A much needed splash for Philippine football

A much needed splash for Philippine football

by rick olivares

Philippine National Football Team manager Dan Palami announced the other day the appointment of Sven Goran Eriksson as head coach of the Azkals.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation, Eriksson, the former England boss, signed a six-month contract that will cover the Philippines’ Asian Cup stint for 2019.

Eriksson who hails from Sweden has managed the national teams of England, Mexico, and most recently, Ivory Coast. He has worked in nine countries with the Philippines being his tenth. The Swede has won honors on his home soil, Portugal, Italy, and an individual honor in England. He last worked in China where he was with Guangzhou R&F, Shanghai SIPG, and Shenzen (2017).

After German-American coach Thomas Dooley’s contract was not renewed in March of this year, three others were named to helm the Azkals’ matches including Englishman Terry Butcher who never got to be in charge of a single game.

I think the appointment is good but it could have been better.

To have a high profile coach who has guided top squads is good. But what can one do in six months? Maybe that was his stipulation. Nevertheless, I will take it.

Football might have dropped off the radar of Philippine sports, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t thriving. It is. It does need a push though.

Eriksson will drive interest; wins by the Philippines will do even more.

And there’s goalkeeper Neil Etheridge who is the starting net minder for Cardiff City in the English Premier League.

I remember when Neil first came over and took Louie Casas’ spot at the goal during the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers against Brunei. I was with Solar Sports at that time, and we broadcast the Azkals’ matches during those days. Neil was a massive presence at goal. Not only size-wise, but he commanded the defense very well. Plus, he finished with three clean sheets. Not bad. And he has played 61 international caps and counting for the national side.

When he was named as a substitute for Fulham second keeper David Stockdale who went down with an injury prior to a match against Wolverhampton – an official Premier League match -- it was neat moment for Etheridge. As good as it was to be on the team sheet, Etheridge said back then, he did wish though that he got to play. That came in the 2011-12 season when he played for Fulham in a Europa League match.

Neil gave me a Fulham jersey of his with the proper Premier League badges and to this day, it is one of my most prized possessions.

Things sort of wavered in terms of cracking a Premier League slot as he bounced around Bristol Rovers, Crewe Alexandra, Oldham Athletic, Charlton Athletic, and Walsall.

It was with Welsh club Cardiff City where Neil made a huge impact as he played in 45 of 46 matches during the 2017-18 Championship season that saw the Bluebirds, as the team is nicknamed, promoted to the Premier League! Neil kept 19 clean sheets and only conceded 37 goals that year!

After years of waiting… Neil was in the Premier League! Furthermore, he was named as a candidate for Premier League Player of the Month of August after stopping two penalties and making nine saves. He was nominated alongside Chelsea’s Marcus Alonso, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Virgil Van Dijk, Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy, Tottenham’s Lucas Moura, and Watford’s Roberto Pereya. The honor went to Moura. But no matter. The fact that Neil was named is huge enough. Talk about an impact in his first month of solid Premier League action.

Watching him take on Liverpool last Saturday in Anfield (the Bluebirds fell, 4-1), I can only imagine what emotions he felt. As Neil related to me when I used to cover the Azkals regularly from 2008-2014, he grew up a Liverpool fan (the only other Reds fans on the national team there were midfielder Chieffy Caligdong, defender Rob Gier, and team manager Dan Palami).

Against Liverpool, on occasion, the pundits pointed out his spot on challenges especially to Mo Salah (denying him a scoring chance). I wish him more success.

The early good cheer of the season has somewhat dissipated as Cardiff are fighting for their Premier League lives. At 1-2-7, they are just out of the relegation zone for one; one notch higher than Etheridge’s old club Fulham which is in 18^th spot and ahead of Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town.

Cardiff’s next fixture is against reeling Leicester City on November 3. After a 1-1 draw against West Ham (also on the same day as the Bluebirds’ match in the Merseyside), a helicopter carrying the Foxes’ owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed just outside the club grounds. As of this writing, Sunday morning, there has been no word as to who was on board and their fate. We can only offer prayers and wish everyone involved with the club good health and safety.