By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
For the first time the Philippine men’s football team, the Azkals, qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. They did it by coming from behind to defeat Tajikistan, 2-1 in a dramatic fashion right in Manila. The win enabled them to top their 3rd round group composed of Yemen, Nepal, Tajikistan and Philippines to qualifiy. It was a ‘Miracle in Manila’ that happened last March 27, 2018.
The AFC Asia Cup qualification consisted of three rounds. Forty six teams were involved. The top seeds, including the no. 17 Azkals, were seeded into the second round where teams were divided into 8 groups, each with 5 teams. The Azkals entered the 3rd round by finishing third in its 2nd round group topped by Uzbekistan and North Korea.
Watching the PH-Tajikistan game on television, and the reaction of the more than 4,600 local fans rooting for the Azkals, gave one goose pimples and of course a glimpse of a bright future for the game in the country.
The Cup is the highest level of competition that a national football team in Asia could reach. It was a long wait, all of about 52 years. The odyssey of the team started in 1956 when the first Asian Cup started in Hongkong. There are now 16 editions of the Cup that happens every 4 years like the Olympics and the World Cup itself of football. All the while, the tri-color of the Philippines had never flown up there.
Eight South East Asian countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore already qualified in previous Asia Cup. Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam had already copped 2nd-4th places one time or another. Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam already hosted the Asian Cup.
One wonders why the country had never qualified in that rarified team competition in more than half a century considering that the Philippines was supposed to be the earliest country in Asia to have organized a football club. Football was on a real upswing when the Americans introduced basketball in the country. We embraced that fairly new ball game like a swan to a water – until it became the national past time.
Football is natural for Filipinos. Our grace, agility, talent and ability are just perfect for the sublime game. Before the 1940’s, the Philippines was a feared side in Asian football. At one time, we even beat Japan by an unlikely score of 15 to 2 way back in 1917. It stands as the highest scoring game of the Philippine national team. Fifty years later in 1967, Japan returned the favor, shellacking the Philippine side, 15:0, the largest margin of defeat for the team! At this time, just drawing Japan in a game, official or otherwise, is already a gigantic feat! What happened?
There is some euphoria in the first qualification of the Azkals to the Asia Cup. It’s counterpart, the Philippine Malditas, have done much more. They have already qualified 9 times to the AFC Women’s Asia Cup. The team is actually participating in the on-going Asia Cup in Jordan. They are grouped with China, Thailand and host Jordan. They have beaten the hosts in their first game but lost to China, the defending champion, and Thailand, also a former champion. They are now relegated to a knockout match with South Korea to determine the 5th and last qualifier from Asia in the Women’s World Cup 2019 to be held in France. Let’s pray for a ‘Miracle in Jordan’ for our Azkals.
The game of football is the number one sport in the world. No other sport comes close to it. Basketball is a far 4th or 5th and yet the Philippines is so enamored with it that every nook and cranny in the Philippines has a basketball court. Because of that, even politicians sponsor tournaments in barangay levels so their names will be etched in the minds of the voters. If only politicians and other interested patrons will devote some amount of money for the promotion of football in the country sides, in addition to those being done in the cities, media will take note of it, write or report on it then promotion of the sport will not be that difficult. We can be world beaters in this premier sport.
I am of the opinion that football will eventually break out in the country, sooner or later. According to Mr. Frael Aquino, President of the Cordillera Football Association, and member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine Football Federation, there is now invery region, an identified SPS High School (DepEd) where selected members train daily at 3pm after their classes. This should go a long way in the immediate future.
Mr. Aquino and his four other siblings, (Marlowe with Mariano Marcos State University; Trinidad with Tarlac State University; Tiffany in Canada, Bonbon in Japan) are doing their share in promoting the sport in the Cordillera, particularly in the Benguet-Baguio area. To do this, they first organized the Francisco and Estela Aquino Memorial Educational Sports Development Program (FRAMES Development Program) in honor of their beloved parents.
In 2008, the Aquino siblings, with the help of Travis Shultz, a former Peace Corp Volunteer based at BSU, started the Annual Kiko Football Summer Camp at BSU football grounds under the auspices of the FRAMES program. That means they used, and are still using, their own financial resources to conduct such camps. They had initial 120 kids in attendance and 25 volunteers. In 10 years of its existence, about 4,000 kids had already passed thru its camps, many of which have distinguished themselves already in various leagues including the Philippine Football League. About 1,000 volunteers, from various professional fields-doctors, engineers, teachers, etc had lent a helping hand to the camp. They have partnered principally with BSU (providing the venue), JCI, Royal Cargo, Cat Daves Sports Wear, PFF, and CRFA. The camps were free to the campers.
Previous campers, at one time or another, have been provided with T-shirts, sling bags, shin guards, socks, water bottles. Some of its participants have gone on to national prominence, or are now members of various football clubs. Examples are Junel Mark Bautista, currently a pool member of the under-23 Azkals, and a member of the Davao Aguilas; Michael Menzi, member of Kaya FC; Three are members of under 14 teen Azkals. Currently, there are 6 who are undergoing Under-16 try-outs.
According to Frael, who is also the Gen. Secretary of Baguio City Football Association, and a licensed “C” coach of the ASEAN football federation, they will continue to conduct the football camp and even improve on it. The last camp actually ended last week, where they included for the first time, a medical-dental mission.
Another activity worth attending in the promotion of football in the region is the expected arrival of Steve Marsella of Scotland, the national goalkeeper coach, in Baguio to conduct goalkeeper training. Mr. Aquino is hoping that this will be attended by aspiring goalkeepers.
I know that it is not easy to conduct camps, especially using your own resources. The Aquino siblings may not be asking for it, but what they are doing should be duly recognized by some agencies or appropriate bodies, if only to encourage them (and others as well) to continue such noble task.
Incidentally, it might be of interest to sports fans, especially students to know that there is a Filipino booter who had etched his name in the Spanish and European football firmament. His name: Paulino Alcantara- born in Iloilo in 1986 who played for FC Barcelona in 1912-1927. He was actually the first Asian to be an import in European football. His record of 369 goals in 357 games, was the record for the famous ball club until it was erased by a talented and one of the best footballers of all time, Lionel Messi of Argentina in March, 2014. The record stood for 87 years.
Not only that, Alcantara was also the youngest at 15 years, four months and 18 days to have officially scored a goal for the club. That record still stands today. He was considered the first superstar for FC Barcelona. His legend rose so high when in a Spain-France friendly, he ripped the back of the net when he kicked the ball so hard. He earned the nickname: The Net Breaker. For a long time, that incident have made parents of aspiring Spanish players to say to their kids, “Someday, you should play like that Filipino!”
Cordillera, let’s go for football. Let’s support the Azkals and the Malditas.**
