RP plays Laos today
THE Philippines will slip into its familiar role as the underdog when it takes on the top-ranked Laos in today’s opening game of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championships-Qualifying Round at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.
However, the team, ranked 195th in the world and last among the five countries, will have something it didn’t have in the previous AFF Championships, then known as the Tiger Cup——hometown support.
The other teams are from Cambodia, East Timor and Brunei.
In last year’s Southeast Asian Games, a sea of blue shirts packed the Panaad Stadium to cheer the team—which the fans have called Azkals—while some climbed on trees and atop the parked fire truck near the stadium gates.
The team also put on a good show for the fans, holding Thailand well before a late goal allowed a 1-0 win and beating Cambodia, 4-2, for the first SEA Games win in 14 years.
Blue
This year, the Philippine Football Federation is asking again for support for the team and for the fans to wear blue in today’s opening game.
“This is the strongest Philippine team that we have assembled in at least a decade and I have faith the boys will pull through in Bacolod and qualify for the big one in Thailand in January next year,” said PFF president Johnny Romualdez.
Brothers
The team is led by Fil-Brit brothers Philip and James Younghusband, Chris and Phil Greatwitch. Other members are Ali Borromeo, Johanne Sablon, Cebuano Michael Casas, Edward Sacapaño, Matthew Hartmann, Anton del Rosario, Ali Go, Dan Padernal, Emilio Caligdong, Ariel Zerrudo, Andres Gonzales, Jefrey Liman, Henry Brauner and Alvin Ocampo.
Despite Romualdez’s confidence, coach Aris Caslib is more cautious, due to their lack of knowledge with the other teams.
“We can only base our chances on our past engagements with them and that is alarming,” Caslib said. “Another thing is, we cannot take away how the others have prepared.”
The Philippines tied Laos, 1-1, in 2002, and two late goals by Caligdong had them 2-1 over East Timor in the 2004 Tiger Cup, while Cambodia defeated the Philippines, 1-0, also in 2004
However, the team, ranked 195th in the world and last among the five countries, will have something it didn’t have in the previous AFF Championships, then known as the Tiger Cup——hometown support.
The other teams are from Cambodia, East Timor and Brunei.
In last year’s Southeast Asian Games, a sea of blue shirts packed the Panaad Stadium to cheer the team—which the fans have called Azkals—while some climbed on trees and atop the parked fire truck near the stadium gates.
The team also put on a good show for the fans, holding Thailand well before a late goal allowed a 1-0 win and beating Cambodia, 4-2, for the first SEA Games win in 14 years.
Blue
This year, the Philippine Football Federation is asking again for support for the team and for the fans to wear blue in today’s opening game.
“This is the strongest Philippine team that we have assembled in at least a decade and I have faith the boys will pull through in Bacolod and qualify for the big one in Thailand in January next year,” said PFF president Johnny Romualdez.
Brothers
The team is led by Fil-Brit brothers Philip and James Younghusband, Chris and Phil Greatwitch. Other members are Ali Borromeo, Johanne Sablon, Cebuano Michael Casas, Edward Sacapaño, Matthew Hartmann, Anton del Rosario, Ali Go, Dan Padernal, Emilio Caligdong, Ariel Zerrudo, Andres Gonzales, Jefrey Liman, Henry Brauner and Alvin Ocampo.
Despite Romualdez’s confidence, coach Aris Caslib is more cautious, due to their lack of knowledge with the other teams.
“We can only base our chances on our past engagements with them and that is alarming,” Caslib said. “Another thing is, we cannot take away how the others have prepared.”
The Philippines tied Laos, 1-1, in 2002, and two late goals by Caligdong had them 2-1 over East Timor in the 2004 Tiger Cup, while Cambodia defeated the Philippines, 1-0, also in 2004
Comments
can you tell me?
good day...
"for the love of the game"
timor leste is the weakest in the group but, except for the philippines and cambodia, it lost only by 1-goal margins to the other teams and nearly drawing with laos.
check out the results and stats so you'll have an idea how well the team fared compared to the other teams (timor's performance doesn't look that bad except for the drubbing by RP)
AFF qualifiers results, panaad stadium bacolod:
Philippines 1 - 2 Laos
East Timor 2 - 3 Brunei
Philippines 7 - 0 East Timor
Cambodia 2 - 2 Laos
Laos 3 - 2 East Timor
Brunei 1 - 1 Cambodia
Philippines 1 - 0 Cambodia
Brunei 1 - 4 Laos
Philippines 4 - 1 Brunei
East Timor 1 - 4 Cambodia
Team GP Pts. GS GC GD W L D
Laos 4 10 11 : 6 + 5 3 - 1 - 0
Philippines 4 9 13 : 3 + 10 3 - 0 - 1
Cambodia 4 5 7 : 5 + 2 1 - 2 - 1
Brunei 4 4 6 : 10 - 4 1 - 1 - 2
East Timor 4 0 5 : 17 - 12 0 - 0 - 4
(GP=games played; GS=goal scored; GC=goals conceded; GD=goal difference)
Note: In the tournament, RP had the best offense and defense (13 goals scored, only 3 conceded). they also had most of the possession in the games. their finishing can be improved, though, and their defense has cracks at times.
Final note: there is no tournament in recent memory where RP football team has won three games and scored this many goals. remember, as mike pointed out in one of his stories, RP had the distinction of losing to other teams by double-digit margins. di na intawon whipping boys ang RP ron, mao nay importante. and with their performance in the qualifiers, they have a real chance against the tougher teams in the asean region. dili na ta makuntento ug draw, di sama sa una nga malipay nalag matabla :)