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| Members of the 1991 RP Men's National Football Team. From the left: Filamer Rossel, Jess Baron, Judy Saluria, Edgar Berja, Coach Eckhard Krautzun, Assistant Coach Consurcio Manresa, Maron Maro, Nonoy Fegidero, Melo Sabacan, and Hersey Salmon. Kneeling is Roroy Piñero. |
Kings
for a day
by rick olivares
It’s a moment frozen in time. If you look at the Rizal Memorial
Football Stadium today, many of the structures built that day remain in place
even if unused. There’s the clock that has stopped as if to mark a time and
place. An event.
It wasn’t just an event. In fact, it sent ripples down and
helped father today’s football generation.
On Thursday, November 28, 1991, the Rizal Memorial Football
Stadium, the old sports complex along Adriatico was packed and rocking
following an improbable win by the Philippine Men’s Football National Team as they
defeated regional power Malaysia, 1-nil.
In their first game of the group stage, the Philippines led
Vietnam 2-1 but a late goal in the 84th minute saw the Vietnamese
draw level. Despite the disappointment of not coming away with the three full
points, the Filipinos were confident that they could beat Malaysia. It wouldn’t
be easy but it was very much doable.
Against the Tigers, the Philippine team, as coached by Eckhard
Krautzun and Rolando Plagata, played with an ultra-defensive 5-3-1-1 formation.
“Ang game plan namin ay maglaro ng depensa tapos tirahin sila sa mga counter,”
explained defender Marlon Maro. “We were almost successful because we had very
good opportunities to score.”
The Malaysians however, found cracks in the defense to pepper
the Philippine goal with a variety of shots. But keeper Melo Sabacan was
magnificent at goal. With 15 minutes left in a tightly contested match, Philippine
midfielder Alfredo Dioso Jr. found Elmer Bedia, who was just sent in the match
to provide fresh legs, racing up the right flank. Drawing the defense, Bedia
sent a perfect cross to striker Norman Fegidero Jr. who controlled the ball
with his chest. Fegidero, faked the goalkeeper one way then sent the ball with
his strong left foot to the back of the net.
The Malaysians were in shock. They hosted the Philippine team for
a month in Kuala Lumpur. Their coach, Bakhri Ibni, helped train the Filipinos
and the Football Association of Malaysia paid for their expenses. Three months
later, the pupil bested the teacher.
As the referee blew the final whistle that marked full time, the
venerable stadium that bore the name of the nation’s national hero erupted in pandemonium
as they celebrated their new heroes. The technicians working the stadium’s
sound system played Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and the throbbing pulsating
music whipped the fans all the more into a frenzy. There was dancing and
singing in the stands. Grown Malaysian men, veterans of many a football war,
openly wept. The crowd surged forward to the pitch to embrace and celebrate
with the players.
Bob Guerrero, the voice of the Azkals, was in college back then
and he was one of those who ran down to the pitch to celebrate. “I remember
going down and hugging whoever player I saw,” reminisced Guerrero.
“All of a sudden, you had all the media – foreign and local –
trying to get interviews with us,” Fegidero described of that moment. “It was
crazy. It was like when the Azkals beat Vietnam in the 2010 Suzuki Cup. The
difference is that was the pre-internet age.”
Added Rudy del Rosario who also played striker for the team,
“The headline in Malaysia the following day read: ‘national disaster.’ That was
how big it was. They were the defending SEA Games champions and the whipping
boys of Southeast Asia just beat them. We were giant killers. We were kings if
only for just one day.”
The coaching staff preached caution as dangerous Indonesia
lurked around the corner, their last assignment of the group stage. They had
four points in two matches and they had an opportunity to advance farther than
they’ve ever done before.
And it looked like they would fell another giant as the
Philippines led Indonesia 1-0. But defender Judy Saluria fouled an Indonesian
inside the box and that led to a penalty. The Filipinos never recovered from
that as not only did the Merah Putih equalize but they also scored a second
goal to win 2-1.
In the next stage of the competition, Singapore, all too aware
of the capabilities of the Filipinos, did not allow the home team to get in the
game as they blanked the Filipinos for the first time in the competition to
beat them 2-0 for the bronze medal. The Philippines finished fourth in the
seven-nation football tournament.
Following the 1991 Southeast Asian Games where the Philippines
placed second in the medal tally, the Men’s Football Team, after eight months
of playing together, was disbanded while their German advisers went back to
their home country.
For one brief and shining moment, the draw against Vietnam and
the win against Malaysia (followed by the thrilling match against Indonesia
that ended in a loss), gave the country something to cheer for. And it inspired
many of the current generation playing football today.
The
starting XI during the Philippines vs. Malaysia game:
Melo Sabacan – goalkeeper
Adolfo Alicante – sweeper
Judy Saluria – stopper
Marlon Maro – stopper
Rolando Piñero – left fullback
Edgar Berja – right fullback
Hersey Salmon – left wing
Eduardo Duran – right wing
Alfredo Dioso Jr. – midfield
Filamer Rosell – striker
Norman Fegidero Jr. – striker
The
1991 Philippine Men’s Football National Team:
Adolfo Alicante, Iloilo, DF
Jess Baron, Iloilo, DF
Elmer Bedia, Iloilo, FW
Edgar Berja, Iloilo, DF
Nonoy Carpio, Manila, GK
Rudy del Rosario, Manila, FW
Jun dela Cruz, Iligan, DF/MF
Alfredo Dioso Jr., Bacolod, MF
Eduardo Duran, Dumaguete, MF
Norman Fegidero Jr., Bacolod, FW
Herbert Ignacio, Dumaguete, DF/MF
Eduardo Marasigan Jr., Batangas, MF
Marlon Maro, Dumaguete, DF
Rolando Piñero, Dumaguete, DF
Filamer Rosell, Manila MF/FW
Melo Sabacan, Bacolod, GK
Hersey Salmon, Davao, MF Acer
Judy Saluria, Iloilo, DF Manila Army
Coaching
Staff:
Consultant: Eckhard Krautzun, Germany
Goalkeeper coach, Riko Weigand, Germany
Rolando Plagata, Iloilo, head coach
Consurcio Manresa, Iligan, assistant coach
Where
are they now?
Adolfo Alicante led FEU to several football titles and is now
coach of Green Archers United.
Jess Baron is with the Philippine Army.
Elmer Bedia lives in Australia where he handles a variety of
football clinics.
Edgar Berja recently retired from the Air Force and now resides
in his native Iloilo.
Nonoy Carpio works with the Asian Football Confederation.
Rudy del Rosario is one of three people to form Kaya FC and is
currently the head coach of the Homeless World Cup Team
Alfredo Dioso Jr. works with an electric company.
Norman Fegidero Jr. coached the Azkals for a spell and is the
successful head coach of West Negros University. He also coaches Pachanga FC in
the UFL.
Herbert Ignacio works with a bank.
Eduardo Marasigan Jr. now resides in the United States.
Marlon Maro is coach of the College of Saint Benilde, the Street
Child World Cup Team, and Navy FC.
Rolando Piñero is an assistant coach with the Azkals and was
there with the team in Vietnam in that momentous 2010 Suzuki Cup.
Filamer Rossel works for Mama Sita.
Melo Sabacan is a goalkeeper coach today with Navy.
Hersey Salmon works with Acer.
Judy Saluria is with the Army.
Eckhard Krautzun still does football work for FIFA.
Riko Weigand is still a goalkeeper coach.
Rolando Plagata passed away.
Consurcio Manresa works with the PFF as Technical Director for
Mindanao.