Azkal country needs you on March 15

MARK that date, March 15 and leave no appointments from noon until the rest of the day.

Better yet, skip work or, if you’re the boss, let your employees take half the day off. For students, unless there’s a major exam scheduled, it’s time for an SDH—Self-declared Holiday.

It’s the Azkals against Mongolia, Part 2 and no, unlike what one TV anchor said, the Philippines doesn’t have to beat the host to move on to the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers in Myanmar. A draw will do.

But I know the Azkals know their fans will be watching back home, so I don’t think they’ll settle for a draw. Mongolia, too, won’t be the same side that played defensively last Feb. 9 so the Blue Wolves will take risks.

They’ll attack, probe and look for the opening.

They’ll probably thank the football gods, too, that Neil Etheridge isn’t playing.

Neil’s in England, on loan to Charlton Athletic from Fulham and his absence means veteran Eduard Sacapaño gets the No. 1 spot, while young Christopher Camcam gets promoted to No. 2.

Sacapaño is one of the unsung heroes of the Azkals, a veteran who stuck with the team all through those lean years. When Neil came along, he got relegated to second banana, something proud players who value themselves too highly can’t take.

But Ed? He’s still there. He trained and practiced hard for months for the Suzuki, despite knowing his chance of seeing action was close to nil.

Now that’s character. That’s grit.

He will need that against Blue Wolves, who’ll be playing in front of their own fans, who’ll be braving the freezing weather just to be there.

Yep, on March 15 the Azkals will be back to their usual thing—playing in another country’s homecourt.

But they are not in the usual situation. Gone are the days when only the hardcore fans you can count on one hand and the reporters you can count with the other are aware of their games.

Philippine football is changing and the Azkals need youto keep it evolving. No, not in cold Ulan Bator where zero degree is considered the warmest temperature of the day—that’s why they are holding the match at 1 p.m.—but they need you in front of the TV set on March 15.

You could be screaming nonsense or analyzing the formation, or you could even provide fashion tips. It doesn’t matter.

Work commitments, you say? Didn’t you call in with a fever because you were hung over? Class? Didn’t you skip them for a few bottles of beer?

You can come in garb, in white shirts and face paint or you can watch in your naked glory, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is your presence. Go to a bar, watch at home, have a viewing party with friends.

Or, like what Graeme Mackinnon, the guy who flew all the way from Australia to watch the Feb. 9 game, will do, watch a webstream with friends.

Be there on March 15. The Azkal country needs you.

Let’s not disappoint them.

PRAYERS. The Azkals are currently training in Japan and so far, they have survived two earthquakes.

In an ABS-CBN report, Chieffy Caligdong said they felt the tremors, while Roel Gener assured their family members and fans that they are safe.

Let’s hope the team’s situation continues that way and let’s pray for their safety and for all the victims of the massive quake.

(www.football.cebunetwork.com)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 12, 2011.

via Sunstar (Mike T. Limpag, 3/11/2011)

Sacapano takes Etheridge place for Azkals

IN the absence of ace goalie Neil Etheridge, Edward Sacapano will have to play big when the Philippine Azkals national football team takes on Mongolia right in its own turf in Ulan Bator next week.

Sacapano, a Bago City native, who played for West Negros University in college, will be the Azkals’ last line of defense against the Wolves, who will be looking to beat the Azkals at least by a score of 3-0 to clinch their home-and-away duel in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup.

The 21-year-old Fil-British Etheridge, who helped the Azkals reach the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup late last year and backstopped the same team against Mongolia during the initial home-and-away match, which the Azkals won, 2-0, in Panaad Stadium, will be gone for a month to honor his commitments with his ballclub in England.

But Sacapano’s teammate readily gave the reserve goalie their vote of confidence as they gear up for the decisive match in cold Ulan Bator.

“May tiwala kami kay Edward. Kayang-kaya niya iyan,” said Ian Araneta, one of the Azkals’ designated hitters, who plays the same position with Phil Younghusband.

A win by the Azkals will advance them into the group stage of the AFC Challenge Cup which will be held in neighboring Myanmar.

The Azkals, who will fly to Ulan Bator on Saturday night, are nearing the end of their training at the Japan Football Association training facility in Gotemba City.

The Azkals only need a draw to advance in the Group Stage, where they are bracketed with Bangladesh, Palestine and Myanmar.

