Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Stephan Schrock of the Azkals

Significant time has passed since Filipino-German midfielder Stephan Schrock last suited up for the Philippine national men’s football team that it’s starting to feel like it didn’t really happen. So it’s understandable that Filipino fans, many of whom are only taking up football for the first time, kind of forget the impact that Schrock brought to the Azkals this year.

Simply put: When Schrock suited up for the Azkals, he was often the best player on the pitch for the Philippine side.

In his debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo last June, Schrock was murder in the midfield, hooking up time and again with homegrown Pinoy dynamo Chieffy Caligdong for opportunity after opportunity. In the second leg in Manila, Schrock anchored the Azkals’ 4-0 trashing of the Sri Lankans despite not scoring a goal himself.

Apart from quality, Schrock also displayed a combustible personality on the field, and he was penalized with a yellow card in each of the three games against Sri Lanka. That cost the Azkals dearly in the next round, which saw the Philippines yield to Kuwait, 3-0.

The Azkals showed more bite in the second leg in Manila, and it was Schrock leading the charge. After Caligdong battled two defenders to keep possession of the ball late in stoppage time in the first half, Schrock blasted a 25-foot bomb that hit the back of the net, bringing the house down.

For a moment, Filipino fans dreamt about a major upset, against no less than powerhouse Kuwait, the Gulf Cup and West Asian Cup.

Check out the other nominees for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year

In the second half, however, reality set in, and the Azkals ran out of miracles. Kuwait scored two goals to end the Philippines’ World Cup journey.

Still, fans saw just how good Filipino football could be, and Schrock plays a big part in the Philippines’ chances to advance in the international stage. As the anchor in the midfield, Schrock would be key in the counterattack, turning defense into offense in a snap.

And with a world-class player like him, Team Philippines might just have a shot at bringing down more goliaths in the future too.

Jaemark Tordecilla, InterAKTV · image by InterAKTV/Markku Seguerra

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CFIM booters see thrilling duel vs Azkals

CF Internacional de Madrid (CFIM), the third division Spanish club slated to play an Azkals-reinforced Phl team on Jan. 7 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, is expecting a competitive match even if it is basically a charity game.

“I think it is going to be an exciting and competitive match, something which I believe we owe to the organizers of the relief efforts who are working so hard, and to all of the supporters who will turn up for the game,” CFIM chief Stephen Kenneth Newman said in a message on the team’s Facebook account.

The 4 p.m. match, dubbed “Dili Kamo Nag-iisa,” was intended to help victims of typhoon “Sendong,” which left a trail of death and destruction in Cagayan de Oro Ciity and Iligan last Dec. 17. Gate receipts and other proceeds from the game will be donated to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).

Internacional de Madrid, which competes in the Tercera Division Grupo 7 of the Spanish League System, said it is “particularly sympathetic to this type of tragedies, more so because of the historical and cultural ties between Spain and the Philippines.”

But the Spaniards will treat the match itself as a regular outing.

“I think for CFIM it is going to be a tough game, because the Azkals will be highly motivated and moved by the occasion. This will not be an exhibition game because I believe that both teams will give their best to make it a truly thrilling and emotional night of football,” said the CFIM boss.

CFIM will go up against a Phl team that, according to Philippine Football Federation official Bonnie Ladrido, will call itself “Azkals Alyansa.”

Leading the local crew are skipper Chieffy Caligdong and fellow Azkals James and Phil Younghusband, Ian Araneta, Anton del Rosario, Nate Burkey, Jason Sabio, Eduard Sacapano, Roel Gener, Nestor Margarse, Misagh Bahadoran and Lexton Moy. Under-23 standouts OJ Clarino, Jinggoy Valmayor, Paolo Pascual and Raymark Fernandez will also be on hand.

The charity game, which will be broadcast by ABS-CBN in the Philippines and Telemadrid in Spain, got precious space in Spanish papers on Saturday as drum-up for the event began.

Filipinos are expected to share this excitement for “Dili Kamo Nag-iisa” especially since tickets pegged between P100 and P500 will already be on sale beginning today via Ticketworld.

The match will also serve as some sort of warmup for the Azkals who will return to training camp this month in preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal in March.

ource by Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star

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2011: The year the Azkals revived Philippine football

The year 2011 will perhaps be remembered as the Philippine football's revival. The Azkals were known, or rather barely known, for losing consistently. Four years ago the Azkals weren't even entered for the World Cup qualifiers and other competitions and lost five games in a row, one to Singapore and two each to Malaysia and Thailand, conceding four goals in every game and scoring just one in all five.

The seeds of the team were already there, though, and after the losing record they went on an 11-match unbeaten run racking up five wins and six draws. Without making a mark in any major competition or beating a well-ranked team, the team was just competing for the title of the best of the minnows in Southeast Asia.

Since Manager Dan Palami took control of the team, however, they have improved their ranks and confidence and shocked Asia with a 2-0 victory over regional powerhouse Vietnam in the 2010 Suzuki Cup. This kick-started everything and set the scene for 2011 to become the biggest year in Philippine football history since the glory days of Paulino Alcantara and the Philippines' solitary trophy in 1913 when they beat China 2-1 to win the first ever Far Eastern Games.

The team went on to become at one stage the most improved nation in the world, based on ELO ratings. This is somewhat remarkable given football was virtually unknown to the general populace. TV networks hurriedly reorganized schedules to show matches, some networks just hearing for the first time that the Philippines had a football team. So here's the first part of a two-part series looking at how the Azkals have achieved that success and the forecast for 2012.

February: Challenge Cup qualifiers 1st round
Many nations didn't have to qualify for the group stage of the Challenge Cup in 2011, which was in itself the qualifying stage for the Challenge Cup in 2012. In their group only the Philippines had to go through the knockout qualifying stage which also saw Afghanistan, Taiwan and Cambodia enter the group stage. The first leg was played in Bacolod, considered by many to be Philippine football's home given the popularity of the sport. Indeed the official 20,000 capacity crowd is perhaps an underestimate and was by far the biggest audience of any of the qualifying matches.

The Philippines dominated the match after Mongolia went down to 10 men 25 minutes into the game after Pagamsuren Altantulga was sent off. Fittingly, Iloilo native Chieffy Caligdong broke the deadlock as the first half was drawing to a close. With everyone thinking it would end goalless he popped up on the left wing to dink the ball over his defender and volley it through the goalkeeper's legs.

In control of the game but unable to kill it off, the Philippines seemed to be heading into a tricky away leg with only a single goal advantage for all the possessions and shots. Into the fourth minute of injury time, Phil Youngshusband sent the crowd into a frenzy as he squeezed the ball in on the rebound.

In the return leg in Mongolia, the Azkals got off to a flying start when James Younghusband scored in the 4th minute. This put the Azkals up 3-0 on aggregate and though Mongolia came back to score two first-half goals and bring the aggregate score to 3-2 to the Philippines, they couldn't managed to score again and the Azkals qualified for the next round.

Success: The Philippines were the only team in this knockout round to beat a higher ranked opposition on aggregate to qualify.

March: Challenge Cup qualifying group stage
Having beaten Mongolia, the team now entered the group stage of qualification, a round robin of four teams with the top two making it through to the final stage of the tournament in March, 2012.

Drawn against Bangladesh, Palestine and hosts Myanmar, it was a tricky group which got off to a disheartening start when leading for most of the match Myanmar scored a late free-kick to take a share of the points. Palestine beat both Myanmar and Bangladesh in their other games but failed to score against the Philippines as the two played out a 0-0 draw and left an all or nothing clash in the Philippines' final game of the group against Bangladesh.

