneta said he’s hoping that things would normalize soon, and that Sabio and Greatwich will be able to join the team before the day is over.
Araneta said the second tuneup match between the Azkals and a Japanese squad, scheduled for today, may no longer take place because of what had happened.
The Azkals lost to the Kanto University team the other day, 4-0, in a match played under sub-zero weather.
“Airports were closed, train tracks as well. Maybe that second match will be cancelled,” said Araneta.
The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the eastern coast, the agency said. The area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
/via Philippine Star (by Abac Cordero, 3/11/2011)
“Just to let everyone know we’re all safe in Japan. We’re quite far from the coastline so no need to worry,” said Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo on Twitter a few hours after the earthquake.
It was the second earthquake to hit Japan in three days, and yesterday’s was more powerful than Wednesday’s which had a magnitude of 7.3.
There were reports of heavy damage in the areas most hit by the earthquake, with aftershocks as powerful at 7.4 as well as tsunami alerts even in the neighboring countries.
The Azkals are in Gotemba, close to 200 km away from Tokyo, as part of their training for the March 15 match with Mongolia in Ulan Bator.
“The Azkals are safe. Felt the tremors but otherwise okay,” said Azkals team manager Dan Palami who flew home to the Philippines from Japan the other day.
The Azkals were supposed to train in Fukushima but at the last minute had moved to Gotemba.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because in Fukushima, six people died and many more were hurt after yesterday’s earthquake.
It was very difficult to get through the phone and get a first-hand account from the Azkals regarding the earthquake which struck at 2:46 p.m. (Japan time).
“No phone connection. We are all fine. But we don’t know how we are going to fly because the airports are all closed,” said Azkals goalie Chris Camcam on Twitter.
“Just want to let you know that the team is alright here in Japan. Please send your prayers to the rest of the country,” said defender Anton del Rosario.
Because of yesterday’s earthquake, Palami raised some concern regarding the Azkals’ flight to Ulan Bator Saturday evening.
“Airports have been closed but hopefully it won’t affect flight to Mongolia tomorrow,” said Palami.
Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta called The STAR to assure everyone that the Azkals are safe in their training camp.
“They’re okay. No need to worry,” said Araneta, who said two Azkals players coming in from the United States might take longer to get to Japan.
Araneta said he still has to receive word on Jason Sabio, who’s coming in from Chicago, and Simon Greatwich, who’s flying in from Houston.
“They were supposed to arrive in Japan at 2:30 and 4:25 yesterday. Maybe their flights have been diverted because of the closure of the airports,” said the PFF chief.
But Araneta said he’s hoping that things would normalize soon, and that Sabio and Greatwich will be able to join the team before the day is over.
Araneta said the second tuneup match between the Azkals and a Japanese squad, scheduled for today, may no longer take place because of what had happened.
The Azkals lost to the Kanto University team the other day, 4-0, in a match played under sub-zero weather.
“Airports were closed, train tracks as well. Maybe that second match will be cancelled,” said Araneta.
The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the eastern coast, the agency said. The area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.
/via Philippine Star (by Abac Cordero, 3/11/2011)
Azkals safe, offer prayers to Japanese affected by quake
The Azkals, currently training on higher ground in Japan, are safe, according to a tweet by team manager Dan Palami. A powerful earthquake, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale, struck Japan Friday afternoon, the biggest to hit that country in seven years. The earthquake's epicenter was at sea off Sendai City, two hours north of Tokyo.
The Azkals are conducting high-altitude training in Gotemba City (elevation 1,500 feet), Honshu, on the eastern foot of Mount Fuji, south of Tokyo. They've been in Japan since Monday as part of their training to acclimatize themselves to the cold Mongolian temperature for their match against the Blue Wolves, the Mongolian national team, on Tuesday, March 15.
Palami added in his tweet that airports have been closed and that "hopefully it won't affect flight to Mongolia" on Saturday.
Other Azkal team members also tweeted about their condition. From team captain Aly Borromeo: "Thoughts and prayers go out to all the locals here in Japan, don't worry about the team guys. We're all safe over here!"
