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.

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)

Azkals: Homeless no more

There’s something thoroughly captivating about the way football is played. The deft handling of the ball, purposeful movements up and down the field, nimble sidesteps and acrobatic feats of athleticism… Sure, basketball can do all this and then some, but it’s only in a game of football where the feeling of the ball hitting the back of the net is infinite. I’ve been playing football since grade school and I can say for sure: there’s nothing quite like it in the whole world.

Now, I realize my writing about the sudden burst of football fever in the country is coming out a bit late, especially in light of the number of tweets, blog posts, status updates, and write-ups that have germinated since last year, but you’ll have to bear with me. After all, considering how the UAAP football season has just ended with the UP Fighting Maroons bagging the championship, well, it’s a wonderful time to be a football fan here in UP.

And on that note, I never thought I’d say this, but it’s a wonderful time to be a football fan here in the Philippines.

Yes, the Philippines. Land of the hoop-loving and the basketball-crazy, where football has been left at the periphery of national consciousness despite being the oldest national team in Asia… until now.

The Upset: Proving to us all that indeed, miracles DO happen.

Formerly deemed the sacrificial lamb of the region, we are Southeast Asia’s whipping boy no more — the Azkals win over defending champion Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup last December saw to that; with the national team making it to the semifinals for the first time in the competition’s 14-year history.

When I think about how that fateful day changed the sentiments of an entire nation overnight, I can’t help but be amazed. Was it only a few years ago when the general consensus was that Philippine football would slowly die out because of impotence on the part of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF)? Lack of leadership and direction, corruption and misappropriation of funds under the reign of former PFF president Mari Martinez… even the Azkals weren’t spared; shortly after their arrival from Vietnam, the team released a statement saying “We have not received one centavo of support from the PFF. Not to mention a call or a text during the final rounds of the 2010 Suzuki Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam.”

Indeed, in light of this, the Azkals’ achievement last year was a veritable godsend. And now that Martinez has been sacked for good and new president Mariano Araneta installed into office, I think it’s safe to say that the future of Philippine football can only go up from here.

Team Azkals: Yes, YOUR team never looked this good. (/via philippine-azkals. tumblr.com)

Let’s call it the Azkal effect

Not many people know that the name “Azkals” was the creation of Internet fans in 2005, similar to how fans in other countries name their favorite clubs and national teams (e.g. The Japanese national team is called “Samurai Blue,” while English club Manchester United is tagged “The Red Devils”). Personally, I am enamored with the name. It’s wonderfully subversive, as well as unabashedly Pinoy. And I love how far removed it is from names that are deemed more respectable. With all elitist pretensions removed, being tagged as a “mongrel” or “street dog” simply means we know how to survive. Never mind the irony of the team’s dynamics — these guys are still our own. And if the culture of a nation is any indicator of the playing style/identity of its football team — for example, the methodical mindset of Germany transposed onto its national team’s very structured and organized play — then I can’t wait to see how the Azkals ease themselves into their role.

In any case, some of the fruits of the Azkal Effect include the Senate waking up to the embarrassing state of the country’s football development programs; serious plans to finally build a football stadium that would meet international standards; the PFF standing to receive around P29.7 million from FIFA (as well as an initial amount of P8 million from SMART telecommunications); and the DepEd considering experimenting on specialized athlete schools to support the national sports program.

Personally, what I’m really excited about is the formation of a working premier football league. Indeed, although football is actually widely played at the school level, very few are motivated to pursue “professional” football after graduation; the one major reason for this being the lack of a national league to participate in. Now I don’t know about you guys, but the idea of having something akin to the UK’s premier league (dream big, right?) thrills me to no end.

* * *

There’s a theory floating around that the presence of a McDonald’s in your city/area/country is a sign that you’re economically stable enough to be invested in by the imperialist powers-that-be. There’s also this theory floating around that the development of a country’s football parallels its own growth as a nation.

So far, there’s Singapore, winner of the 2007 and 2008 Suzuki Cup, whose recent success in the sport is reflective of its stature as one of the world’s fast-rising, economic powerhouses. Then there’s also Vietnam, another country on the road to football progress. In fact, according to an article by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, “Last May, in a visit to Switzerland by Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, Swiss officials feted him not just for the favorable business conditions in his country but also for the dramatic improvement of its football program.”