Anything less than a win would see Bangladesh or Myanmar qualify while a victory would guarantee progression to the finals. As it was, the Philippines finally turned on the style and the team gelled to outclass their opponents to win 3-0. Qualifying behind Palestine in the group, the team made the Challenge Cup Finals in March, 2012.

Success: The Philippines were the only qualifiers of the knockout round to also qualify for the final stages.

June-July: World Cup qualification
The Philippines were drawn against Sri Lanka in the opening round of the AFC World Cup Qualification. Moving up in the rankings, the Philippines were rated higher than Sri Lanka though things got off to a sluggish start as Sri Lanka took the lead in Colombo through a deflected free kick before Nate Burkey scored the equalizer.

With their backs to the walls the Azkals showed their fighting spirit again and dominated a lackluster Sri Lankan side at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Winning 4-0, the team advanced into the Second Round of World Cup Qualification, 5-1 on aggregate.

The draw saw the Azkals face Kuwait in the next round, a team ranked 67 places above them at the time. The start was sluggish again and the absence of Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock, due to suspensions, also didn't help the team in a 3-0 loss to Kuwait.

With little chance of progressing the Azkals came out strong in front of a home crowd in the second tie as Rizal Memorial Stadium started to become the team's fortress. The Philippines took the lead with what later became the Kaholeros' goal of the year: Stephan Schrock hammered the ball into the top of the net from 25 yards out.

Kuwait came back in the second half and equalized before having a man sent off. Pushing for an upset win, the Azkals were caught on the break and Kuwait took the lead with 10 men. The result meant that the team was knocked out of the World Cup Qualification 4-1 on aggregate but they won many plaudits along the way.

An honorable mention also goes to Yanti Barsales, who retired from international football in June, playing his last game for the Azkals against a UFL XI. The year 2011 has been the best for Philippine football, but the current stars owe much to standing on the shoulders of Barsales, who made his debut in 1992, and other Filipino veterans.

Success: The Philippines recorded their first victory in World Cup Qualification and battled to a 2-1 loss against the reigning Gulf Cup of Nations Champions, Kuwait, in the next round.

September-October: Long Teng Cup
Reaching the next round of World Cup Qualification had lifted the Azkals high in the public consciousness and television coverage was now almost guaranteed for each match. From being unknown, news about the team was starting to flood the nation's consciousness.

Tipped as potentially the Philippines' first trophy since 1913, the 2011 Long Teng Cup seemed to start in the worst possible way with Hong Kong scoring two early goals and asserting their dominance. Phil Younghusband converted a penalty to put the Azkals back into contention before half-time though and after the break Caligdong, so often the team's creative inspiration, scored twice to put the Philippines ahead. In the dying minutes of the game it seemed the Philippines had completed a remarkable comeback against the tournament's highest ranked team until Hong Kong equalized in the 86th minute.

In their next match, the Philippines faced Taiwan, which had already beaten Macau 3-0. Playing out a 0-0 draw the Philippines would repeat their feat in the Challenge Cup of drawing the opening two games before winning the last game to finish second in the group with five points. A 2-0 win over Macau gave the Philippines those points, though truth be told it wasn't the Azkals' best performance and the Philippines only won as Caligdong dragged his country into second place. Hong Kong meanwhile destroyed Macau 5-1 and Taiwan 6-0 to rule the Long Teng Cup for the second time.

Success: The Azkals improved on their position climbing to second place in the group with two draws and a win compared to a win, draw and a loss the year before.

Fun fact: Ian Araneta was the 2010 Long Teng Cup's top scorer, netting four goals in three games. This time around Caligdong was the only player in the tournament to score four goals to win the Golden Boot award.

October: Friendlies
With no tournaments left for the senior team in the year the Philippine Football Federation arranged friendly matches for the national side. First saw Singapore looking for revenge as the last encounter between the two nations ended in a 1-1 draw which eventually knocked Singapore out of the 2010 Suzuki Cup in the group stage for the first time since 2002. Singapore won the game 2-0 but they had to work for the result.

Ranked 30 places above the Philippines at the time it was still a worthy effort from the Azkals, who faced a Nepal side that is a place above Singapore in the FIFA rankings. Two goals from Phil Younghusband, one from his brother James and one from Matthew Hartmann had the visitors posting a 4-0 triumph.

Success: The Philippines established themselves as the most improved nation in the world based on ELO ratings. An arguably more accurate rating system, developed by a chess grandmaster, the ELO ratings showed the Azkals had been the most improved country in the world over the past 12 months at this point.

November: SEA Games
The SEA Games were perhaps the biggest disappointment of the year for football fans. Without adequate preparation, the Under-23 players struggled against their Southeast Asian rivals and recorded one win in five games.

The U23 team lost to Vietnam 3-1 in their opening game and was followed by a surprise 2-1 defeat to Timor Leste. The team defeated Laos in extra time as Joshua Beloya struck two late goals to turn around a 2-1 deficit and record their only points of the campaign. The Junior Azkals also suffered consecutive losses to Myanmar (5-0) and Brunei (2-1) as the Philippines dropped to the bottom of the group.

Success: Not much in this case though finding several younger players with great potential show Philippine football's future.

December: LA Galaxy
The game itself ended 6-1 in favor of the LA Galaxy, the Azkals' biggest loss of the year. Yet the result didn't matter as playing against the LA Galaxy in the first place was the achievement.

This capped the Azkals' year in style as David Beckham, arguably the biggest football star in recent football history, graced Manila by opening the scoring with a trademark curling shot and whipped in crosses to supply the next few goals. With teammates such as USA's top goal scorer Landon Donovan, Ireland's Robbie Keane and a host of other quality players, the spectacle was what was important this time around.

While it wouldn't be wise to have many such games, deflating the confidence of the Philippine players with heavy losses, as Weiss pointed out after the game, it was the perfect way to cap off the year.

Success: Originally the LA Galaxy had not intended to play in the Philippines. After the success of 2011, the newly crowned MLS champions were convinced that football had grown enough in popularity and quality to stop by the Philippines on the way to Australia. The LA Galaxy is the biggest club to visit the Philippines in decades. —

source by JVP/HS, GMA News

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PH Azkals eye Bahrain, Dubai training camps

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Football Federation is eyeing Bahrain and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as possible locations for the Philippine Azkals’ training camp in preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup in March.

PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Friday said that Bahrain has expressed interest to host the national side in its buildup for the eight-nation Challenge Cup in Nepal.

Araneta said that the offer from Bahrain includes free accommodations aside from arranging friendly matches for the Azkals.

The Azkals also held camp in Bahrain last July and gained a huge following in the oil-rich nation as they toughened up for their World Cup Qualifying second round match against Kuwait.

“We could save money if we hold camp in Bahrain,” said Araneta, noting that a camp in Dubai would cost about P2.5 million.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami said the planned 10-day camp is scheduled on the second week of February.

The Azkals will play Malaysia in a friendly on Feb. 29 at Rizal Memorial Stadium, before flying to Kathmandu for the Challenge Cup, where they will face North Korea, Tajikistan and India.

