WAITING FOR CHIEFFY TO WEAVE HIS MAGIC ANEW

Philippine Azkals diminutive left winger Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong’s streak of three straight matches with at least a goal came to a screeching halt during the 3-0 defeat in the first leg match to Kuwait in the 2014 FIFA-World Cup second round qualifiers last Saturday. Caligdong contributed a goal in the Azkals’ 4-0 annihilation of Sri Lanka in the second leg match of the first round qualifiers. He then followed this up with a goal each in the two friendly matches with the Bahrain Olympic squad, which the Azkals lost, 2-1 and 3-1, respectively. Caligdong also booted a goal during the Azkals’ 2-0 victory over Mongolia in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers in Panaad last February. With the stakes a lot higher in tonight’s do-or-die second leg match with the Kuwaitis, the 5-5 Caligdong will once again be relied by coach Michael Weiss and his teammates to deliver when the going gets tough for the Azkals. The 28 year-old Air Force man and proud son of Barotac Nuevo appears to be high spirits going into tonight’s match.

“The fight is not over and we still have a chance to pull through. You could see all the players eager to move to the next round. We don’t lose hope on this home game. Everybody is raring to play for the fans. Kuwait didn’t come here only to play, they’re out to win so we will have to show all the hard work and effort during the game, let them feel we really want to win.”

AZKALS TO DO A LIVERPOOL ACT?

Trailing 3-0 in the aggregate score and with their backs against the wall, the Philippine Azkals are hoping for a big miracle tonight in the all-important second leg match against the Al-Azraq squad of Kuwait in the 2014 FIFA-World Cup second round qualifiers. With an expected 20,000 strong hometown crowd behind the host, anything can happen after 90 minutes of slambang action. The Azkals can drew inspiration from Liverpool FC of the English Premier League, which went down 0-3 at halftime during their 2004-05 UEFA Champions League finals match against AC Milan of Italy in Istanbul, Turkey. Steven Gerrard struck in the 53rd minute then Smicer (56) and Xabi Alonso (60) completed the Reds incredible comeback to send the match into an extension period and eventually won, 3-2 in penalties. With an all-out attacking game and a big crowd support, the Azkals believe they can pull it off and as they say, anything can happen in a football game. All they have to bear in mind was Liverpool’s 2005 amazing comeback.

BORROMEO AND SHROCK: RETURN OF THE MISSING PIECES

It’s now or never for the Philippine Azkals national football team as they play the crucial second leg of their FIFA World Cup second round qualifiers against the powerful Kuwait Al-Azraq squad tonight at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. The Azkals needs a 4-0 or 5-1 victory to off-set their 0-3 first leg defeat and advance to the next round. The Azkals have their chances in the opening half of the leg one match but strikers Phil Younghusband and Angel Aldeguer Guirado can not find their marks. The good news for the match tonight, which is expected to lure a jampacked partisan crowd, is the return of Aly Borromeo and Stephan Shrock in the Azkals line-up after serving their suspension in the first leg match. Both players are expected to strengthen the middle and back positions, respectively. Azkals head coach Michael Weiss will have the options to stick with the 4-4-2 formation or try to adopt the 4-3-3, which will have Younghusband, Guirado and possibly Chieffy Caligdong or even Ian Araneta up front. The 4-3-3 encourages the wingers to act as true forwards and the formation generally emphasizes attack more than defense, which is a complete contrast to their leg one game plan. The triangle up front of the aforementioned players could be supported by a creative and defensive midfield backbone of the playmaker James Younghusband, the holding midfielder Shrock and Manuel Ott as an all-rounder. The bottom line is that Weiss needs all the scoring opportunities to salvage the series. Weiss remains upbeat of the Azkals’ chances for tonight’s crucial match.

“Thursday is the match for people of the Philippines and we’ll deliver a fantastic performance, that’s what I can promise. Whether we succeed, that is another thing. If we can manage a win, that is already a fantastic achievement and it’s not something which is a coincidence because we worked very hard for it. We’ll have a more offensive setup, take a more aggressive approach.”