Aside from Sacapano, other goalkeepers on standby for the nationals are Christopher Camcam and Paolo Pascual.

Meanwhile, the Azkals got a taste of world-class football when they bowed to Kanto Gakuiin University football squad, 4-0, in an exhibition match played at the artificial pitch of the Toki no Sumika recreational facility.

Japan is rated no. 1 among Asian nations in football, and the win only underscored the Japanese’s mastery of the game.

Meanwhile, Fil-foreign booter Jason Sabio is set to join the Azkals today, along with Chris (Simon - nicky) Greatwich, who be planing in from the United States. Peter Atencio

/via Manila Standard (3/11/2011)

Azkals seeded in Ulan Bator despite obstacles

[Members of the Azkals wave the Philippine flag during the team’s bout against Mongolia in Panaad Stadiun in Bacolod City. AFP file photo]

THE Philippine football team, Azkals, are seeded despite facing several obstacles when they face the Mongolian national team on March 15 in the latter’s turf.

Lawyer Roland A. Tulay, the president of the National Capital Region Football Association (NCRFA), told The Manila Times that the Azkals are facing extreme cold weather; the absence of some key players; the artificial turf of the home pitch and possibly, a highly-partisan crowd.

“On paper, we should beat Mongolia because of our higher FIFA standing,” he said.

But Tulay said that the aforementioned factors can present problems for the Azkals.

Foremost is the cold weather in Mongolia, which could reach four to 10 degrees below zero. Prior to flying to Mongolia, the national team trained for one week in Japan to help them adjust to the cold weather.

Tulay also said the Azkals must adjust to the artificial turf. They have trained at the International School which has this facility. “They will be playing on artificial turf. The bounce and roll of the ball is different, the ball rolls faster,” he added.

When the Azkals beat the Vietnamese during the Suzuki Cup and the Mongolians in Bacolod City, the national team played on natural grass.

Adding to the obstacles the Azkals must overcome is the absence of key player Neil Etheridge and other key players; the former having commitments to his new club Charlton Athletic in England’s Division One.

To fill up the gaping hole left by Etheridge, the Azkals will be relying on the services of the able Edward Sacapano who hails from Bago, Negros Occidental.

But perhaps the biggest challenge the Azkals will be facing in Mongolia is the expected hostile crowd.

When the Azkals faced the Mongolian team on February 10, Tulay recalled that the visiting team was welcomed with “arf, arf, arf” from the local crowd. They were told that this unique chant was the bark of the Azkals which meant “street dogs.” Nevertheless, the visiting team was feted to a warm round of applause at the end of 90 minutes.

/via Manila Times (via Condrad Carino, 3/11/2011)

Azkals’ Sacapano ready for Mongolia match

PHILIPPINE Football Team-Azkals second goalie and Bago City-native Eduard Sacapano is up to the challenge to take full responsibility to defend the Azkals’ goal against Mongolia Blue Wolves in the upcoming 2012 AFC-Challenge Cup second leg scheduled on March 15, 2011 at Ulan Bator in Mongolia.

Sacapano was thrust into the role after national team goal keeper Neil Etheridge, who was the goalkeeper in the first match against Mongolia, confirmed that he will not be playing in the second game because of prior commitments to Fulham Football Club (FC), now ranked 13th in the English Premier League.

With 10 days to go before the much-awaited Azkals-Blue Wolves match, the nationals are taking lots of adjustments to adapt to the game plan which includes the change of goalkeeper.

“I am so excited for this chance to play in the second leg. Coach Hans Michael Weiss is adding some keepers’ trainings and putting me in different challenges during practices,” Sacapano told Sun.Star-Bacolod.

“He (Weiss) worked so hard to put me in good shape for the upcoming match,” he added.

On the other hand, Weiss, in a national paper, expressed confidence on Sacapano following his good performance in several tune-up games of the Azkals.

Meanwhile, the Azkals, after undergoing high-altitude training in Baguio City last week, continue their preparation at the International School in Taguig City, Metro Manila to familiarize themselves with the artificial pitch similar to the one in Ulan Bator.

On Monday, the team will fly to Fukushima, Japan for the continuation of their adjustment training for five days before flying to Ulan Bator. The Japanese Football Association has also arranged tune up matches for the Azkals on those days.

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on March 05, 2011.

/via sunstar.com