Several members of the national side will be back in action as early as Jan. 7 when the Azkals along with stars of the United Football League battle Spanish fourth division team Internacionale de Madrid in a charity match dubbed “Dili kamo nag-iisa” that will benefit victims of Typhoon Sendong in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, Araneta said work on the FIFA project to transform the PhilSports pitch into an all-weather artificial turf will begin in March.
The PFF head, who met with FIFA consultant Marcus Keller recently regarding the project, said the pitch should be ready by June.

“The pitch in Ultra is very important as we won’t have to use the Rizal Memorial Stadium all the time for national team practices,” said Araneta.

The Philsports pitch will be used for training by national teams as well as for competitions like, the United Football League, the NCAA and the UAAP.

“With an all-weather turf, there won’t be any postponements just because of an unplayable field,” said Araneta.

source by Cedelf P. Tupas, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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ABS-CBN, TV5 want exclusive rights to Azkals games

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Football Federation is looking to strike a television deal worth at least P80 million for the rights to air matches of the Philippine Azkals next year.

A reliable source yesterday said that television networks ABS-CBN and TV5 have submitted bids to the PFF for the exclusive rights to the Azkals games in 2012.

The source said the PFF’s target amount of P80 million already includes non-monetary benefits like airtime, promotions and mileage with the actual money going to the federation amounting to just about P15 to P20 million.

“The PFF is looking at P80 million, but 80 percent of the amount is non-monetary,” said the source.

ABS-CBN is actually hoping to extend its partnership with the Azkals that started with the AFC Challenge Cup game against Mongolia in February last year.

The same source revealed that the PFF earned at least P8 million from the ABS-CBN deal that was also spent for expenses incurred during the Azkals’ campaigns.

The PFF Board will decide on the television deal on Jan. 13.

The Azkals actually have a busy schedule for 2012 with two major tournaments lined up starting with the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu, Nepal, in March.

Before the Challenge Cup, where the Azkals have been grouped with North Korea, Tajikistan and India, the national team will also face reigning Southeast Asian champion Malaysia in a Fifa-sanctioned friendly on Feb. 29 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The PFF will also use the international friendly dates in June to hold four matches for the team.

Friendly matches in the months of August, September and October are also slated for the Azkals as they toughen up for the Suzuki Cup in December.

source by Cedelf P. Tupas Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Azkals, UFL set charity game for CDO, Iligan

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine football is pitching in on efforts to raise funds for the victims of Typhoon Sendong.

Organizers are close to finalizing a charity football match involving the Philippine Azkals and stars of the United Football League (UFL) against Spanish third division side CF Madrid on Jan. 7 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami said proceeds of the match will go to the victims of typhoon in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.
The CF Madrid contingent will also bring relief goods from Spain when it arrives in Manila on Jan. 5, Palami said.

Several players have expressed interest and donate memorabilia for auction during the match, including United States-based Chris Greatwich, who proposed the staging of the charity football match on Twitter.

Greatwich’s call elicited a wave of support from the country’s football stakeholders particularly the UFL and its chair Santi Araneta of the Football Alliance.

Meanwhile, the Philippines will finish the year at No. 159 in the latest FIFA rankings—down 10 spots from its yearend ranking last year.

The Azkals, whose next tournament is the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal in March, played 15 international matches in 2011, ending up with five wins against the same number of losses and draws.

Malaysia, which will face the Azkals on Feb. 29, moved up seven rungs to 148. Vietnam made the biggest improvement among Southeast Asian countries, breaking into the Top 100 after jumping 35 spots to No. 99.

source by Cedelf P. Tupas | Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Cebuano Azkal keeps feet on the ground

MANILA, Philippines - Although he has already gained “celebrity status” at this early stage of his career, fame has not gotten into the nerves of Paolo Pascual – the lone Cebuano member of the celebrated Philippine Azkals.

Since the Azkals rekindled the popularity of football in the country, Pascual said his lifestyle took a different twist. Before, only few people recognized them but now fans would come in droves every time they appeared in public.

From a simple guy who is just passionate enough to play football, Pascual is now an object of adulation and an apparition of delight even among those who are not followers of the sport.

And why not? Pascual is gifted not only with athletic talent but also with looks that could melt every young girl’s heart.

The thing of beauty for this rising football star is that he is not carried away with his new status. He even treats his achievements as a challenge to reach out and inspire young soccer players.

“There’s no changes in me. I’m the same Paolo Pascual they know. I’m a God-fearing person and I always keep my feet on the ground,” said Pascual, who holds clinics and community outreach projects whenever he’s in town.

“Whatever I have reached at this point, I will take it as an opportunity to reach out the kids, inspire them and serve as a role model to them.”

Making it to the national team at 20 years old is a monumental feat for Pascual. Like any other athlete, he had his fair share of ups and downs especially when he dislocated his shoulder but his perseverance and dedication enabled him to stay where he is right now.

“My guiding principle is that don’t give up, never give up. Just keep on playing and be patient and humble always,” said the Mabolo, Cebu City-native booter.

Pascual started kicking football during first grade at PAREF-Springdale. He was seven years old then.

“It was the only club at school then,” he quickly answered when asked why football – of all the sports.

Trained under the watchful eyes of coach Mario Ceniza, Pascual has represented Cebu in school-based sporting events such as the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) Meet and the Palarong Pambansa.

His biggest break came when he got a call from the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) last January to try out for the Azkals. And he could not ask for any wonderful gift when on his 20th birthday, on Jan. 22, 2011, he officially became an Azkal.

“I think height is my edge over other aspirants,” said Pascual, the team’s goalkeeper.

Born to parents who are both dentists, Pascual took up dentistry but he later treaded separate paths with hopes of fulfilling a childhood ambition to become a pilot. He shifted to a business-related course since a flying school requires one to finish first a four-year course.

But for the time being, Pascual has to put his studies on hold so he could focus on his football career – a decision supported by his dad Joel and mom Chona. “It’s a tough decision to make but my parents understand,” he said.

Pascual now trains his sights on a bigger goal – to be the first keeper for the Philippine team in an international competition.

“That is really what I’m aiming for. Right now, I’m training hard to get better and faster, ” he said “To the Cebuanos, thank you for the overwhelming support. Being a member of the Philippine Azkals is a good achievement for me and I always make Cebu proud.”

Pascual’s dream of flying a plane is still up in the air but he vows to accomplish it someday. For now, what is important is his meekness to keep his feet on the ground despite his sudden rise to fame.

source by Emmanuel Villaruel, Freeman News Service|The Philippine Star

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PH’s Neil Etheridge makes Premier League debut

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge made history Wednesday night when he saw action for Fulham in a 2-2 draw with Danish club Odense in a UEFA Europa League group stage game in London.

The 21-year-old who traces his roots in Tarlac became the first Filipino to play for a team in the English Premiere League—and possibly the first Southeast Asian to achieve the feat.

The closest involvement by Southeast Asian players with a Premiere League side in recent years was when Manchester City signed three Thai players for a trial following the takeover of the club by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2007, but the deal failed to progress.

“For me this is a dream come true,” Etheridge said in e-mail to the Inquirer. “At my age, I didn’t think it would happen, but I know this season I have worked hard and I can feel myself progressively gaining confidence and ability.”

But Etheridge’s debut ended in heartbreak as the draw sent Fulham crashing out of the competition.

Etheridge, who has 28 appearances for the national team, conceded a goal off a 20-yard free kick of Hans Endreasen early in the second half—an eerie flashback of the goals scored by Myanmar and Sri Lanka against him in the AFC Challenge Cup and World Cup Qualifying, respectively.