AZKALS SPOTLIGHT: SHROCK HARD AS A ROCK

In only two matches, Fil-German Stephan Shrock has made a good impression of himself as a solid right back for the Philippine Azkals national football team. His team-up with another Fil-German Michael Ott at midfield earned raves during the Azkals annihilation of Sri Lanka, 5-1 (aggregate score), in the first round of the 2014 FIFA-World Cup qualifiers early this month. The diminutive Schweinfurt native first played organized football with DJK Schweinfurt during his teen years before hooking up with his first pro club, Greuther Fürth of the Bundesliga second division. In 158 appearances so far with Greuther Fürth, Schrock has knocked in four goals. Shrock, 24, had his first taste of international stint with Germany’s Under-18 squad in 2004. He later saw action for Deutschland’s U-19 and U-20 squads. Over-all, he had 18 caps with one goal scored. Thanks to a 2009 amendment in FIFA rules, wherein the age limit was removed for players switching nations, Schrock became eligible to play for his mother’s home country. However, Shrock’s services will be badly missed by the Azkals in the upcoming 2014 FIFA-World Cup second round qualifiers against Kuwait due to suspension brought about by his two yellow cards in the Sri Lanka tier.

THE OTHER YOUNGHUSBAND

Football is not all about strikers or the forward position. The striker needs a catalyst to have opportunities to score a goal. In the Philippine Azkals national football squad, James Younghusband plays the central midfield position. His roles are to defend the midfield from breakaway plays of the opposition and also to create scoring chances for his brother Phil and other Azkals forwards such as Angel Guirado, Ian Araneta, and Nate Burkey. The 6-1, Fil-British is currently on his sixth year as member of the Nationals. He started out on the Under-23 team in 2005, where he had three caps and a lone goal scored. He had since move up to the senior squad and has seen action for 32 matches so far with five goals booted in and made countless assists. In 2007, James played for Staines Town FC in the English League Conference South. He scored a goal in six appearances. During their teen years, James together with Phil, honed up their football skills as members of the famous Chelsea FC Academy. James is expected to play a vital role anew for the Azkals when they play Kuwait in the second round of the 2014 FIFA-World Cup qualifers on July 23 and 28.

AZKALS FACES TOUGHEST TEST IN KUWAIT

The Philippine Azkals national football squad has played a major role in the renaissance of the so-called beautiful game in the country. Time will surely come when Filipino fans start talking more about Chelsea, Manchester United, or FC Barcelona than the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, or Miami Heat. With the Azkals moving forward to the second round of the 2014 FIFA-World Cup qualifiers, national interest has gone up big-time as the two-leg tier against Arab powerhouse Kuwait approaches. This is the biggest test that the Azkals will be facing since their impressive showing in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. As of the latest FIFA rankings, Kuwait is occupying the 102nd spot while the Philippines are in 159th place. But in the world of football, anything can happen in the pitch and big upsets are always a serious threat. Expect the Azkals to train Spartan-like as they head to Kuwait for the first leg of the tier on July 23. Here are some of the insiders views from the Azkals camp:   

Michael Weiss (Azkals Head Coach): “Regarding Kuwait, that will be a different level. We have to put all our strengths together and play smartly there to get a good result. To oppose and obstruct the game of the opponents... that will be our strategy. Even if we are not with the best squad, we only have 5 to 6 players from the top team that will probably step on the pitch against Kuwait... we have a list of these players, we try to prepare them as good as possible.”

Mariano Araneta, Jr. (President, Philippine Football Federation): “We expect a hard and physical match against Kuwait and our defense will be severely challenged. Our defense must hold up. Kuwait just beat Lebanon, 6-0, in a friendly and the match ended in a free-for-all with security forces firing gunshots into the air to stop the brawl.”

Jason de Jong (Azkals Midfielder): “Kuwait’s ranked like 50 places above us; they play physical and they are very big guys. It’s gonna be a tough match, that’s what I expect.”

WILL THE AZKALS CONSIDER NICK RIMANDO?