Here’s hoping that the long-awaited football miracle in our country is a sign of only greater things to come.

/article and photos via Philstar.com (by Samantha King)

Video of historic winning match of Azkals against Vietnam with 2-0 lead

Finally, I've watched the video match where Azkals made a history by amazingly beating the powerhouse depending champion Vietnam at AFC Suzuki Cup 2010 with 2-0, on goals by Greatwich and Phil Younghusband.  Azkals outstanding performance at Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup sparked Filipinos interest in Football.  Support Azkals to help inspire them in the upcoming match against Mongolia on 15th March 2011 at lan Bator in Mongolia.  Video credit to tungstenpalm@youtube.





This video shows the highlights of the game. Video credit to dude3nuckle@youtube.



Phil's winning goal ...

Azkals' amazing 2-0 win over Vietnam is sports story of year

Philippine football team goalkeeper Neil Etheridge (left) works against the vaunted Vietnam team during the Suzuki Cup. (EPA)

In an incredible year for Philippine football, Manny Pacquiao has to settle for second place behind the gritty bunch of football players, fondly known as the Azkals.

The Azkals placed the Philippines in the international football map with their unprecedented performance in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup.  A merry mix of Fil-foreign and homegrown talents, the Azkals stunned powerhouse Vietnam, 2-0, and drew with Singapore and Myanmar to reach the semifinals for the first time against Indonesia.

As one veteran scribe puts it, the team’s win against Vietnam was like Brunei beating the Philippine basketball team.

The Azkals’ journey began with the entry of young British coach Simon McMenemy who replaced compatriot Des Bulpin last September.

The team, whose core has been playing since 2004, also got a new manager in Dan Palami who belongs to a family of educators in Leyte.  Palami poured funds into the team that was then training for the qualifiers in Laos.

The Nationals eventually earned a place in the main tournament by registering five points (one-win and two-draws) in three games, including a draw over host Laos in the second match.  In that contest held on Oct. 24, the Azkals escaped defeat when James Younghusband scored in stoppage time to preserve a 2-2 tie that stunned the boisterous home crowd.

The magic continued in Vietnam, one of the two sites of the Suzuki Cup tourney, when the team salvaged a 1-1 draw with former three-time champion Singapore, a squad that has some naturalized players.  This time, it was Chris Greatwich who scored in injury time off a cross from Younghusband in the 94th minute.

Then came the match against Vietnam.

Playing before 40,000 fans at the My Dinh National Stadium, the Azkals blanked the home team, 2-0, on goals by Greatwich and Phil Younghusband.  Greatwich made the first goal, a header in the 37th minute.  The Vietnamese tried to counter, but couldn’t get past goal keeper Neil Etheridge, who began his stint two years ago in Iloilo as an 18-year-old member of Fulham FC in England.  Phil Younghusband added salt to injury with a goal in the 79th minute, triggering a flood of messages on social-networking sites worldwide.

The Azkals eventually earned that elusive berth when they forged a scoreless draw with Myanmar and arranged a two-leg home-and-away duel with Indonesia.  They finished with five points (one-win, two draws) in Group B but the celebration of the momentous occasion turned to dismay when they learned they couldn’t play at home.

The Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City was ruled not fit for the match against Indonesia.  Competing in front of crowds of 70,000-85,000 raucous people at Bung Karno Stadium for in the semis, the Nationals lost twice to the Indonesians, yielding a goal each as naturalized Indonesian Cristian Gonzales scored all of the goals.  Gonzales, an Uruguayan prior to his naturalization, made Etheridge pay dearly for his defensive miscue with a header off a cross in the 32nd minute of the first leg then delivered an impressive strike that sailed past the outstretched arms of a diving Etheridge in the 43rd minute of the second leg, thus ending the dream run.

Despite the losses, the Azkals have sparked renewed interest in the sport.

They are set to play three tournaments, particularly the AFF Challenge Cup against Mongolia on February [nicky: Azkals won against Mongolia] with significant financial backing from the likes of sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan and Asia Brewery.

After much politicking, Mariano Araneta's election as new president of the Philippine Football Federation finally gained recognition from FIFA.  Araneta’s ascencion came after Jose Mari Martinez, then Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president, was removed from office for alleged misapporpriation of funds.

/via Manila Bulletin