The Filipino-British standout did produce two excellent saves, including a stop on Espen Ruud’s low shot in the 48th minute, and was steady in a performance hailed by the BBC sport website.
But he was helpless defending a header by Djiby Fall for the equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time.

“This one game won’t stop me working hard,” said Etheridge, who replaced Australian international Mark Schwarzer in the starting lineup.
Schwarzer will be sidelined for up to six weeks because of a compression injury on his thoracic spine.

“Mark (Schwarzer) has taught me that there’s always another goal you can reach always another mountain to climb so for me this is just the start but I am very thankful for this opportunity,” Etheridge said.'

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UFL champ to vie in AFC Pres Cup?

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Air Force Phoenix FC, the reigning United Football League (UFL) Cup champions led by Azkals Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta, may get to compete in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President’s Cup, an annual international competition among clubs from “emerging nations” in Asia.

UFL president Randy Roxas said the UFL, which has recently concluded a successful Cup competition, is working things out with the Philippine Football Federation and the AFC for the possible participation of UFL’s League titlist to next year’s President’s Cup.

“The President’s Cup is where our ASEAN neighbors are also participating and it’s less stringent in terms of requirements, like stadium capacity so it’s the right tournament for us to compete in internationally,” Roxas said during yesterday’s PSA Forum.

The qualification stage for the President’s Cup, the third-tier club tourney under the AFC, is set by March 2012.

“Since our (UFL’s upcoming) League competitions will only end in June 2012, the likelihood is that we’ll ask the League champions last time, Air Force, to represent the UFL in the AFC President’s Cup. We’re waiting for clearance from the PFF and likewise the AFC,” Roxas said.

Caligdong’s PAF has ruled the two League competitions staged by the UFL and added the Cup jewel following a 2-0 disposal of Phil Younghusband and the Loyola Meralco Sparks before a good crowd of 6,000 over the weekend at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

“That was the first time for a domestic game to be watched by some 6,000 fans in the stadium. Goes to show that football is growing,” said Roxas, also noting the leap in terms of competitiveness.

“Clearly the level of play has improved, even on the part of the domestic players. As shown by Ian and Chieffy and the Air Force, local-bred players can pull their own against foreign-bred players,” Roxas added.

The UFL’s League hostilities will begin in January, featuring 10 teams in the first division, led by two-time defending champ PAF, former Cup holders Global, Kaya and Loyola, and another 10 sides in the second division.

source By Olmin Leyba |The Philippine Star

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Air Force blanks Loyola to win UFL Cup

Offense won Philippine Air Force Phoenix games, but it was defense that won the Airmen the championship.

Air Force relied on a huge defensive effort anchored by goalkeeper Tats Mercado — and more than a little luck — to keep the sheets clean against the most dangerous offensive team in the tournament, en route to a 2-nil win over the Loyola Meralco Sparks in the championship match of the 2011 UFL Cup Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The victory bolstered Air Force’s claim as the king of Philippine club football before a banner crowd of 6,000 fans. The defending league champions, the Airmen also avenged their championship loss in last year’s Cup finals to Global FC. It did so by shutting out a vaunted Loyola offense that did not score less than two goals all tournament long.

The Sparks controlled the ball for most of the first half, with Air Force finding the occasional shot at goal. Despite Loyola’s dominance, veteran Azkals striker Ian Araneta opened the scoring for Air Force in the 38th minute with a left-footed goal after fan favorite Chieffy Caligdong broke through the Sparks’ midfield coverage.

Loyola came out with renewed vigor in the second half. At the 52nd minute, James Younghusband headed in what looked like the game-tying goal for Loyola after a Mark Hartmann free kick, but the score was disallowed after the referee ruled that the latter had prematurely made his kick.

Loyola kept on the attack, but its shots were repulsed by Air Force led by Mercado, who did everything from saving goals, directing the Air Force defense, and even jawing with Loyola star Phil Younghusband. At the 84th minute, Loyola looked like it would finally put one on board after Mercado made a rare mistake after a Hartmann free kick, but Alexander Elnar’s attempt hit the crossbar.

While Loyola was trying to go for the equalizer, Air Force capitalized in the 90th minute, as a defensive breakdown by the Sparks allowed ageless veteran Yanti Barsales to score against an out of position goalkeeper Ref Cuarema to seal the championship.

It was a rough and tumble game that saw a total of nine yellow cards — five for Loyola and four for Air Force. Several scuffles involving teammates with the Philippine national team added color to the game.

The battle lines were clear prior to the match, as the two teams represented different sides of Philippine football. Air Force, composed wholly of homegrown players, have long ruled the Philippine club football scene, while Loyola, led by popular foreign-born Filipinos the Younghusbands, are coming off a very strong offseason build-up.

After the match, Mercado admitted that having an all-homegrown lineup was a point of pride for his club.

“Kami po ay all-Filipino, kaya proud kami. Wala kaming Fil-[foreigners]” said the burly goalkeeper. “Kami ang No. 1 football team sa Pilipinas!”

In the day’s earlier game, Global defeated Kaya to grab the third place trophy.

The two finalists also dominated the individual awards, with Barsales winning the Golden Ball award — the Cup’s equivalent of the most valuable player award. Mercado brought home the Golden Gloves award as the best goalkeeper in the tournament while Phil Younghusband won the tournament’s Golden Boot award for leading the competition in scoring with 25 goals. Barsales also took home the Healthway Agility award.

source | Jaemark Tordecilla, InterAKTV |

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New Zealand turns down friendly vs Azkals

MANILA, Philippines—New Zealand—a qualifier in the 2010 World Cup—has ruled out playing the Philippine Azkals on the next international friendly date on Feb. 29 next year.

Azkals manager Dan Palami last night said the Kiwis have rejected the invitation of the Philippine Football Federation, citing a prior commitment.

With New Zealand begging off, Palami said they will now turn their attention on convincing Malaysia and Vietnam to play in the friendly, which the Azkals are using as part of their preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu, Nepal.

“We are just looking to play higher-ranked teams. Any higher-ranked team will actually do for us,” said Palami.

The Azkals have slated a two-month buildup for the Challenge Cup in Nepal with training camps in the Philippines and in the Gulf region.

A showdown with Spanish third division side CF Madrid in January has also been calendared for the Azkals.

With captain Aly Borromeo sure to miss the Challenge Cup because of an anterior cruciate

source By Cedelf P. Tupas | Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Azkals eye European pros for AFC

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Azkals team manager Dan Palami expressed confidence the team can borrow the pros from their European clubs for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup campaign in March 2012 in Nepal owing to a “favorable schedule” for Phl XI.

The Azkals face a tough task in Group B, taking on reigning titlist North Korea on March 9, 2012, former champ India two days later and inaugural edition winner Tajikistan on March 13.

Naturally, they would need the quality and experience of Euro-based booters like Stephan Shrock, Jerry Lucena, Paul Mulders, Dennis Cagara, and Neil Etheridge to handle the opposition and meet their target of at least a semifinal finish.

“The biggest challenge, of course, is to bring all the players together. We’ve seen already that when we’re complete, we’re competitive, we can hold off strong opposition,” Palami said.

“I think the game schedule has actually been favorable to us. We have games on the 9th, 11th, and 13th. In this case, the players will just be missing one game for their clubs and this is something we can haggle with their clubs so they’ll be allowed to participate,” he added.

The Challenge Cup does not fall under the Fifa calendar days so Palami would have to work extra hard to convince the club owners, managers and coaches of the concerned Azkals to release them.