There is a Filipino-American currently making waves in the US Major League Soccer (MLS). Nick Rimando is the starting goalkeeper for the Real Salt Lake club and he rose to prominence when he saved two penalty kicks including one by the celebrated David Beckham as RSL shocked the Los Angeles Galaxy, 5-4 in a penalty shootout during the 2009 MLS finals. The 32 year-old California native is an eleven-year veteran in the American pro circuit after being picked 35^th over-all by the Miami Fusion in the 2000 MLS Super Draft. He played a year for the Fusion before transferring to D.C. United in 2002. After four years, he joined RSL and just recently, signed a contract extension that will keep him in Utah until the 2013 season. Maybe Rimando can suit up for the Philippine Azkals national football squad in the future. He can be a good backup to starter Neil Etheridge and with his vast MLS experience, he could even start in some international matches for the Azkals. The only thing that may become a hindrance for his possible Azkals stint is a technicality issue because he had played five matches for the US national team in 2002. But citing the cases of Chris Armas, who played for both Puerto Rico and US national teams and Diego Gutierrez, who suited up for both Colombia and American squads, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) can take a serious look at the 5-10 former UCLA Bruins standout. Rimando says he is happy to be both a Filipino and American at the same time, according to a 2009 article of popular sports columnist and my good friend, Quinito Henson in the Philippine Star.

“Everybody knows I’m Filipino because of my eyes. I’m happy to be Filipino and I’m happy to be American and being in the US playing soccer. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is or color your hair is. I’m out there doing my job and they look at me as a person. I just try to go out there every day and perform and do my job. If I can represent the Filipino community that way, I’m happy.”

GETTING PAST KUWAIT

Beating the Kuwait national football team is easier said than done. But it can be DONE. Of course, many would like the Philippine Azkals to win the first leg, but playing Kuwait to a scoreless draw in the latter’s home turf would be ideal going into the second leg match. The first leg is scheduled on July 23, while the second leg of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers tie will be held at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium anew on July 28. Once the Azkals set its foot on its home stadium before an expected overflowing hometown crowd, then anything can happen. The Filipino crowd showed what it could do during the 2nd leg of the Sri Lanka first round series. A crucial factor in the series is the tactical play that Azkals coach Michael Weiss will adopt against the powerful Kuwaiti eleven. I guess it will be more effective to employ the direct game than the possession game. The possession game is based on short passes and ball control, while the direct game is built on long passes into open space. To play the direct game, a tactic that often works wonders for underdog teams, it need speed, strength and desire. Fittingly, long balls are often called “hopeful” passes. And certainly last but the not the least, the Azkals needs all our prayers. Getting past Kuwait is a big task for the Azkals but hope springs eternal and it can be DONE.

REMEMBERING THE GREAT PAULINO ALCANTARA

The Azkalmania has given Philippine football the much needed shot in the arm to resurrect the sport, which have been long neglected in the last three or four decades. It seems Football is suited for the Filipinos as early as the World War I days when an Iloilo native named Paulino Alcantara made a name for himself  while playing the so-called beautiful game. Alcantara is a big part of Philippine football history and many considered him the father of the sport in this country. Alcantara, who is described in the football world as one of the most talented and finest players ever to come out of Asia, is the current all-time leading goal scorer in the history of one of the world’s most powerful and richest professional ballclub, the reigning UEFA Champions League titlist FC Barcelona of Spain. He led the Philippines to a 15-2 rout of Japan and a silver medal finished in the 1917 Far East Games. That victory remains as the biggest win by the Philippines in international football. Alcantara played for the Catalans from 1912 to 1927 and during that span, had scored an amazing 357 goals in 357 total matches with the team that is now being handled by Josep (Pep) Guardiola and led by great players like Lionel Messi, Andres Yniesta, David Villa and Pedro. Alcantara, who led Barcelona to 10 Catalan titles and five Spanish Cup championships during his career, later played for the Spanish national squad. In his debut match on October 7, 1921, he scored Spain’s two goals in a 2-0 demolition of Belgium. He appeared in five total matches for Spain wherein he booted six goals. Alcantara later coached the Spanish national team for three matches in 1951. Alcantara died in the City of Barcelona on February 13, 1964 at the age of 67. Alcantara has given Philippine football so much glory and the current Philippine Azkals national squad can lean on his accomplishments as a source of inspiration that will help them bring back the country to prominence in international football.

