Philippine Football

[fadzki]

after the first half of this Myanmar game... it somehow made me wonder what would McMenemy do. the beauty of his ugly defensive style is that it suited the overall talents of the Azkals well. in the first 10 minutes alone, the left winger of Myanmar made Gener look like his bitch while the guy on the right midfield made Del Rosario look like a grade school player. if it wasn't for Etheridge, they'd be down by 2 early.

i'm very impressed with this new guy Guirado. once Phil Younghusband comes back, i'd take Araneta out of the starting 11.

*edit after the 2nd half*

a good part of that 2nd half was a completely different Azkals team... they just flat out dominated Myanmar even before the red card on the goalie. it's just unlucky that they scored an equalizer at the end. i'm now curious how the Palestine game ended 0-0 when we have someone like Guirado easily getting through defenders and delivering his passes better than anyone else.

on other forums and news links it says that guirado has an injury... Palestine players are strong and tall maybe that's why he could not get his going against them unlike myanmar were he bullied against smaller defenders...

[kerouac82]

I am VERY impressed with Guirado. He's quick and crafty with the ball and his crosses are very well-placed. I counted at least three passes that were put to waste by mistimed runs by the recipients. He is also no slouch on defense as he helped out Etheridge and the defenders in the box. But as we say in Tagalog, "Partida na 'yan". Give Guirado more time to adjust and learn either English or Tagalog, and we'll have a very potent offensive team.

The commentator, Darren Hartmann, knows his stuff. I wonder how he'll do if he covered the game by himself. Filipinos are used to the PBA style of having one play-by-play announcer and one color commentator. I was looking for a courtside reporter too

[b3lowzro]

I am VERY impressed with Guirado. He's quick and crafty with the ball and his crosses are very well-placed. I counted at least three passes that were put to waste by mistimed runs by the recipients. He is also no slouch on defense as he helped out Etheridge and the defenders in the box. But as we say in Tagalog, "Partida na 'yan". Give Guirado more time to adjust and learn either English or Tagalog, and we'll have a very potent offensive team.

The commentator, Darren Hartmann, knows his stuff. I wonder how he'll do if he covered the game by himself. Filipinos are used to the PBA style of having one play-by-play announcer and one color commentator. I was looking for a courtside reporter too

how come his bros ain't playing for the flag anymore, Matt used to play for Portsmouth F.C., a former Premier league club.

[seigle42]

have you seen Aldeguer play?

because he played for weakest division team (III)

but the good is, aldeguer height is 6'2, but the bad is his talent.

[dxjayrock2008]

From mb.com.ph

Phil Younghusband overwhelmed by popularity of football in the Philippines

By ALEX VALENTIN BROSAS
March 24, 2011, 4:00am
MANILA, Philippines – Football player Phil Younghusband is overwhelmed by the instant popularity of sport in the country. “It happened so fast,” he said about its newfound fame among Filipinos.

“It’s only been three of four months and the popularity of football has grown. Now it’s being recognized in the streets, in the malls, during anything. And the players, we don’t want it to end. We want football to progress. We want football to develop in the Philippines,” he said in “Confessions” segment of “Showbiz News Ngayon,” March 23.

The star player is on a rest period after he suffered a harmstring injury during the Azkals game in Mongolia.

“Malungkot ako kasi hindi puwedeng maglaro sa Myanmar,” he said, adding his injured right leg was “masakit pa rin pero gumagaling na. Hindi pwede tumakbo, hindi pwede open or stretch. Tatlong lingo pa [bago] puwedeng maglaro. ‘Yung next game natin is June so there’s a lot of time."

Considering himself Pinoy “a hundred percent kasi I live here now,” Phil explained he’s grown to love the country.

“My family is in the Philippines. I’m very family-oriented, very close to my family. I’m very passionate about the Philippines. Although my accent is different... I believe I’m very Pinoy.”

Phil admits that their family is very close-knit, something that has been brought about by the fact that “my dad, patay na. My brother and I are the men of the house. We are the breadwinners. We are very close. We do everything together. If you meet my mom and my sister, it’s easy to love them.”

When asked if there’s sibling rivalry between him and his brother James, Phil admitted “meron,” but asserted it was “healthy competition.”

He shared that they are disparate in that “I’m very impatient" and “James is more patient.” What they have in common, though, is that “we like Filipinas.”

When asked by Bianca Gonzalez who’s more handsome, Phil instantly replied, “Siyempre mas guwapo ako. Charot!”

When pressed to reveal who taught him gay lingo, he quipped, “I”m not gonna say it.”

Asked who’s more of a chickboy between him and James, he said, “Siya? Joke!”

Stating that he “started kicking a ball when I was three,” Phil said both his dad and his brother James were his inspirations. “They really wanted me to be a football guy. Last year, Phil formed a football group called The Younghusband Football Academy."

Started in January 2010, Phil noted that its goal was "to create opportunity for the young kids to promote, develop football in the Philippines. We have training camps. We have tournaments. We have guys from public schools. We train them.”

Phil also explained that after the controversy Angelica Panganiban unwittingly created after she posted messages pertaining to him being possibly sidetracked by showbiz on her Twitter account, he had not really spoken to the actress or her boyfriend Derek Ramsay. But he did admit that he follows her on Twitter.

“I just want to let her know about my feelings,” he said.

Given a chance, he would tell Angelica that “I just want to concentrate on the Mongolia game and the movie wasn’t about entering showbiz. I think she just misunderstood the situation."

The indie film he’s referring to is “Happy Land,” directed by Jim Libiran, in which he had a cameo.

