This appears in the Thursday January 6 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.
Azkals’ success opens windows of opportunity
by rick olivares
The performance of the Philippine Men’s National Team in the 2010 Suzuki Cup threw a monkey wrench in the best-laid plans of Southeast Asia’s traditional powerhouses and sparked an interest not just in the team that has been unseen and unheard of in recent memory. What follows are the thoughts of several of members of the team and how recent developments are changing their lives.
Chris Greatwich, midfielder: “Last December was probably the most incredible footballing experience I have had. With the National Team, we have had our ups and downs since my first tournament in '04 but this tops the lot. Not only did we produce results that very few people expected us capable of producing (most notably the 2-0 win versus champions Vietnam in Hanoi) but considering all the off the field problems and speculation I think this makes our accomplishments all the more incredible.
“The sad thing about the tournament however is what might have been - what if we had our full squad, what if we had proper time to prepare, and what if we got to host the semi-finals? For years our team has threatened to produce these kinds of results and the fact of the matter is that this was the strongest squad we have assembled and we produced the best results yet only Ray Jonsson was a new addition to the team. If we could have assembled this squad sooner we could have had even greater success at this level.
“The magnitude of our success for me didn't hit home until I returned to England in between the qualifiers and the semi-final when my mother showed me the messages of congratulations from family across the world. Relatives in California, New York, Japan as well as Bohol and Manila where my family now live all expressed their happiness at seeing us do so well. The fact that we managed to gain more viewers on television than the PBA for our semi-finals shows there is an interest and the welcome we received after the tournament was amazing so we can only thank our fans out there for all their support. If we can continue to maintain interest amongst the Filipino community and hope that this isn't just a flash in the pan, then I am sure this tournament will prove to be a watershed for football in the Philippines.”
Rob Gier, defender: “The whole Suzuki Cup experience has been an amazing one. As someone who has spent most of his life involved in football I can honestly say that it has been the best experience of my career. I mean how many people can say that they have had the chance of playing in front of 90,000 people? I truly hope that this is the foundation for things to 'take off' in regards to football in the Philippines. I hope that people that weren't interested in football before now start to have the same affection for the game that we Azkals have and that they start playing and enjoying the game as much as we do.
“The support that we have received from the people of the Philippines has been fantastic and I know I speak on behalf of the whole team when I say ' thank you for your messages and prayers, They all helped us through this amazing journey and we hope that you'll continue to show the same support in 2011 as you did in 2010'.
“As for awareness back home, things have been great too. I have received many messages from friends, family, and my football team and even from people I haven't meet. It seems that we have put sport in Philippines on the global map and have shown people that we have more to offer than just the great Manny Pacquiao.”
Ray Jonsson, defender: “After the Suzuki Cup, my personal life did not change much but it certainly increased the options for my career. Now people all around Asia are very interested of our national team. People in Iceland surprised me because they were also watching or reading about the result of the games in that tournament.
“I think people here are aware of how big this is for the football in the Philippines because of the picture and article here on the internet. I’m just hoping that this is just the beginning of our success for the team.
“This is the biggest achievement that I have done in my whole 13-year career. And I have played in a UEFA cup tournament. But that was nothing compared to playing in front of 80,000-plus people at the Bung Karno in Indonesia.
“I think if there will be some big changes of my life or career it might happen sometime this year.”
Aly Borromeo, team captain: “This past tournament definitely has changed my life. It has opened up new doors for my career in football. There are offers from clubs in Southeast Asia and Europe as well. Ever since I started playing for the national team my short-term dream was to create awareness for the sport locally, now the long-term goal is that we have to keep the momentum going! My loved ones can’t be supportive enough and they wish me luck in my future endeavors!”
Nice to hear what they say, especially them saying that this was the best experience they've all had in their playing careers, more so for the players based in Europe.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to hear if our players will get signed to foreign clubs. I'd be really happy if they do get signed since it would mean they would have the opportunity to play full time football.
Nice article!
It seems that the news of the Azkals success have spread far and wide. I have been reading more and more about Filipino players playing abroad wanting to try out for the team next week aside from the players that Mr. Dan Palami(up to 8 at last count) is meeting in Germany incl. a reserve player for a first division club in Belgium, and other countries like Scotland, England and the US.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be a competitive camp which is great for the national team. I even heard former Bundesliga players Mr. Dennis Cagara and maybe Mr. Jerry Lucena are meeting Dan in Germany.
The youngest of the Greatwich brothers, Simon will also be attending I heard as well. Just wondering if Chris Greatwich will be available in Feb. and Mar. though since he is a coach in the US.
As for our local players those who can get contracts abroad should do so. They need to be training 5 times a week with a game in the weekend to stabilize their performances and achieve their full potential esp. in Europe.
Correction Dan is supposed to be talking to are German and Danish players. The others I mentioned were planning on trying out.
ReplyDeleteGreat read! I hope Pacman will watch the Azkals' match on February and bring along his little boys who are into football.
ReplyDeleteBut please PFF, bring the other game here in Manila! A lot of people here are dying to watch our National Team live too so please stop doubting if you can fill Rizal Memorial.............
All good news to hear and football is definatly on the rise in the Phillipines.
ReplyDeleteCant wait for the first home, the players deserve a home game after there success in the suzuki cup.
First off, Mr. Olivares, thanks for keeping us all informed and updated on the National team and Philippine football, in general.
ReplyDeleteI have a question. Maybe as media officer of the team, you may have an idea as to the answer.
IF there were to be enough sponsors to keep a national team constantly training for tournaments --- meaning, players would be receive compensation/allowances and all their other needs - how many actually of the players in the national team are willing to give up their current commitments in order to suit up for the Azkals?
I suppose this will prove very crucial especially to the Fil-foreigners who have to fly all the way down here (or to wherever is the tournament) to play for the team.
Again, many thanks!
foo'so...salamat sa inyo...let's walk this path together "GOD" bless!
ReplyDelete