Bleachers' Brew #239 On the lost home field match & home fires

This appears in my Monday December 13, 2010 edition of the Business Mirror. Thought I'd let you all in it in advance so you take another perspective on things.

On the lost home field match and home fires

by rick olivares

The match with Myanmar had hardly finished when we already knew that we were not going to have a home field match. Hearing that somewhat dampened the atmosphere. In truth, there were so many things going on in our minds. The scoreless draw saw us qualify for the semis. I was near the presidential section when the final whistle blew and I will always remember looking down at our bench and seeing Simon McMenemy yell, "Yeah!" while throwing up his hands and the players and coaches jumping all over the place. So the entry into the semis was one thing on our minds. During the second half, I could no longer control my emotions and began to yell out from the box and all the Vietnamese could hear me rant. And when the final whistle sounded I stood up in the presidential area with my fists raised. The hell with everyone else! We were up against 14 men out there after all.

The match ended before 930pm and after that there was about a 15-minute press con. By the time coach and me walked into the locker room, talk had centered on the "no home field" story. That was the second thing on everyone's mind. 

Then we had to leave right away for the hotel because we were going back to Hanoi from Nam Dinh. Everyone had 30 minutes to shower and prep to leave (1015pm was the assembly time at the hotel lobby). We were out of there by 1045 and we arrived at Hanoi past 1230am. So that was the third -- we just wanted to get out of there.

We all had "lunchboxes" for dinner as we were supposed to have a real dinner waiting for us at the Sheraton. Only when we arrived there was none. We had to wait for two hours before we got served Mexican sandwiches and whatnot. Most hit the sack at past 4am! 

By then the players were already talking about issuing a statement. There were plans of doing it during the match but better sense prevailed. We wanted to keep the match free of politics and just worry about trying to get the three points or one point needed to advance.

Looking at the "no home field game" very coldly and without emotion, it is right in some ways. The Suzuki Cup, in the words of one FIFA official, "is the flagship tournament of the AFF" and there is a quality to the match and the venue that is expected.

There are 10 pre-requisites for stadia to be used for international matches:

1. Pre-construction decisions (stadium location, playing field orientation, multi-purpose facilities)

2. Safety (structural safety, fire prevention, television surveillance systems, first aid rooms)

3. Parking

4. Playing area (recommended dimensions, field quality, substitutes’ benches)

5. Players and match officials (dressing rooms, media rooms, showers etc)

6. Spectators

7. Hospitality (corporate hospitality facilities, VIP facilities)

8. Media (press box, media center, conference room)

9. Lighting and power supply

10. Communication and additional areas

While the Philippines has some playable pitches, there aren't any that satisfy ALL the criteria set by FIFA/AFF. 

So whose fault is that? The fault lies not just in the Philippine Football Federation but also sporting officials. Do we really have world-class facilities? Personally, I may not be aware of everything but if someone does know something, then I'd be happy to know. What I do know is -- you want to be world class? Then act world class!

But instead we have a local ass who has become an all-world ass and we have a system and country where we love to cut corners. We're satisfied with pwede na. Looking at Araneta Coliseum, the media section is a bunch of tables and chairs that hurt one's butt. Internet is not available (except for the PBA Press Corps but whether they pay for it or not is beside the point. I have been to a bunch of international sporting events and work conferences and we've always always had free wifi) all the time. For those who have been to international seminars, symposiums, or even sporting events, you will have seen how their media rooms are professionally run. Of course there are exceptions to the rule as the Myanmar match at Thien Truong wasn't exactly the best (the pitch was nice though). We suddenly missed My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi. 

Those locker rooms in My Dinh? Now it isn't quite like an NFL team's locker room but it's still far better than anything we have. When we all arrived there, some of the players said that they wished they had this kind of facility back home.

I have always said that football is very popular in the country but is so fragmented that is seems that there isn't a scene at all. This fragmentation has led to a kanya-kanya attitude. People are squabbling for power and access to those FIFA funds. May I remind you that should FIFA's audit of the PFF show irregularities that FAP fund could possibly be suspended. There are monies allocated for football centers of excellence but seriously, are there any that look world-class? I've been to one and it reeks of human and animal excrement. 

My opinion though is -- I wish the AFF sought to really work and see what can be done in the Philippines. Of course there is a sked to follow so any renovations might not make it on time. So with that point in mind, they should have held it in either Hong Kong or Singapore. Not Indonesia. That totally plays into the Indons’ hands. But there it is. What can we do except play?

I find it laughable that beleaguered deposed PFF president will try to swing the second game be held in the Philippines. It's like this, the away game is always the first so that means the second match is Indonesia's home game. If that someone wants to get a match to be played in the Philippines then it should be the first one. But how is that possible when the ex-PFF president gave the AFF the green light to have the match hosted in Indonesia? Any such move now sounds downright full of BS and more BS.

Why the change of heart? Because of the outcry of anger and disappointment? Because his popularity ratings are so far down negative that they'll have to invent new criteria for falling so low. Someone miscalculated. Badly.

This country deserves better people managing its sports systems. Instead corruption is rampant and most of our sports programs are just good for us nationally. 

The "no home field" game should serve as a wake up call not just for our football officials but all sports officials. We shouldn't just examine our disastrous forays into international competition but also the lack of systems, facilities, and other matters. It seems though that it's become the norm -- meetings and endless inquiries but the same shit happens all over. Then you have all these politicians grabbing the limelight of deserving athletes. What schmucks! You have officials holding on for dear life to their positions in spite of being embroiled in scandal. I know in Japan they do the honorable thing. Except here we've got bloated thieves smiling and preening for the cameras behind their expensive suits that comes from the peoples' pockets. Then they have the temerity to say that they are football in this country and whatever.

So now the Philippine National Men's Football Team will go to Jakarta to play two matches as massive massive underdogs. But that's where we've thrived lately, right?

Enough of the finger pointing and bickering. I'm sure the team will appreciate the support. 

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Know this when in playing in the Bung Karno Stadium (thanks, Junie Agcaoili): Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. -- Maximus in 'Gladiator.'


For those who thanked me for the coverage on the national team, I'd just like to say that I've been doing this since 2006 when me and my officemates at Solar were pushing for the national team games to be shown on television. And I used to cover Smart Gilas a lot but guys from their NSA and their coaching staff (you know who you are) made promises they never kept. So in a good way, it's all right. I went back to my first love -- football. As for Smart Gilas, I have a column titled HOW NOT TO FORM A NATIONAL TEAM coming up. Bato bato sa langit. See ya in the pit.