Gulf News spoke to Palami on the sidelines of the Philippines’ recent training camp in Dubai to discuss some key issues. GULF NEWS: Can you explain your decision to replace head coach Michael Weiss with Thomas Dooley just four months before the AFC Challenge Cup? DAN PALAMI: We were in a plateau and needed a catalyst and I felt getting a new coach would help. We were happy with what he had done. He brought us to a higher level, but was it the level to bring us the AFC Challenge Cup? I wasn’t sure. It was a risk I had to take and I think so far we are in a better position than we were with Michael. I’m not belittling the advances we had under him, but I think we reached as far as we could go with him. GN: What brief have you given the new coach? DP: Basically, give us the AFC Challenge Cup. He has to get us there. We are making sure everything he needs is given so that all he has to do is train the guys and get us to that objective leaving no stones unturned. Winning the Challenge Cup would help us qualify for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in our history. That’s our goal, to be up there with the big guys. GN: Why did you pick Dooley in particular? DP: I think his experience as a player in the Fifa World Cup and with Bundesliga clubs will immediately gain him the respect of the players. That’s important for a coach with the limited time he has to establish rapport and the respect he needs to have with the team. We were on the same page with regards what we felt the team was lacking and he came with a plan on what he intends to achieve. That was the clincher. The fact he could speak German, English and Spanish was also a positive as that covers almost all the squad in terms of languages spoken. His experience as a German-American being called up to represent the US at World Cup 1994 is almost the same as our players of mixed heritage, albeit in a less prestigious tournament. Nevertheless, he will understand their position perfectly having experienced similar as a player. GN: Dooley has overseen two friendly games so far: a goalless draw against Malaysia and a 1-0 defeat to Azerbaijan. Have you been impressed? DP: The fact that we gave Malaysia and Azerbaijan a really good fight speaks well of the coach, who has almost performed a miracle considering the short time he has had with the squad. He’s had only two training sessions with the overseas players and four with the local-based players. But everyone is now clear of their role, whereas before players were unsure where to go or how to run. That was the reason most of our attacks consisted of long balls, but now we are able to keep the ball on the ground and make deliberate opportunities on goal. It’s a remarkable improvement from how we played before. If we have this kind of style inside six training sessions, imagine what will happen when the team has more time together. In the context of our preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup, this can only augur well for us come May. GN: How has football grown in the Philippines since you became team manager? DP: We reached the semi-finals of the Asean Championship for the first time in 2010. That was the turning point. Since then, we have managed to qualify for the AFC Challenge Cup for the first time in 2012, where we reached the semi-finals and finished third. As a result of our success, football has become the fastest-growing sport in the Philippines. Of course, it hasn’t overtaken basketball yet, but we have 65,000 kids playing youth-team football nationwide and retailers have seen a 9,000 per cent increase in football clothing, which is something we didn’t have before. GN: Sixteen of the current 22-man squad were born overseas. When can we see more homegrown talent getting into the team? DP: That’s the long-term plan. We are eventually looking at a Philippines team where we don’t have to rely too much on players from abroad. Our hope is that the current squad raises the interest in football enough so that our current six and nine-year-olds form the basis of a really strong national team in 10 years’ time. Meanwhile, we have Filipinos abroad willing to play for the country and fast-track this process. Winning translates into popularity and that’s what we need in the Philippines. That catalyst was a good performance in 2010. Basically the interest in the sport is directly related to how the Azkals are fairing in their tournaments and we hope to continue that. ____ I think that figure of 65,000 kids might refer only to registered kids playing in tournaments and not the total number of kids playing football, which are a lot more. That or it might be a possible misquote(adding another 0).
Interesting... didn't know they've never qualified for the Asian Cup before. If they do it could be monumental to Azkals popularity. Getting people exposed to the highest level of play in Asia could be big. If they do win the Challenge Cup they're gonna need to schedule a friendly with a team that is going to be in the Asian Cup maybe Thailand or something. I might be going to the Philippines next year and I'm wondering if I'll have people to play pick up with.. I'm worried if I kick someone a ball they'll pick it up and start dribbling it instead Lol (half joking)
Thailand did not qualify for the Asian Cup. You might want to check the Asian qualifiers article I quoted above for the official list. Only one slot remaining which is reserved for the winner of the Challenge Cup. If they win the Challenge Cup(which will allow them to rise even further in the FIFA rankings and be more attractive to stronger teams), they will probably be able to arrange friendlies with stronger national team sides, and not only with those in the Asian Cup or in the AFC, but in other regions and confederations as well. As for pickup football games, you might want to check that list of new artificial pitch venues I listed earlier in Metro Manila and see if there are any open tournaments or pickup games going on. As for basketball, just go to the nearest street corner and see if anybody is playing. It would be easy to find a game.
