One of my all-time favorite Filipino football players who will no doubt go down as one of the most important players to don a national jersey… the one and only Chris Greatwich. |
Dekada:
Ten years into his
football adventure, Chris Greatwich has achieved quite a few milestones.
by rick olivares
Right before kick off of the 2014 World Cup,
Philippine international Chris Greatwich took a moment to reflect on some of
the news streaming out of the United States.
There was some controversy about the United States
Men’s National Team, when coach Jurgen Klinsmann selected several Americans of
foreign descent for the squad. Some like former US coach Bruce Arena decried
the selections and said that Major League Soccer was teeming with enough talent
to stock the national team. Why select
players from the outside including some unproven ones? Some including US
women’s player Alex Morgan wondered about some selections, “I want to like
Julian Green” she Tweeted.
“Been there. Done that,” commented Greatwich over
lunch at the 26th Street Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
“The world is changing. It has been for a while now. So I’m surprised people
are reacting this way because this isn’t the first time the United States went
through those changes.”
That was in 1994 when the US fielded a team composed
of home grown players to go with naturalized players and some who were of
American parents. One of the more prominent ones was current Philippines head
coach Thomas Dooley, who played every single minute of all American matches in
1994. Dooley’s father was an American serviceman.
“I used to be a little bothered by the label,
‘Fil-foreigner’,” admitted Greatwich. “I also understand the need to label
people for certain purposes. But I’m fine with it now. There are bigger things
to worry about. Besides people are coming around to the impact of
globalization.”
Greatwich stewed on the word – globalization – for a
minute.
“I was born in England and I never thought that I’d
find my life in the US and in my mother’s home country of the Philippines,” he
waxed philosophical. “I wanted to be a football player but if you told me that
all that I have achieved and experienced in the past 10 years would happen I’d
say you’re kidding me.”
It’s hard to believe that 10 years have gone by since
Greatwich first suited up for the national team. Once considered one of its
bright young hopes, he is one of its seniors citizens when it comes to football
standards.
“It’s been good,” he pronounced of the past 10 years.
“Hopefully, we can add more good memories and experiences to this.”
In these past 10 years, there have been five
milestones in Greatwich’s life.
Making the
national team
“In 2003, my grandmother passed away and mother came
back to the Philippines for the first time in 11 years to attend her funeral. She
happened to be in Pasig before going to Bohol when she found out that the PFF (Philippine
Football Federation) office was in nearby ULTRA. She walked in and said that
her three sons play a little bit of football and maybe in the future they can
try out for the national squad.”
“The following year, I had some correspondence with
the PFF inviting me to try out for the national team. I was studying and
playing in the US at that time, and I flew in October of 2014 to attend the
tryouts. Luckily, I made the team.”
“Chris had quality,” recalled then national head
coach Aris Caslib. The nationals were then preparing for the 2004 Tiger Cup
(today’s Suzuki Cup). “He was smart in his play and didn’t make too many
mistakes. He was perfect for the team.”
“I hadn’t come back to the Philippines since I was
four years old so this was a good time as any to return,” added Chris of the
start of his great football adventure. “I wasn’t nervous about coming over. It
wasn’t a concern. It was more of not knowing what to expect. What were the
standards? Was I going to be completely out of my depth? Could I help this
team? Was the training facility going to be terrible? I just went over with an
open mind. I didn’t know the level of exposure the team had. I didn’t care to
know. That wasn’t my main concern. I didn’t care of there were millions of
people watching or not. It was just to play. I came over with the mindset of
just making the team.”
Among the hopefuls at that time were Chad Gould, Aly
Borromeo, Anton del Rosario, Chieffy Caligdong, Roel Gener, Ian Araneta, and
Peter Jaugan. Of the eight, including Greatwich, only Gould would not be in the
lineup during the 2010 breakthrough.
“I stayed with Aly for the first week then I stayed
at the dorm in ULTRA where the conditions were terrible,” laughed Greatwich of
those salad days. “We had a small toilet and shower. We had to navigate through
all the fences in the back just to get a proper shower. And there’s a whole lot
more that I will leave to the imagination.”
The Fil-Briton was singular in his mindset about
making the team despite the difficult conditions. “The important thing was
making the team. It was difficult. I have never been through anything like this
before. I just had to suck it up. It wasn’t going to help me if I botched and
moaned.”
During that Tiger Cup, the Philippines faced Myanmar
as its first group stage opponent at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. The Burmese were tipped to progress deep into the tourney while not
much was expected from the region’s traditional whipping boys.
Upon kick-off, the Philippines displayed tenacious
defending that beat back repeated attacks by Myanmar.
“We parked the bus and held them off. We couldn’t
mount much offense but we tried to find openings on the counter,” described
Chris of the heroic stand. “We had one good chance to score in the game off a
long throw by Anton after which Aly picked it up and sent the ball to me. But….
I missed my volley. It was our one good chance!”