“I think there’s a big possibility that at least most of the players will be allowed to play. If we can get these players, I think we could be very competitive, “ said Palami, who will leave for Europe soon for this purpose.

Michael Weiss, the German who took over the helm last January, will continue to call the shots for the Azkals as Palami expressed satisfaction with his performance despite “some debacles.”

“At the end of the day, we must understand that a football team as well as its performance is affected by several factors, variables. And one of the biggest hurdles is cohesion. We still rely on foreign-based players and they come in a day or a week before tournament, so it’s difficult to blame the coach for lack of cohesion,” Palami said.

He counted the gains made under Weiss, under contract for one more year.

“In this particular year under coach Weiss, we managed to actually for the first time, qualify for the Challenge Cup, come home better in the Long Teng Cup, and also got to the second round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time. Of course, we also had a very disastrous result in the SEA Games and as I say, there are a lot of variables in play,” he said.

“I think we need to eliminate the most obvious ones, including the failure to get all players, first, before we evaluate coaching staff. We need to address the first and if we don’t get what we want, we’ll seek other options, including the coaching staff,” he said.

source By Olmin Leyba The Philippine Star

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Azkals to play more friendlies vs Euro clubs

source  | The Philippine Star | MANILA, Philippines - After capping what they perceived as a “very successful year” with a losing game against David Beckham and MLS Cup titlist LA Galaxy, the  Philippine Azkals are eyeing more friendlies against international teams next year, including possible matches against European clubs.

“We’re looking at a very busy calendar for 2012, which is all part of our plan to really allow the Azkals to play together in more games and achieve chemistry,” Azkals team manager Dan Palami said during yesterday’s PSA Forum.

Major tournaments up in 2012 are the AFC Challenge Cup in Kathmandu, Nepal in March and the AFF Suzuki Cup in Malaysia and Thailand in November, as well as a Cup being planned by a sponsor in May.

In between, the Azkals (159th) will look to arrange friendlies with higher-ranked national teams during the five international match days set by Fifa for 2012, beginning Feb. 29 with Vietnam (134), Malaysia (155) and New Zealand (119) as prospective opponents.

And in the wake of the Azkals’ hosting of Beckham and the Galaxy, Palami bared initial talks with officials of a second or third division Spanish club for a possible friendly tentatively on Jan. 7, also at Rizal. He declined to name the club at this point.

“They (Spanish club) are expanding right now and part of their expansion and promotion program is to look for a country where they can actually do a friendly. And I’m glad that because of the result of our LA Galaxy hosting, I think they’re looking forward to coming over and play the Philippines,” Palami said.

Efforts are also being made to work out a possible friendly with high-profile clubs from England.

“We’re not at liberty to reveal that, as we’re still negotiating. Those are English Premier League clubs, it’s still being negotiated, but hopefully they’ll come over,” he said.

The planned friendly against Vietnam, Malaysia or New Zealand on Feb. 29 – a Fifa date in which all players in clubs are allowed to join their respective national teams – will serve the Azkals in good stead.

Aside from helping achieve cohesion in preparation for their AFC Challenge Cup campaign beginning March 9, the friendly will give the Azkals the opportunity to improve on their ranking.

The Azkals have enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, beginning with their 2-0 upset of Vietnam and a star-making semis appearance in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup in Dec. 2010. In 2011, Phl hurdled the qualifiers en route to a berth to the 2012 Challenge Cup main tourney, and for the first time advanced to the second round of the Fifa World Cup Asian Qualifiers, playing Kuwait.

“Despite some debacles, I think we could fairly say it’s been a very active year, a very successful year for Phl football and we hope to continue the momentum in 2012 and see the true potential of the Phl in so far as the sport is concerned,” Palami said.

By Olmin Leyba

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The Beckham experience as told by Azkals Chris Greatwich & Manny Ott

source | GMA News | “When I shook his hand, I was like, ‘Oh my god, he’s beautiful,’” recalls Azkal Manny Ott.

For the fans who were at the Rizal Football Stadium last Saturday, seeing David Beckham and the LA Galaxy ten meters away was as good as it gets. But the members of the Philippine team got to shake their hands, play alongside the MLS champions and literally rub elbows with them.  It was an experience that could only be compared to hot chocolate topped with marshmallows on a cold winter night – it leaves a fuzzy feeling in your tummy.

The big news

“When I first heard the news, I didn’t believe it. I saw it on Twitter and I thought it was a joke,” says Manny.

“But during the SEA Games, coach said the LA Galaxy was really coming to the Philippines and that it was gonna be a huge match,” he continues.

At that, the 19-year-old knew he had to be in the lineup against the LA Galaxy. He was actually a last minute call from Germany since he had club commitments. He arrived on Wednesday for their Saturday match.

The players didn’t even know who their teammates would be until they got here in the Philippines. Manny and Jason De Jong were on the same flight and didn’t even know it until they saw each other on the plane.

Not too starstruck

Asked if Beckham is his idol, Manny shakes his head.

“He’s English,” laughs the Fil-German player.

Having lived in Munich for almost his entire life, Manny prefers German footballers. Even then, he says that it was a surreal experience getting to meet Beckham whom he only saw on TV and newspapers.

“Before the game, I was really, really nervous. It was the first time ever that I was that nervous,” he says, still grinning at the thought of how ridiculous it was to get butterflies because of Beckham.

As the whistle blew to signal the start of the game, all the players got into their game faces and their playing forms. As captain Chieffy Caligdong said, “Mamaya na picture taking, laro muna tayo.”

But Beckham had other ideas. When he took off his jersey and gave it to Manny Pacquiao, the whole Rizal Stadium watched in a not-so-conspicuous manner. In fact, everybody missed a goal from Mike Magee because they were preoccupied with a shirtless Beckham.

“Even the guys were watching,” laughs Manny. “But I was only looking at his tattoos, I promise!”

“I wanted to tackle him”

Even from a footballer’s point of view, Beckham is really one of the best living players.

Manny says Beckham’s right foot is one of the best he’s ever seen.

“His touch is so amazing. He had just like three missed passes the whole game,” he says.

Apparently, an opening goal from the British football legend and so many corner kicks wasn’t enough for Manny.

“I wanted to tackle him just to see him do a free kick,” he laughs. “But I got shy.”

Rob Gier was dreaming of Beckham

It was a relatively different experience for the half-English Azkals though, having lived where Beckham built his football career.

“The other Fil-Brits and I didn’t have to see him score a goal. It’s David Beckham!” says Chris Greatwich.

Even Phil Younghusband couldn’t hide his excitement when Beckham gave him an autographed jersey after the match.

Among the Azkals though, Manny and Chris agree that Rob Gier was the most starstruck.

“He was dreaming about Beckham the whole night,” teases Manny.

National Azkal Day

On December 5, 2010, the Philippines beat Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup. This marked the beginning of the so-called fairytale year for the Azkals.

Although the players themselves think a 6-1 loss to the LA Galaxy is a bit too high, they can’t deny that it was still a good experience for all the players.

“I never thought we’d play LA Galaxy and Beckham last year,” says Chris.

“And because this time last year we beat Vietnam, today is my self-proclaimed National Azkal Day!” laughs Chris who scored one of the Philippines' two goals against Vietnam. - OMG,

By MAV C. GONZALES

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From Vietnam to the Galaxy

By Sid Ventura | Sportsaholic  | A year ago today, the Philippine football renaissance began.