Defender Anton Del Rosario tweeted: "Just a heads up, we're all okay. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers... We didn't even feel the earthquake. Hopefully we get to make it out to Mongolia on time. Please offer prayers to the people in Japan affected by this tragedy."
The United States Geological Survey estimated the epicenter at 130 kilometers (km) east of Sendai, Honshu; 178 km east of Yamagata, Honshu; 178 km east-northeast of Fukushima, Honshu; or 373 km northeast of Tokyo.
According to a Reuters report, the USGS said the quake struck off-shore 81 miles (130 kms) east of Sendai in Honshu at a depth of 15.2 miles (24 kms).
The massive earthquake shook buildings in Tokyo, causing "many injuries," at least one fire and triggering a four-meter (13-ft) tsunami, NHK television and witnesses reported.
There was also a warning of a 10-meter high tsunami following the quake. -- with a report from Miakka Lim, GMA News
/via GMA News (March 11, 2011 04:18 PM)
The Azkals are conducting high-altitude training in Gotemba City (elevation 1,500 feet), Honshu, on the eastern foot of Mount Fuji, south of Tokyo. They've been in Japan since Monday as part of their training to acclimatize themselves to the cold Mongolian temperature for their match against the Blue Wolves, the Mongolian national team, on Tuesday, March 15.
Palami added in his tweet that airports have been closed and that "hopefully it won't affect flight to Mongolia" on Saturday.
Other Azkal team members also tweeted about their condition. From team captain Aly Borromeo: "Thoughts and prayers go out to all the locals here in Japan, don't worry about the team guys. We're all safe over here!"
Defender Anton Del Rosario tweeted: "Just a heads up, we're all okay. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers... We didn't even feel the earthquake. Hopefully we get to make it out to Mongolia on time. Please offer prayers to the people in Japan affected by this tragedy."
The United States Geological Survey estimated the epicenter at 130 kilometers (km) east of Sendai, Honshu; 178 km east of Yamagata, Honshu; 178 km east-northeast of Fukushima, Honshu; or 373 km northeast of Tokyo.
According to a Reuters report, the USGS said the quake struck off-shore 81 miles (130 kms) east of Sendai in Honshu at a depth of 15.2 miles (24 kms).
The massive earthquake shook buildings in Tokyo, causing "many injuries," at least one fire and triggering a four-meter (13-ft) tsunami, NHK television and witnesses reported.
There was also a warning of a 10-meter high tsunami following the quake. -- with a report from Miakka Lim, GMA News
/via GMA News (March 11, 2011 04:18 PM)
Kanto U routs shivery Azkals
Philippine football team manager Dan Palami yesterday allayed concerns the Azkals will find difficulty dealing with the sub-zero weather in Ulan Bator when they play Mongolia for the second leg of their AFC Challenge Cup qualifying series on March 15.
Returning to Manila after observing the team’s training in the Japanese city of Gotemba the past three days, Palami took the 4-0 drubbing absorbed by the Azkals to Kanto University team Wednesday in stride, saying it’s only a matter of time before the national side gets to adjust to the weather.
“I think it will take one or two more days for them to finally get used to the cold,” said Palami in a phone interview with the Inquirer.
Palami said the Azkals trained at temperatures ranging from zero to five degrees. The average temperature in Ulan Bator yesterday was zero degree.
“The cold really took a toll on the player’s bodies,” Palami said. “It’s a good thing we were able to go to Japan this week. It will go a long way in our preparations.”
Palami’s return came a day after the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. approved the release of a P2-million grant for the Azkals’ campaign in the Challenge Cup.
The information was relayed to the Inquirer by Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.
Among the most affected by the cold weather were Ian Araneta and Chieffy Caligdong, whose mobility, according to
Palami, was limited.
Caligdong opened the scoring in the Azkals’ 2-nil victory over the Mongolians in the first leg in Bacolod City last Feb. 9.
Phil Younghusband, the scorer of the second goal, appears to be the most comfortable with the Japanese weather.
“He’s playing better,” Palami said of Younghusband, who has scored 13 goals for the country.