“I was [there] as myself... just playing football, show some skills, train the kids. Hardly a bit of acting. Nothing serious,” he said.

[kaiziken_pinas]

because he played for weakest division team (III)

but the good is, aldeguer height is 6'2, but the bad is his talent.

did you see how he played vs Myanmar?
Playing for a 3rd division does not signify inferiority.

I'm betting my ass that you didn't.

[nardy]

SIMON MC MENEMY is better than this GERMAN S....

If SIMON is the coach, it should be 2 win by now....

Simon is a better defensive coach and a bit conservative with regards to offensive patterns.

Weiss has so much to offer on offense as he is a risk taker but unfortunately he sometimes makes plays that makes his defense not that strong and depends so much on the Goal Keepers ability.

However the problem is really we have a number of guys who depended on for the longest time who are not available and we have new talented guys but it does affect team chemistry, some players are not used to the players they are playing with and does not know how they move and how they would react in certain situations.

Please note some of the goals that were scored against us were thru penalties and the fouls were incurred by our newcomers.

[kikomatsing]

GO AZKALS!...

goodluck on friday!

[ultimate_baller24]

The earthquakes seem to be #Azkals-related. They were in Japan when d 8.9 magnitude struck. James Younghusband scored a goal against Myanmar at abt d same time that 5.7 earthquake hit Luzon & now a 7.0 in Myanmar where they currently are. WTF? - Fidel mangonon

Another earthquake, this time in Myanmar. Quake felt even in Thailand and Vietnam. The Azkals ran down from the 9th floor to the first floor. Everyone is ok. (sources: Reuters; Anton Del Rosario and Aly Borromeo's Twitter account.)

[b3lowzro]

New Azkals White kit

[RFM]

Goodluck PHL Azkal team to your next match. May the force be with you. Etc etc etc...

[dxjayrock2008]

Philippine Azkals to fight tooth and nail vs Bengal Tigers

3/25/2011

source: abs-cbnnews.com

The Philippine Azkals is expected to play like there’s no tomorrow against the Bangladesh Bengal Tigers on Friday in their final Challenge Cup group stage match at the Aung San Stadium in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar.

Azkals, who scraped 2 straight draws in the group stage, are hard-pressed for a win against the Tigers in their quest to earn a qualification for the Challenge Cup tournament proper in 2012.

The Azkals are now ranked 3rd in their group bracket composed of 4 countries, namely: Philippines, Palestine, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The Palestine Fighters currently heads the pack with 1 win and 1 draw for a total of 4 points.

Bangladesh, which defeated Myanmar, 2-0, on Wednesday, is currently at 2nd with 3 points on 1 win and 1 loss.

The Azkals have 2 points on 2 straight draws, while Myanmar is dead last with 1 point on a draw and a loss.

The group stage point system gives 3 points on every win, 1 point on each draw, and 0 for every loss.

The Filipino booters will need to win against the Bengal Tigers to hike the team’s total score to 5 points for a sure finish at 2nd place.

Only the top 2 teams in each bracket will advance to the Challenge Cup tournament proper in 2012.

Past games

The Azkals appeared headed to a win on James Younghusband's penalty In their first game last Monday. However, Khin Maung Lwin' free kick went in to help Myanmar hold the Azkals to a 1-1 draw.

Last Wednesday, the Filipino booters battled a taller and more experienced Palestine squad. After 90 minutes of football action between the Azkals and Al Fusan (The Fighters), both teams settled for scoreless draw.

"I think we played really well. In the first half, we took a long time to get going again... second half we played really well,” said Filipino-British goalkeeper, Neil Etheridge.

"In the first half the heat was stinging us a little bit but it’s the same for the other team… it's a tough game though,” said Filipino-Danish Azkals player, Jerry Lucena.

[dxjayrock2008]

Azkals to grace opening of PFF Suzuki U-23 Cup on March 30

3/25/2011

source: gmanews.tv

The Philippine Football Federation Suzuki Under-23 Cup kicks off to great fanfare at the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus beginning March 30 with the members of the Philippine men’s national football team as guests.

The tournament, which is sponsored by Suzuki Philippines, will serve as a breeding ground for future members of the Azkals. The team will see action in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

The Under-23 tournament initially brings together 23 squads from Luzon and Mindanao in the first wave of knockout competition before the winners advance to the regionals where teams from the National Capital Region and the Visayas await them.

The top two teams from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region will be paired into two groups and battle it out in a single-elimination format for a home-and-away semifinal match to determine the finalists. The finals will take place on May 15.

Also gracing the kick off in Laguna will be Suzuki Philippines president Satoshi Uchida, PFF President Mariano V. Araneta and other football officials.

Uchida, who is a huge football fan and was impressed with the Azkals’ performance in the last Suzuki Cup said, “We consider the Suzuki-PFF U-23 Cup as a local adaptation of the AFF Suzuki Cup, aligning the efforts with how Suzuki Motors Corporation, our mother company, supports football in all of Asia. We see this effort in a long-term basis. Expect that we will be continuously supporting football in the Philippines as part of our efforts to help promote Philippine sports, especially now that Suzuki Philippines launched its ASTIG campaign, football seems a very apt representation of that image."

Preceding the opening ceremonies will be a motorcade at 2 p.m. featuring PFF and Suzuki officials as well as the Azkals. - RCJ, GMA News

[TrueBluePinoy]

We're 2-0 past the 70th min mark. Aldeguer is making terrific plays.

[interxavierxxx]

It's now 3-0 with another goal from Aldeguer (spelling?). My goodness, this guy is for real!