After 90 minutes and the match still scoreless, the
Philippines had a chance to eke out a point in a draw. But a long forward ball
dropped in front of an unmarked San Day Thien, the Myanmar striker, outside the
box. He controlled the bar and fired a shot that beat keeper Michael Casas for
the match’s only goal… at death’s door.
I remember thinking, “That was right before the
whistle blew and I remember feeling devastated like everyone else. I just sat
down feeling empty. This was a chance to for us to get a point.”
The next three matches saw Malaysia and Thailand blow
out the Philippines but in between, the picked up a huge, 2-1, win over Timor
Leste on account of Chieffy Caligdong’s two late goals.
“That was Chieffy’s coming out party,” said Chris. “Considering
the squad we had and the amount of preparation we had – which wasn’t much to
start with -- it was a good result. But…
it was the start of something.”
The 2010
Suzuki Cup
In the midst of a horrible boat ride to play Maldives
in the semifinals of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, longtime number one national keeper
Neil Etheridge suddenly said to Chris, “One of the best moments of my life is
when you scored the equalizer against Singapore.”
With the ferry being rocked by the huge waves,
Greatwich, who preoccupied by several things, could only nod in appreciation.
In his international career, Chris Greatwich has
scored only seven goals. That’s 29 less than Phil Younghusband has. And perhaps
outside Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong, no one has scored more important
goals than Greatwich.
Aside from the three goals he has scored during the
qualifiers for the Suzuki Cup, the pair he scored during the 2010 edition
helped put the Philippines where it is at the moment.
The affable Fil-Briton was a late addition to the
national side because of concerns over his fitness, but come kick off in
Vietnam, Greatwich was arguably one of the more important players in that
tournament.
In the group stage opener, Chris banged home a
spectacular injury time goal from a fine cross from James Younghusband to give
the Philippines a 1-1 draw with Singapore in the opening match of Group B at
the My Dinh National Stadium.
It was a stunning result but none more so a few days
later against defending champions Vietnam when Greatwich took a well-placed
cross from defender Anton del Rosario in the 37th minute for a
header that beat keeper Duong Hong Son for a most unlikely 1-nil lead.
The goal seemed so inconceivable at that point as,
Vietnam, the home team had dominated possession and shots on goal. Phil
Younghusband scored the insurance goal late in the match to give the
Philippines its most important result, a 2-0, win that forever changed the
course of the sport in the country.
The win sent repercussions throughout the Southeast
Asian region where football is akin to a religion. The following day at the
press conference for the match between Singapore and Vietnam where one team
could possibly be sent packing depending on the result, much of the discussion
centered on the Philippines’ fantastic run.
Singapore defender David Mark Bennett was effuse in
his praise, “We don’t play too many teams that show that kind of passion. That’s
a well-deserved point for the Philippines.”
“This is so much a product of passion and pride,”
gushed then head coach Simon McMenemy after the historic win over Vietnam. “We
just wanted to keep it tight, defend well, and try to beat them on the
counterattack. We wanted to limit their numbers on their attacks and after
Chris’ goal, we had them somewhat thinking twice. We were fortunate but that’s
what football’s all about.”
Playing
with Kaya in the UFL
Despite the successful 2010 Suzuki Cup run, Greatwich
returned to the United States to get back to work. “Even after the
accomplishment of 2010, domestic football wasn’t financially viable here,”
explained Greatwich. “It was difficult to consider a full time career in
football unlike the way it is now. Back then, there weren’t enough facilities
too. There wasn’t anything for me to give up the way of life I had over in the
US.”
However, the seeds of the football’s growth had been
sown. Within a year, the UFL was awarded a long-term television contract. Club
football was on the rise and so were the infrastructures surrounding the game.
“No one could have foreseen football develop the way
it has,” said Greatwich upon his return to the Philippines as a member of Kaya.
“Everything sort of blew up. The infrastructure grew. So did the UFL. Football
became more popular. I spoke with Santi Araneta about potentially coming over
here. He told me that I would work with the academy and how things will develop
from the UFL to the Youth League. I wanted to be a part of that and I thought I
could add value to it.”
With Greatwich in the middle, Kaya has gone up from
fourth to third in the last two seasons of league play. “Hopefully, we don’t
have to wait two more years to win it all,” joked Chris of his team’s finishes.
Tying the
knot
For all of Chris’ accomplishments on and off the
field and for the sport in the Philippines, he couldn’t have done it without
his longtime girlfriend, Samantha Kettle who he married in August of 2013.
“We’ve been together for a very long time, Sam and
I,” reflected Greatwich of his relationship. “We have been all over the world.
We’ve lived in England. We’ve lived in the States. And now, we live here in the
Philippines. With the national team, I’ve been doing a lot traveling. Without
Sam’s patience and understanding, a lot of this would not be feasible. I would
be in England doing a boring mundane job while playing some football on the
side. She’s been very extremely supportive. Allowing my dreams and aspirations
to take shape. A lot of partners are not willing to do that. I don’t have to
worry about what’s going on behind the scenes. She’s embraced everything living
here and there. And that has allowed me to focus and play well.”