Palami said the challenge is also with the coaching staff headed by German Hans Michael Weiss to remove the “mental block” of playing in the cold weather.
Still, Palami is confident that the Azkals will overcome the Mongolians. “I think we have a good chance against Mongolia,” he added.
/via Inquirer (by Cedelf P. Tupas, 11/3/2011)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Palami tightens leash on Azkals
NATIONAL team manager Dan Palami has started to tighten the leash on the Philippine Azkals, virtually warning them on the squad’s Facebook page that he would not tolerate any "distractions" that may hamper their performance on the pitch.
"We are the first one to call out any Azkal whose game is threatened by ‘distractions’ in any form," Palami wrote in a statement posted on the social networking site on Monday night shortly after they arrived in Japan for the last phase of their training for their Asian Challenge Cup return match against Mongolia on March 15 in Ulan Bator.
"I would like to categorically assure everyone that the coaches and I are taking all steps necessary to ensure the Azkals always give their best," he added.
A businessman who poured a small fortune into the team’s buildup as far back as November 2009, Palami said he was compelled to issue the statement because "some concerns about the potential distraction of fame and celebrity for players have resulted in unfortunate controversies.
"I would prefer to keep silent on matters off the pitch, but some issues persist and these unwarranted doubts can’t be healthy for the team.
"As long as each one fulfills his professional responsibilities, I wouldn’t interfere in a player’s personal life or bar him from undertaking projects in other fields," he said.
Palami noted that "with so many new aspirants for the national team, the competition for spots has become more intense, and I can tell you the Azkals are working harder than ever."
But Palami also lightened up and praised the present members, saying "every Azkal who has made it this far has earned his spot through hard work, talent, and ability to work well with the team."
The nationals have become instant celebrities and triggered national "Azkalmania" after their sensational showing in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 where they reached the semifinals for the first time in the 14-year history of Southeast Asia’s men’s football championship.
Among the most prominent of the team members are the Younghusband siblings, Phil and James, who have become the unofficial poster boys and heartthrobs of the squad.
Phil, 24, the more gregarious and outgoing of the two brothers, has been in the spotlight after asking comely actress Angel Locsin for a date through Twitter.
Reports have it they have already dated, and fans of both player and showbiz personality have set up up their own Facebook page www.facebook.com/philgel for updates on the couple.
Palami also addressed the issue of some quarters who are apparently envious of his wards’ newfound fame and fortune.
"All this time when they played for the Philippines, the Azkals would lose income because of time spent away from better-paying jobs. Compared to football players in other countries, our Azkals receive a mere pittance, and yet they play on.
"If admiration, endorsements and other opportunities are now coming their way, I hope none of us will begrudge them a little taste of their well-deserved victory," he said.
The team arrived in Japan last Monday afternoon and is now quartered at the J-Village in the city of Gotemba at the foot of Mt. Fuji, an hour’s drive from the Japanese capital of Tokyo, where the weather was a cool 7-degree Celsius.
They hope to use the next six days to acclimatize to the Mongolian weather, which continued to be minus-7 as of yesterday.
The Azkals leave on Sunday for Ulan Bator, with a stopover in Incheon, South Korea, giving them at least two days to cope with the subzero conditions they expect in Mongolia.
/via Malaya (BY BONG PEDRALVEZ, 3/9/2011)
"We are the first one to call out any Azkal whose game is threatened by ‘distractions’ in any form," Palami wrote in a statement posted on the social networking site on Monday night shortly after they arrived in Japan for the last phase of their training for their Asian Challenge Cup return match against Mongolia on March 15 in Ulan Bator.
"I would like to categorically assure everyone that the coaches and I are taking all steps necessary to ensure the Azkals always give their best," he added.
A businessman who poured a small fortune into the team’s buildup as far back as November 2009, Palami said he was compelled to issue the statement because "some concerns about the potential distraction of fame and celebrity for players have resulted in unfortunate controversies.
"I would prefer to keep silent on matters off the pitch, but some issues persist and these unwarranted doubts can’t be healthy for the team.