It was on this day in 2010 that the Philippine Azkals sent shock waves across the Southeast Asian football landscape by upsetting heavily favored Vietnam, 2-0, in the AFF Suzuki Cup in Hanoi, a big win that sparked renewed interest in football in the country. The result was so big it eventually made SI.com's yearend list of the 10 biggest football stories of 2010.

The 365 days that followed took the Azkals on a magic carpet ride and carried them and the sport to unprecedented heights. Suddenly, kids wanted to be like Younghusband or Caligdong. Fans lined up to watch the Azkals play Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Kuwait. Azkals jerseys became hot commodities as the names on their backs became celebrities. Filipino football players becoming celebrity endorsers? What was the world coming to?

But no one could have foreseen that it would all culminate in a match against David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and the rest of the 2011 MLS champions LA Galaxy.

As Caligdong said while seated next to Beckham, "Parang panaginip lang. Hindi mo inaasahan na andito ang idolo mo na nakikita mo lang dati sa TV. Ngayon, katabi ko na."

And this from Younghusband: "We always say, 'Who would've thought this would happen?' Hopefully we will continue and we will progress. The exposure is there now and the attention to football is there, and it's important we sustain it."

So as we mark the first anniversary of the Dec. 5, 2010 win over Vietnam, let's pause for a while and look back at how the sport's popularity grew exponentially after that magical night in Hanoi, and how, almost a year after the fact, Phil Younghusband played against his boyhood idol Beckham at the Rizal Football Stadium.

Dec. 2, 2010. Hanoi, Vietnam — Chris Greatwich scores a goal in injury time to salvage a 1-1 draw for the Philippines against Singapore in the AFF Suzuki Cup group stage. If the Azkals had lost this match, then the win over Vietnam would not have had as much impact because they still would have been eliminated. The highlights are here.

Three days before the match, another crucial development took place back in Manila after Jose Mari Martinez was ousted as PFF president and replaced on an interim basis by Iloilo Football Association president Mariano "Nonong" Araneta.

Dec. 5, 2010. Hanoi, Vietnam — In front of 40,000 fans at the My Duhn Stadium in Hanoi, the Philippines battles host Vietnam, which is coming off a murderous 7-1 demolition of Myanmar. Once again, Greatwich stars for the Azkals, scoring on a header that bounces just clear of the Vietnamese keeper and into the goal in the 38th minute. In the 78th, Phil Younghusband completes the upset with a left-footed strike inside the box. Afterwards, Vietnam coach Henrique Calisto is so incensed that he refused to shake the hand of then-Azkals coach Simon McMenemy. Back home, the match was shown only on cable, something unthinkable today. Relive the highlights here.

Dec. 8, 2010. Hanoi, Vietnam — The Philippines plays Myanmar to a goalless draw, assuring itself of second place in Group B and its first-ever appearance in the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals. Ian Araneta has several chances to give the Azkals a win, but is thwarted each time. The match is broadcast live back home on free TV on Studio 23, a first for the Azkals.

The Philippines advances to a two-leg semifinal showdown against Group A topnotcher Indonesia. It's supposed to be a home-and-home series, but the AFF decides there's no suitable venue in the Philippines that can host such a high-profile game. The PFF cannot do anything about it, because obviously, no one was expecting the Azkals to make it to the semis. As a result, both legs will be played at the enormous Gelaro Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Dec. 16, 2010. Jakarta, Indonesia — This is supposed to be the Philippines' "home" match. Instead, it's played in front of 70,000 rabid football fans at the Gelaro Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. Indonesia's naturalized striker Christian Gonzales scores the match's lone goal in the 32nd minute off a header from a long ball after Neil Etheridge and Ray Jonsson collide. Since Gonzales's score counts as an "away" goal, the Azkals must now beat Indonesia by at least two goals in the second leg to advance to the finals.

Dec. 19, 2010. Jakarta, Indonesia — Gonzales again scores the lone goal from a cracker of a strike from way out in the 43rd minute that curls into the upper corner. Indonesia advances to the finals against Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Azkals return home to a hero's welcome.

Dec. 30, 2010. Manila — ABS-CBN Sports and the United Football League announce the launching of the UFL: It's Our game, a weekly 30-mintue football show about the UFL that will air on Balls Channel. According to UFL marketing head Javy Mantecon in an interview with Yahoo! Phils., they idea for a weekly football show was presented to ABS-CBN as early as middle of the year, following the successful telecast of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The network giant initially wasn't convinced yet about the viability of such a program, but the Azkals' success combined with the high ratings of their matches bring about a change of heart.

Jan. 14, 2011. Manila — The PFF announces the appointment of Hans Michael Weiss as the new coach of the Azkals, replacing McMenemy.

February 9, 2011. Bacolod — The Philippines hosts the first leg of a two-leg qualifier for the 2012 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup against Mongolia right in the hotbed of local football — Panaad Stadium in Bacolod. An overflow crowd watches Chieffy Caligdong, who missed the AFF Suzuki Cup due to injury, announce his  return with a beauty of a goal in the 43rd minute and Phil Younghusband add another one in injury time to give the Azkals a 2-nil win.

March 15, 2011. Ulan Bator, Mongolia - Amid freezing temperatures, Mongolia beats the Philippines, 2-1. However, the Philippines wins on aggregate, 3-2, to win the series and advance to the Challenge Cup Qualifying group stage.

March 21, 2011. Rangoon, Myanmar. The Philippines is in Group A of the Challenge Cup Qualifying group stage together with Palestine, Bangladesh, and host Myanmar. The top two teams will advance to the tournament proper in 2012. A James Younghusband penalty kick in the 76th minute gives the Azkals a 1-0 lead, but Myanmar scores on a set piece in the third minute of injury time to salvage a draw.

March 23, 2011. Rangoon, Myanmar — The Philippines draws with Palestine, 0-0. The Azkals must now beat Bangladesh to advance.

March 25, 2011. Rangoon, Myanmar — The Azkals rout Bangladesh, 3-0. Araneta scores in the 41st, while new recruit Angel Guirado adds two more in the second half. The Philippines advances to the final tournament of the Challenge Cup for the first time.

March 30, 2011. Los Banos, Laguna — The first-ever under-23 national tournament, called the PFF Suzuki U-23 National Cup, is launched in UP Los Banos with Nonong Araneta, Weiss, Dan Palami and Azkals Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Guirado, and Roel Gener, among others, in attendance. Twenty-seven teams from all over the country join the three-month-long tournament.

Later in the day, at Baker Hall just across the university's football field, Araneta, Weiss and Palami join the media in watching the live draw of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. There is jubilation in the large room after Sri Lanka is drawn as the Philippines' first-round opponent. But the celebration is muted after the Azkals draw a much tougher opponent, Kuwait, in the second round in the event they get past Sri Lanka.

June 29, 2011. Colombo, Sri Lanka — The Brave Reds of Sri Lanka draw with the Azkals, 1-1. Nate Burkey salvages the draw with a header in the 50th minute.

July 3, 2011. Manila — In the first FIFA World Cup Qualifying match played on Philippine soil in 10 years, the Azkals rout Sri Lanka, 4-0, before a jampacked crowd at the Rizal Stadium to advance to the second round of the World Cup Qualifying for the first time in history. Caligdong, Younghusband (twice) and Guirado are the goal scorers for the Philippines. But there's little time to celebrate. Kuwait, ranked over 60 notches higher in the FIFA rankings, is waiting in the second round.