AZKALS FUTBOL MAGAZINE JULY 2011 ISSUE

I believe that the July 2011 issue of AZKALS FUTBOL Magazine is finally out yesterday in time for the second leg match of the Nationals with the Sri Lanka Brave Reds squad. Barotac Nuevo’s proud son, the ever-reliable Chieffy Caligdong graces the cover of issue number five of the magazine, which is solely dedicated to the newest toast of the Philippine nation. The new issue features interesting articles regarding the Azkals international campaign and leading off to the Sri Lanka series. If you missed the four earlier issues, the cover boys were James Younghusband (February 2011), Aly Borromeo (April 2011 issue), Neil Etheridge (May 2011 issue) and Angel Aldeguer Guirado (June 2011 issue). The magazine is available at all branches of National Bookstore and American Boulevard. For subscriptions, please call 02-4363956. Azkals fans can also visit its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Azkals-Futbol-Magazine.

FINAL NOTES ON THE AZKALS-SRI LANKA MATCH

The unbelievable wet and wild crowd at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium did not leave their respective seats despite the heavy downpour of rain during the early part of the match. That was enough to further inspire the Azkals to victory in their match against the Red Braves of Sri Lanka.

*****

Azkals German coach Michael Weiss was truly one happy man with the big 4-0 win by the Nationals in leg two of their World Cup qualifiers. He says it feels so good to finally see the true potential of the team after six months at the helm.

*****

Chieffy Caligdong, who scored the first goal for the Azkals, says it took awhile for the team to adjust to the wet field but nevertheless delivered when an opening came along.

*****

Caligdong, who along with James Younghusband, played the wings effectively in support to the frontline games of Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado. Great efforts too by Michael Ott and Stephan Schrock in manning mid-field spots for the Azkals. And of course to goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who is still grieving for the untimely demise of his grandfather a few days ago, for his consistent game.

*****

Great jobs by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), De LaSalle University and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the refurbishing of the old Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Despite the heavy rains, the football field did not have muds and bumps. Truly remarkable considering there are only 28 days to prepare the stadium for the Sri Lanka match.

AZKALS SPOTLIGHT: ANGEL ALDEGUER GUIRADO

He is big and built like Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast striker of Chelsea FC. They also play the same position up front. Meet Angel Aldeguer Guirado of the Philippine Azkals national football team. The Fil-Spanish Guirado, whose mother hails from Ilagan, Isabela, was born in Malaga, Spain and has played football in various youth levels before seeing action in the Spanish Division II in 2004 with Cordoba. In 129 club appearances with Cordoba, Atletico Madrid-B, Deportivo La Coruna-B, Vecindario, Lugo, Levante-B, Santa Eulalia, Union Estepona, and Ronda, Guirado had scored a total of eight goals. In five matches so far with the Azkals, the 27 year-old, 6-3 forward, has tallied three goals including one in the 2^nd leg of their World Cup qualifier against Sri-Lanka, which the Nationals won 5-1 (aggregate score). During his early days with the Azkals, Guirado said team play is crucial towards the Azkals success and playing with co-strikers Phil Younghusband and Ian Araneta spells trouble for the opposition, according to Azkals-Philippine Football site.

“I hope to be able to contribute so we can be a better team. It will take a lot of effort, hard work and patience. Fan support is critical. We must concentrate on playing as a team, offensively and defensively. If I play with Phil (Younghusband) or Ian (Araneta) or another striker, we could give each other opportunities. I could draw the defense towards me and give others the space to attack or they could do the same for me. We can’t be effective if we do things alone.”

UP NEXT: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

The Philippine Azkals national team will embark on a bigger task ahead following their 5-1 (aggregate score) win over Sri Lanka in the first round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The 152^nd ranked Azkals will now face the 101^st ranked Kuwait squad on July 23 and 28. Aside from their higher rankings, the Kuwaitis will be tagged as the heavy favorites against the Azkals. Kuwait is a middle-east football hotbed and among their accomplishment includes a 1-0 victory over World Cup qualifier Australia in 2009. In one of their recent international matches, they nearly pulled off a shocker against Asian powerhouse Japan, losing 1-0. Kuwait was once ranked by FIFA as the number 24 team in the world (December 1998). The first leg of the Azkals-Kuwait tie will be played in the latter’s hometurf on July 23, with the second leg scheduled at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium on July 28. Truly, this is one mission impossible for the never-say-die Azkals squad.

MABUHAY PILIPINAS AZKALS!