"As long as each one fulfills his professional responsibilities, I wouldn’t interfere in a player’s personal life or bar him from undertaking projects in other fields," he said.
Palami noted that "with so many new aspirants for the national team, the competition for spots has become more intense, and I can tell you the Azkals are working harder than ever."
But Palami also lightened up and praised the present members, saying "every Azkal who has made it this far has earned his spot through hard work, talent, and ability to work well with the team."
The nationals have become instant celebrities and triggered national "Azkalmania" after their sensational showing in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 where they reached the semifinals for the first time in the 14-year history of Southeast Asia’s men’s football championship.
Among the most prominent of the team members are the Younghusband siblings, Phil and James, who have become the unofficial poster boys and heartthrobs of the squad.
Phil, 24, the more gregarious and outgoing of the two brothers, has been in the spotlight after asking comely actress Angel Locsin for a date through Twitter.
Reports have it they have already dated, and fans of both player and showbiz personality have set up up their own Facebook page www.facebook.com/philgel for updates on the couple.
Palami also addressed the issue of some quarters who are apparently envious of his wards’ newfound fame and fortune.
"All this time when they played for the Philippines, the Azkals would lose income because of time spent away from better-paying jobs. Compared to football players in other countries, our Azkals receive a mere pittance, and yet they play on.
"If admiration, endorsements and other opportunities are now coming their way, I hope none of us will begrudge them a little taste of their well-deserved victory," he said.
The team arrived in Japan last Monday afternoon and is now quartered at the J-Village in the city of Gotemba at the foot of Mt. Fuji, an hour’s drive from the Japanese capital of Tokyo, where the weather was a cool 7-degree Celsius.
They hope to use the next six days to acclimatize to the Mongolian weather, which continued to be minus-7 as of yesterday.
The Azkals leave on Sunday for Ulan Bator, with a stopover in Incheon, South Korea, giving them at least two days to cope with the subzero conditions they expect in Mongolia.
/via Malaya (BY BONG PEDRALVEZ, 3/9/2011)
Monday, March 7, 2011
New recruits to boost Azkals
 |
| The Azkals, honored with the Presidential Achievement Award, pose with Philippine Sportswriters Association president Teddyvic Melendres (center) during the PSA Annual Awards Night Saturday at the Manila Hotel. |
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta Jr. and national team manager Dan Palami broke the news during an interview at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night in the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel last Saturday. They confirmed that three recruits will reinforce the Azkals in the group stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup in Yangon, Myanmar, on March 21, 23 and 25, assuming the Philippines dumps Mongolia in their qualifying series.
The recruits are led by Spanish-born Angel Aldeguer Guirado, a Fil-Spanish striker who has played for the Spanish Division III team Deportivo Ronda in Malaga. He cuts an imposing figure on the pitch because of his 6-2 frame. Guirado, 26, is a first cousin of Caloy Garcia, Rain Or Shine assistant coach in the PBA. His mother Angela Aldeguer is the sister of Garcia’s mother Gloria and father Juan is Spanish. The Garcias trace their roots to Ilagan, Isabela. Guirado has worked out with the Azkals but is not eligible to play in the Azkals’ second leg match against Mongolia in Ulan Bator on March 15 because he’s not in the lineup submitted to the AFC.
“Angel was in Manila five years ago,” said Garcia’s mother Gloria. “He will leave for Spain tomorrow and rejoin the team in Myanmar. It’s a pity he can’t play in Mongolia because his name was not included. The coach (Michael Weiss) is happy with him.”
Guirado, who speaks only Spanish, now has a Philippine passport. In Spain, the mother’s maiden name is used by children to follow the father’s surname so that the Azkals’ latest recruit is known as Angel Guirado-Aldeguer or Angel Guirado y Aldeguer. It’s the same in Cuba where former Philippine boxing coach Raul Fernandez is known as Raul Fernandez-Liranza or Raul Fernandez y Liranza as his mother’s maiden name is Liranza.