July 23, 2011. Kuwait City, Kuwait — Welcome to high-level Asian football. Playing their highest-ranked opponent in years, the Azkals absorb a clinical 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Kuwait. Skipper Aly Borromeo misses the match after incurring a second yellow card in the qualifiers against Sri Lanka.

July 28, 2011. Manila — The Azkals need to win by at least four goals to offset Kuwait's three-goal advantage. Stephan Shrock, the immensely talented Fil-German midfielder, gives the home crowd something to cheer about with a spectacular strike from way out in the second minute of first-half injury time. The Kuwaitis genuinely look stunned; the nerve of these Filipinos, they must be saying, to score against us. Phil Younghusband almost makes it 2-0 early in the second half after he eludes two Kuwaiti defenders for a clean shot, but the Kuwaiti keeper comes up with a brilliant save. Minutes later, Kuwait is reduced to 10 men following a red card. Everything is looking good, until Yousef Naser catches the defense napping and somehow scores on a long strike. The goal knocks the air out of the stadium. Kuwait adds one more goal in the 85th to eliminate the Azkals.

August 17, 2011. Manila — The UFL and TV5 announce a five-year, P150 million deal that calls for the live broadcast of selected UFL matches over TV5's AKTV channel. It's a major development for the local league.

September 30-October 4, 2011. Kaohsiung, Taiwan — The Azkals compete in the Long Teng Cup and finish runner-up to Hong Kong with one win and two draws. Caligdong wins the Golden Boot award with four goals. Coach Weiss gives some exposure to select members of the U-23 team that will be seeing action in the SEA Games in Jakarta.

October 7, 2011. Singapore — The Azkals lose to Singapore, 2-0, in an international friendly.

October 8, 2011. Manila — The United Football Cup opens its 2011-12 season with a record 28 teams. Several Azkals are playing for different teams. The Cup's first two matches are broadcast live over AKTV.

October 11, 2011. Manila — The Azkals thrash Nepal, 4-0, in an international friendly at the Rizal Stadium. Phil scores two goals, brother James one, and Matt Hartmann one. For the senior Azkals, this is supposed to be their last international match of the year.

October 16-21, 2011. Vientiane, Laos — The Malditas, the Azkals' female counterparts, compete in the AFF Women's Championships. Coached by Ernie Nierras, the team finishes third in their group with one draw and two losses. It is a marked improvement from their 2009 campaign, when they lost all their three matches and were outscored 30-1.

October 27, 2011. Makati — In a press conference, LA Galaxy president Thomas Payne and PFF president Nonong Araneta jointly announce the December 3 match between the Azkals and the Galaxy.

November 3-15, 2011. Jakarta, Indonesia — The Philippines returns to the Southeast Asian Games football competition for the first time in six years. Backstopped by standouts from the U-23 national championships and some members of the Azkals, the team stumbles badly, losing four of its five matches. After losing to Timor Leste, team captain Matt Harmann abruptly leaves the team following a dispute with Weiss and returns to Manila.

December 3, 2011. Manila — Before another huge crowd at the Rizal Stadium, the LA Galaxy put on a display of topnotch football and win, 6-1. Beckham scores the game's first goal, while Younghusband is the lone scorer for the home team.

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Dream match exposed Azkals weakness - Weiss

source | The Philippine Star | MANILA, Philippines - For now, Azkals coach Michael Weiss will let his charges cherish the euphoria of having played against superstar David Beckham and the LA Galaxy.

But, seeing a glaring deficiency during Saturday night’s match, the German mentor will prepare a hell of a camp for their buildup for 2012 AFC Challenge Cup in March.

“The result doesn’t look so good but I’m still very positive when we start the training of the beginning of our journey,” said Weiss after the Azkals yielded a 1-6 setback to the Galaxy.

Weiss has set a return-to-camp schedule for the Azkals on Jan. 8, threatening to cut those could not keep pace with the hard training.

“We have two-and-a-half months and we will be working very, very hard. The players will have to run more than they imagine because this is what they are lacking, and if they don’t want to do that, they must stay home and then I’ll take others. I have very ambitious players.

“If there are some players who don’t want to go for the hard fight, they must understand that we can be torn apart against North Korea, Tajikistan and India. So I don’t want that,” he said.

Assessing the Azkals’ performances against Beckham and Co., Weiss said he was “extremely happy with the first half, extremely unhappy with second half.”

The Azkals were only down by one goal, 1-2, at halftime, but surrendered five goals in the last 45 minutes, as according to Weiss, “their concentration on the game dropped 50-60 percent.”

“We have to see the positive things that happened in first half. This is the way I want to see the team - sharp, aggressive, concentrated, alert. But we have to work on condition. Physically, we could see that after 60 minutes, many players dropped extremely; this is because of lack of concentration and then you make mistakes,” he said.

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, the most accomplished mentor in US national team history, basically agreed.

“I thought Phl played quite well in first half, certainly it was a close match and the third goal early in second half was a big goal for us. In the second half, I think we just wore them down, our fitness level was absolutely better and we’re getting the better of our opponent.”

Arena cited Nos. 12 (Angel Guirado), 13 (Chieffy Caligdong), and 10 (Phil Younghusband) as those who caught his eyes, having “played well on the break and counter-attack and posing a danger in the final third of the field.”

by By Olmin Leyba

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Azkals to start training for AFC Cup in January

Source | abs-cbnNEWS.com | MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine national football team will begin its training camp for a tough AFC Challenge Cup campaign early January, with the hope of joining the squad for the tournament.

Philippine Azkals head coach Michael Weiss revealed that the team will have two and a half months of preparation for the Challenge Cup, where they were drawn into a tough group featuring North Korea, Tajikistan and India, all previous winners of the tournament.

"We start training in January...We have two and a half months and we will be working very, very hard," Weiss said.

The Azkals hope to draw from their experience of playing against the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy, who routed them 6-1 last Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The PH XI were impressive in the first half, playing aggressively against stars like David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane. Although Beckham and Mike Magee gave the Galaxy a 2-0 lead, the Azkals were able to score courtesy of Phil Younghusband in the 41st minute.

Weiss said the Azkals team that came out in the first half was the one he wanted to see.

"It's the way I want to see the team: sharp, aggressive, concentrated, alert," he said.

But the Azkals' performance dropped in the second half, when the Galaxy scored four goals to turn a close game into a rout.

Weiss said the second half showed him what the team needed to work on.

"We have to work on our conditioning. Physically, we could see that many players, after 60 minutes, dropped extremely," he said. "There is also a lack of concentration, we make simple mistakes."

He added that the Azkals must be willing to work hard, or risk getting "torn apart" by the stronger teams in their group.

Weiss also admitted that they face an uphill climb in terms of getting the Europe-based players to join the squad for the Challenge Cup.

"We are not in the comfortable position to get all the professionals, I am working very hard to get at least some of them," he said. "At the same time, I work with the locals and the players based in the Philippines."

Confident

Phil Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong, meanwhile, said they are not all that worried about the tough draw the team got in the cup.

"It's a very difficult group, but that's the sort of standard we're looking into progressing to," Younghusband said.

Younghusband stressed the importance of getting the professional players in Europe and having a good training camp.

"I think if we have all our players together and have a good preparation before it, we have a decent chance of upsetting some teams," he said.

"Hindi kami natatakot sa group namin against North Korea, Tajikistan and India," Caligdong said. "Nilagay kami dun dahil alam nila na malakas ang Pilipinas."