For as long as he could remember, Chris always
thought and planned ahead. He moved to the United States to not only study but
to earn a living. “Living away from your parents teaches you to fend for
yourself,” he said over his time living outside England.
With a child due the family way this September, Chris
is thinking even more long term. “A child on the way,” Chris thought. “That’s
different. I have to think more long term. There’s more than Sam and me now. How
do I support my family? There’s a lot to think about --- food, the condo, care
for the child, balancing my time with my work and family. There is so much to
consider and think about. But it’s good to know that Samantha is there too so
it isn’t just my decision.”
Free to focus on football, Greatwich has adapted his
game to the team’s needs and its composition. He has gone from playing
attacking midfielder to working to get the ball back and distributing the ball
to the forwards.
“The change in the style of play also comes with
maturity” expounded Greatwich. “You have to realize that there are some things
you can be good at and there are others that you leave to your teammates who
can do a much better job. You look at the quality of the team now and you have
to adapt as well. It’s like when I first came over, you have to keep an open
mind about things or else you’ll be left behind. It helped me prolong my career
if you ask me.”
The 2014
AFC Challenge Cup
Ten years after making his debut with the national
team, Chris is still making significant contributions.
When Greatwich scored late in extra time against
Maldives to give the Philippines, a 3-2 win in the semifinals of the AFC
Challenge Cup, another teammate of his announced that it was one of the
proudest moments of his life.
“It’s just good to be able to still contribute,”
remarked Greatwich who came on as a second half substitute for Jerry Lucena.
“I’m thinking that I scored some big goals in 2010 and four years later,
there’s another. I’m just happy to be a part of this and show my worth.”
As a campaign, Chris felt the whole campaign was a
roller coaster ride of emotions. He got injured in the first match then managed
to come on in the all-important semifinals match that saw the Philippines go
through its best finish in a major tournament.
“One moment, you’re thrilled to be with the lads.
Then you’re worrying about keeping it all together in the boat ride and
battling sea sickness,” recalled Greatwich of the off field problems the
national team had to go through while at the Maldives. “Then I got poked in the
eye and I’m on the bench. It was frustrating. Luckily, the manager’s got faith
in me and puts me in against the Maldives in the semis.”
“Finishing second in the tournament was a
disappointment,” said Chris of the 2-nil loss to Palestine in the Challenge Cup
Finals. “But it’s still a huge achievement. Never thought our wildest dreams did
we think that we could be one game away from playing the biggest teams in Asia.
We’ll just try to do it all over again.”
The long-time national team midfielder knows that his
days representing the country are numbered. Of his batch of eight that began
the journey in 2004, only Anton del Rosario was in uniform in the Maldives.
“I’m going to be 31 by September,” admitted
Greatwich. “I am fortunate enough to be a part of all of this. Ten years is a
good run. Hopefully, there’ll be a few more but if not I’m happy and
comfortable with what I have done for the country. As long as there are better
players coming through and the team does better then it’s all good.”
When Greatwich and company began their ride 10 years
ago, there was hardly any media coverage. The one meaningful interview he
recalled giving was to DZSR Sports Radio’s Cecile Quimlat. Today, the national
team and the UFL are constantly in the news. The games are regularly televised.
The game is flourishing and “the infrastructure” that wasn’t there a decade ago
is partly in place with more being built.
There is already some talk from media quarters and
the fans about Rob Gier, Phil Younghusband and possibly Greatwich coaching the
national side one day.
“Maybe the three of use could do it together,”
wondered Chris. “I think we have a lot to give. Players would respect what
we’ve achieved from our playing days and we’ve got good footballing minds. I
don’t know to be honest. I am sure we’d all like to do that. We’d like to play
a little bit longer too. But we’ll cross the bridge when we get there.”
In the recent Maldives match, Greatwich got to play
alongside younger brother Simon who came on as a substitute in the 110th
minute. “You think first that you have a brother on the team. You think of the
team first. In the Maldives game, Simon came on the right wing where I played
the entire tournament so I was a little confused. But he came on and played
pretty well. After the game, with the win in the bag, I thought, “That was cool
to be on the field with your brother celebrating an important win. It was a
little more poignant.”
“Years ago, if you told me that one day, I would be
on the field with Landon Donovan, David Beckham, and Fabio Cannavaro; that I’d
play in front of 90,000 people (in Malaysia); that I’d play in front of Manny
Pacquiao who is in the crowd, and we’d be playing in World Cup qualifiers, I’d
tell you, ‘You’re lying.’”
“But…. reality never looked so good.”
Chris Greatwich smiled the smile of the content,
happy, and accomplished.
Deep down inside, he knows that the best is yet to
come.
The next decade beckons.
Nice read! BTW it's 1 nil against Palestine.
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