Araneta said possible future recruits are the Toronto-born De Guzman brothers, whose father Bobby is Filipino and mother Pauline is Jamaican. Midfielder Jonathan, 23, is now playing for Spanish La Liga club Real Mallorca after a stint in the Dutch league. Older brother Julian, 29, used to play for the Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna and now suits up in the Canadian league. The De Guzmans, however, have indicated no interest to play for the Philippines so far. Julian has played for the Canadian national team. FIFA allows players to switch national teams provided they are able to show legitimate passports.
The two other Azkal recruits are Fil-German Stefan Schrock and Fil-Danish Jerry Lucena. Schrock, 24, plays for the German Division II club Greuther Furth. His mother is Filipina and father, German. Lucena, 30, was born in Esbjerg, Denmark, to a Filipino father and a Danish mother. He plays for the Danish Division I club AGF Aarhus.
Schrock showed up at the PSA Awards Night walking with crutches. He’s in town to apply for his Filipino passport.
Also at the PSA Awards Night were goalkeeper Neil Etheridge’s parents Martin and Merlinda Dula of Concepcion, Tarlac. Etheridge was not permitted to take a leave from his English club Fulham to play in Ulan Bator. His parents are in town for a two-week holiday.
The Philippines will advance to the group stage in Myanmar if it beats Mongolia in their qualifying two-game series on an aggregate goal basis. Awaiting the Philippines-Mongolia winner in Group A are host Myanmar, Bangladesh and Palestine. The top two finishers in Group A will join the top two placers in three other groups to play in the eight-team Challenge Cup finals where the winner qualifies to compete in the AFC Asian Cup.
/via Philippine Star (by Joaquin Henson, March 07, 2011)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Fierce as an Azkal
 |
| Cover photo by Jun Mendoza. On the cover: Chieffy Caligdong celebrates with his teammates after he scored the country’s first goal against Mongolia. |
MANILA, Philippines - Basketball and boxing... these are the two sports Filipinos are obsessed with. Even as the rest of the world was riveted by last year’s World Cup matches, interest in the country was sporadic, and perhaps a good part of that was because of Paul the prophetic octopus.
But one football match changed all that.
 |
| Phil Younghusband tries to get the ball through a wall of Mongolian players (above). The Azkals are looking to repeat their victory on March 15 in Mongolia. |
The Philippine Azkals were making a name for themselves, but were still under the radar when they faced Vietnam for the qualifying match at the Suzuki Cup in Vietnam last Dec. 4. Unexpectedly, they were the underdogs but when they pulled off an upset and won the match 2-0, football suddenly figured in the national consciousness, the team became overnight sensations, the new darlings of Philippine sports. Their win has been called one of the biggest upsets in football history, since the Azkals, ranked 151st in the world, blanked out defending champion Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup in Hanoi. The team even made it to Sports Illustrated magazine, their stunning upset picked as #10 in the magazine’s Top 10 football stories of the year. When the team played against Mongolia last Feb. 9, supporters trooped to the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod and wildly cheered them on to a 2-0 victory.
Of course it helps that the team is a good-looking bunch, and many of them could easily pass for commercial models and movie stars. But fortunately, their performance on the turf gives reason enough for the adulation.
Team manager Dan Palami says that he’s not surprised by the attention the team has been getting, but it’s not over until they hurdle the next game set in Mongolia on March 15.
“It’s not surprising but very overwhelming and right now you could see everything on the Internet. I know some were trying to get tickets to fly over to Bacolod to watch the game. But to see it on the web and to see the warm bodies are two different things and when you see these people cheering for you, it only happened to the team in Bacolod so far,” Palami says.
“It’s gratifying to see people of different ages, genders, geographical areas of residence and different political affiliations and to see them all – we suddenly realized that it’s not just a cliché that football is a unifying sport,” he adds.
While the Azkals have brought football to center stage due to their recent victories, Palami has long been sure that there were fans of the game in the country.
 |
| Goalie Neil Etheridge keeps the Mongolians scoreless. Photos by Jun Mendoza/STAR |
“I always knew there were a lot of football supporters in the Philippines even before the game in Vietnam. The only difference I think was that years before, there were no reasons for them to come out and celebrate. They were hiding behind the anonymity because there wasn’t anything to celebrate,” he says.