"Hindi tayo nilagay dun para tambakan, kundi para manalo," he added.

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UFL Cup: Loyola Meralco, Air Force nail finals spot

Source | INQUIRER.net| MANILA, Philippines—Phil Younghusband struck a hattrick as Loyola Meralco Sparks stunned Kaya-Cignal FC, 5-4, Monday to book a ticket to the United Football League Cup finals.

Air Force Phoenix FC, meanwhile, dethroned Cup titlist Global FC, 2-0, to arrange a thrilling finals showdown versus the Sparks.

Loyola, who made it to the UFL for the first time, staged an audacious comeback from 3-0 down in the first half as it sizzled behind star striker Phil Younghusband’s heroics.

Younghusband, who scored Philippines’ lone goal versus Los Angeles Galaxy last Saturday, found the goal in the 57th and the 69th minute before capping off his hat trick in the 86th minute.

Mark Hartmann nailed the equalizer before James Younghusband gave the Sparks, in the 78th minute, their first lead of the night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The Sparks regrouped after Kaya opened up the scoring with three goals in 33 minutes courtesy of Eric Dragoh and Prince Boley.

Veteran Yanti Barsales, in the other game, played hero for the defending league champion Airmen versus the Global booters with a goal in the 87th minute.

Jaylor Soriano pulled one back in injury time which sealed the victory for the Air Force, which lost to Global in last season’s cup finals.

National team members Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, James and Phil Younghusband, among others, will battle it out in a winner-take-all finals Saturday

By Celest R. Flores

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LA Galaxy impressed with Azkals

Source | abs-cbnNEWS.com |MANILA, Philippines - The Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup champions Los Angeles Galaxy were impressed with the Philippine Azkals' performance in their exhibition game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last Saturday, despite winning via a 6-1 rout.

"It was a good match this evening. I thought the Philippine team played quite well in the first half, certainly it was a close match," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said in the post-match press conference.

The Azkals were able to keep in step with the LA Galaxy in the first half, with Angel Guirado, Chieffy Caligdong and Phil Younghusband able to threaten the Galaxy defense numerous times.

But Galaxy superstar David Beckham opened the scoring for his team with a 20th minute goal, and Mike Magee made the game 2-nil in the 38th minute.

All was not lost for the Azkals as Younghusband finally broke through late in the first half, putting the Azkals on the board, 2-1. The Azkals even had a chance to equalize late in the first half, but Carly de Murga's attempt was off-target.

The euphoria from Younghusband's goal quickly faded, however, as the Galaxy dominated the second half, starting with a 46th minute goal for Robbie Keane.

"The third goal early in the second half was a big goal for us," Arena said. 10, 12, 13 Nevertheless, Arena said he was impressed with the Azkals, which featured some very talented players.

"I thought number 12 (Guirado), 13 (Caligdong) and 10 (P. Younghusband) played well. I don't know their names and I apologize for that, but I thought they played well," he said.

"I thought they did quite well on the break and on the counterattack," Arena added. "We were a little sloppy at times and they threatened us."

He also said that the Azkals' defenders did a good job in the first half of the game.

"They were very well-organized defensively," Arena said. "They did a good job, that back line, of keeping us in front of them."

The Philippines' offense was also more effective in the first half than in the second half, Arena said, adding that Younghusband's goal "gave them a little bit of a lift as they went in at halftime."

Comparable to Indonesia

When asked to compare the Philippine national team to the Indonesian All-Star squad, Arena said that the two teams were "fairly comparable."

The LA Galaxy went to Indonesia for the first stop of their 2011 Asia Pacific Tour, where they defeated the All-Star selection 1-nil.

Although the Galaxy's game against Indonesia was seemingly closer, Arena said he feels that the Azkals "were a little bit better than the Indonesia team."

Beckham and team captain Landon Donovan agreed with their coach, as both star players came away impressed with the Azkals' talent.

"In the first half, the way they played was more organized," Donovan said of the Azkals. "They threatened us more than the Indonesian team did."

"There are many players in the team that has ability," Beckham said. "There was a moment in the first half where a number of their players had some good chances. And when it was 2-1, they could have equalized. It was difficult at times."

Beckham added that the 6-1 score "does not tell how close the game was at times."

Azkals coach Michael Weiss said he was extremely happy with the team's effort in the first half.

"It is the way I want to see the team: sharp, aggressive, concentrated, alert," he said.


Poor second half

Although the Azkals started the game well, they fell apart in the second half. They surrendered four goals against the Galaxy and failed to organize their offense as efficiently as they did in the first half. Arena and Donovan attributed the big change to the Galaxy's better conditioning.

"In the second half, I think we just wore them down. Our fitness level is perhaps a little bit better," Arena said.

The coach added that it was not as hot in Manila as it was in Jakarta, and the Galaxy also had more time to rest before the game, which contributed to their better play.

"We got our fitness in over a little bit in the last three or four days," Donovan said.

The star forward added that the fast pace of the game wore out the Filipino players, while the Galaxy were able to substitute new players in.

"(The substitutions) give you fresh legs and fresh energy, and that helps a lot," Donovan said.

Weiss said the team needed to work on their conditioning. "Physically, we could see that many players after 60 minutes, dropped extremely," he said.

Hard work, dedication

Although the Azkals clearly had fun playing against their idols, the exhibition game showed that the national team still has a long way to go before they can compete at the highest level of the sport, something that skipper Chieffy Caligdong admitted.

"Yung exposure nila sa game, kumbaga, napakalayo pa natin," he said.

But Arena advised the players and the Philippine Football Federation to continue "chasing their dream" of making it to the World Cup, saying that the United States had to go through the same process.

"The US, for many years, struggled," he said, adding that they were known as a "small country" in the international level, but now they are able to qualify for the World Cup regularly.

"With good support from the federation and with good support from the fan base, a lot of hard work and dedication, you can chase your dream and one day, qualify for the World Cup," Arena said.

by Camille B. Naredo

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Beckham on Pacquiao: I’m a huge fan

Source | INQUIRER.net | MANILA, Philippines—Drenched in sweat, he rushed out of the pitch and took off his jersey before handing it to his idol seated at the VIP area.

Even David Beckham gets enthralled by the mere presence of Manny Pacquiao.

“I couldn’t wait to get off the field when I saw him (Pacquiao). I’m a huge fan,” shared Beckham, who kickstarted the LA Galaxy’s 6-1 win over the Philippine Azkals with his patented strike.

“He’s a talented man and good person. I saw him walking during the game, it was exciting,” added Beckham, whose game against the Philippines was believed to be his second to the last game as part of the Galaxy before going back to Europe.

The English football star awed the sellout crowd at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium with a curling strike that went up and over Azkals’ keeper Eduard Sacapano in the 20th minute.

Incidentally, both Beckham and Pacquiao have just come off stunning victories.

Beckham led the Galaxy to the Major League Soccer Cup title a little over a week after Pacquiao edged Marquez in their trilogy to retain his WBO welterweight crown last month.

In another grand gesture, Beckham went back to the post-game conference just to give a signed jersey to Phil Younghusband.
Asked whether he would like to return to Manila, Beckham answered: “We’d love to come back.”

Beckham and American star striker Landon Donovan, who were said to play only in the first half, logged more than 70 minutes.
The pound-for-pound king along with his wife, Jinkee, and kids arrived just minutes before the first half ended.

By Mark Giongco

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