What a big turn around for the Philippine Azkals national team in a span of five days. After playing their worst form in recent months during the first leg of their World Cup qualifiers against Sri Lanka in Colombo last Wednesday, the Nationals finally displayed their full potential and their very best game since surprising Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup last December as they blasted the Sri Lankans, 4-0, before a sell-out crowd of 15,000 at the fabled Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Not even a heavy downpour of afternoon rains can stop the Azkals in completing a 5-1 aggregate score in their 2-leg series. Chieffy Caligdong, the proud son of Barotac Nuevo, opened up the scoring for the Azkals with an amazing goal in the 19^th minute. This was followed up by a controversial goal by striker Phil Younghusband in the 42^nd minute that gave the Nationals a 2-0 lead at halftime. Another Azkals frontliner, striker Angel Guirado scored on a beautiful breakaway goal in the 50^th minute to put the Nationals into a insurmountable 3-0 advantage and finally, Younghusband made it 4-0 on a penalty shot, brought about by a Sri Lanka dangerous tackle on midfielder Stephan Schrock, in the 56^th minute. The Azkals totally dominated the ball possession throughout the match with precise attacking game, which was sorely missing in the first leg. With the win, the Azkals now advanced to the next round against powerful Kuwait on July 23 and 28.

AZKALS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SALVAGE 1-1 DRAW

The Philippine Azkals national football squad displayed one of their worst showings in recent months, but still fortunate enough to score a 1-all draw against upstarts Sri Lanka in the first leg of their 2014 World Cup qualifiers in Colombo. Fil-American striker Nate Burkey, who substituted for the injured Phil Younghusband late in the first half, scored the tying goal in the 49^th minute courtesy of a good pass from Chieffy Caligdong. The Sri Lankans scored the opening goal on an amazing free kick by Gunarathne in the 41^st minute. So poor were the Azkals on both offense and defense. The Nationals were very tentative in their offensive attacks and struggled mightily with their ball control. Their backline defense was almost non-existent as the Brave Reds launched several attacks throughout the match. Adding woes to the Filipinos was the ejection of defender Aly Borromeo, who took his second yellow card in the match in the 63^rd minute, thus reducing the Azkals down to ten men the rest of the match. Striker Angel Aldeguer Guirado and hardworking wingman James Younghusband hobbled in most part of the match due to minor injuries. The only consolation the Azkals had in the game was the all-important away-goal, which could win them the tie if the second leg match in Manila ends in a scoreless draw. They have to look forward for a better showing on Sunday to advance further in the qualifiers, which will be played before an expected sell-out crowd at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

BIG DAY FOR PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL

It is all systems go for the Philippine Azkals national football squad (FIFA rank # 156) as they play the first leg of their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers tie with Sri Lanka (FIFA rank # 169) tonight in the latter’s home turf. Fresh from a two-week rigid training in Germany, coach Michael Weiss’ charges are slightly favored to whip the Sri Lankans, who reportedly trained for only two weeks according to their Korean coach Jang Jung. Since creating a stir in the AFF Suzuki Cup last year, the Azkals are 2-2-1 (win-draw-loss) in official matches played this year. They defeated Mongolia, 2-0 in the first leg of the AFC Challenge Cup last February before bowing to the Mongolians, 2-1 in the second leg last March. However, the Azkals won the tie on an aggregate score of 3-2. In late March, the Azkals participated in the AFC Challenge Cup group qualifying stage in Myanmar. The Nationals drew with the hosts (1-1) and Palestine (0-0) before blasting Bangladesh, 3-0, with Filipino-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer Guirado accounting for two goals in the second half. From then on, the Azkals have a bumpy ride as they prepare for the Sri Lanka tier. Before leaving for Germany, the Azkals lost a 4-3 friendly game against the local UFL selection. In Germany, they won their first two tune-up games against youthful sides, Archen-Duren and SC Bonner (U19), both by identical scores of 4-1. However, they tasted stingy defeats in their last two matches versus German pro clubs FC Ingolstadt (Division II), 4-0 and SV Darmstadt98 (Division III), 5-0. Azkals team manager Dan Palami says he believe in the talent of the team and feels confident of beating the Sri Lankans, according to The Philippine Star.

“Everybody’s prepped up. We’re looking at the game with cautious optimism. We have the talent, the materials. It’s just a matter of putting everything together for the game. As long as we’re able to play the game we’re supposed to play, I don’t see any reason we won’t win.”