All this has changed since winning the match in Bacolod and Palami says they are taking the attention in stride and know that they must prove it’s not just an overnight thing. “We’re quite appreciative of what’s happening. We’re a work in progress and we need to sustain the interest because some say its temporary, a flash in the pan. We need to keep getting good results in international games,” Palami admits. Their goal right now is to make the team not only a powerhouse in Southeast Asia but in the whole of Asia.
The Azkals – a play on the colloquialism for mongrel, askal or asong kalye – have a total of 37 players on the roster, 23 of whom will be going to Mongolia. Several of the players belong to teams in the European and Asian circuits, but suit up for the Philippine national team. Goalie Neil Etheridge, whose father is British and whose mother hails from Tarlac, is a goalie of Fulham in England. The popular Younghusband siblings Phil and James, also Fil-Brits, used to play for Chelsea. Left winger Chieffy Caligdong, who scored the first goal against Mongolia in Bacolod, is with the Philippine Air Force and plays for its team.
 |
| The Azkals show off their winning form against the Mongolian team in Bacolod. |
While the team is composed of Filipinos and those with Filipino blood, Palami says the difference lies in the training, especially those who played in football clubs abroad. But the coaching staff and foreign players who played with the team are very impressed with the Filipino players. “Given the chance and had they had the training, they would be playing in the elite teams,” Palami says, referring to the English Premier and Spanish League.
Team captain Aly Borromeo believes that the local players play a big role in the matches. “The core of the team, the local players, pretty much the chemistry is there,” he says.
With the Azkals in the thick of preparation for the game in Mongolia, Palami admits that one major concern that they have is the climate.
“It’s the one factor that we have yet to be tested. The reason why we’re very concerned with it is because we’ve seen the players of Mongolia play, we’ve seen the conditions, we could dominate the game. But I don’t think any of the players have any chance to play the game at subzero temperature. Until they are on the pitch and I see them play, that’s the only time I can relax,” he says.
And while many fans have pinned their hopes on the team to bring the county finally into the World Cup, Palami says they are flattered and are hoping for that one day.
“We’re just in our infancy and the rest of Southeast Asia and Asia have been into the sport with a full program for a long time already. That’s what we need, a long-term program to make sure that we are ready for the next level. It’s our dream to be there (World Cup) but we know wishing to be there and getting there are two different things and we really need to work hard to make sure that we are ready.”
The popularity of the Azkals is not only confined to the Philippines but has spread to other countries as well. Many of the players – among them the Younghusband brothers and team captain Aly Borromeo – have been offered to play in Asian football clubs, which Palami says is an advantage for them. “It’s good for the team. We’re assured that the clubs in Indonesia or anywhere will take on the responsibility of training them, make the investments, and their salaries will give them the financial returns and ensure they are on a competitive level.”
 |
| After one of the biggest upsets in football history, the Philippine team celebrates their victory over defending champion Vietnam |
Now that football is gaining popularity in the country, Palami says that the team is even more determined to succeed. “The team has for a long time been trashed, the whipping boys in a match. But now that they’ve tasted what it’s like when they win, I think that’s what’s going to motivate them. This adulation, the screaming fans, is a result of their hard work. I don’t think they would let go of that, but will work harder to make sure the campaigns they join would be successful.”
Basketball and boxing may still be the national obsessions, but Palami says football is a sport that Filipinos can definitely sink their teeth into next. So has the time of Philippine football come? “It’s dawning. It’s not yet the peak. We’re still far from saying we are successful but we have to start somewhere – and this is a start.”
 |
| STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte (center) welcomes Phil. Football Federation president Nonong Araneta (left) and chairman Johnny Romualdez (right), Azkals team manager Dan Palami (second from left) and players Aly Borromeo, Roel Gener, Nestor Margarse, and Ricardo Bacite when the team visited The STAR recently. Joey Mendoza/STAR |
/via Philippine Star (by Alexa Villano, Mar-6-2011)
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