I'll be in the La Union region so probably unlikely they'll have many turf pitches but I'll look out for them! For sure play basketball though
There are some football clubs about a couple of hours drive from La Union in the mountainous region of Bagiuo, the summer capital(and a tourist mecca) of the Philippines, where u might find a game. It is much cooler there and you will find right at home with all the American names they have kept from the American colonial period. You might also want to check the various tribal relics including maybe some heads, from the days when headhunting was an honored tradition. Those tribes was so fierce that the Spaniards never conquered them. Only the Americans did and found the city of Bagiuo and military R & R base of Camp John Hay, which is now a tourist resort. That is why most everyone there is Protestant Christian rather than Catholic because it was the American missionaries who converted them. You might also want to check out the rice terraces they carved out of mountains hundreds of years ago, which were considered engineering marvels for the era they were built.
BTW, are you of Filipino heritage yourself, or married to one? Why are you going north of Manila? Most tourists go to Boracay instead which is south of Manila. There are some nice beaches near La Union but not as developed for tourists like in Boracay. BTW, I heard they play beach soccer in Boracay and sometimes even have tournaments. You might want to check it out if you have the time.
All that stuff sounds really cool and as a history buff I'd be so down to check that out. And no, my long term gf is filipina and we're planning on going to visit her family there for vacation. From all the stuff she tells me about it sounds pretty fun. Which is why I'm so interested in the Azkals..they intrigue me cuz they are some what similar to how the US used to be years ago.
La Union is not too far from Baguio. I know I have been there. Pretty much any tourist (local or foreign) visits Baguio when they are in that region. It makes for a great escape from the summer heat and the mountain view from certain areas are breathtaking. You will find some parks and areas named after famous American politicians, architects and soldiers like Burnham Park for instance, which was named after Daniel Burnham, the famous architect and city planner, who designed the cities of Chicago and areas of Washington DC in the US and Manila and Baguio in the Philippines although his city plans, in many cases were not fully realized. That is why Roxas(formerly Dewey) Blvd. in Manila reminds you of Lakeshore Drive in Chicago and the neoclassical buildings and monuments in Luneta Park which echoes Washington DC. As for the soccer comparison to the Philippines, there is one big difference. The US had already had their grassroots explosion during the NASL era long before Dooley arrived, so they had a bigger local base to draw upon. Nevertheless most of Dooley's teammates in the US team when he played, were children of immigrants as well. The Philippines are just starting now to build on that base and hopefully the current grassroots growth will play dividends down the road.
Of the 3 new players that impressed during the past 2 friendlies against Malaysia and Azerbaijan(Simone Rota, Martin Steuble and Patrick Deyto) to be added to the national team pool, 2 of them(Rota and Deyto) were actually born in the Philippines. Steuble is Fil Swiss but Deyto and Rota are entirely Filipino by blood, with Rota born in Paranaque City, Philippines but adopted by Italian parents and Deyto born and raised in the Philippines. Rota, who played solid at right back, learned his craft in Italy, mostly with Italian clubs in Serie C and later in the Div 2 level in Switzerland. He was selected to be a member of the U-20 Lega Pro, which is considered the B team of the Italian national under-20 football team. He prefers to play right back but can play centerback and midfielder as well(his height is 5'10"). He now currently plays for Stallion FC in the UFL. Deyto(appox. 6' in height) who solidified his standing as alternate to European trained goalies Etheridge and Muller during the past 2 friendlies, is entirely homegrown and will probably carry the colors at tournaments like the Suzuki Cup which are not scheduled on FIFA match dates.
I've heard about Baguio from my gf so I'm probably going to see it. I'll be sure to try and get people to play over there if I can!
I hope you plan on going with someone who speaks Tagalog. Although it may seem safe roaming around, I'd be cautious in those mountain regions. NPA is still kidnapping people and there are some pockets of people who don't take kindly to Americans (very rare but it does happen).
NPA?? What's that I've only heard of the Abu Sayef which are in the southern region I think. But yes I'd be going with my girlfriend. Aside from the extremists groups I hear almost everybody loves Americans in the Philippines
Yes, the communists still exists in other mountainous areas, but Baguio is relatively safe. It is more developed and is one of the tourists stopovers. The communists don't have much of a foothold over there and are mostly in decline elsewhere. Besides, I haven't heard of them kidnapping foreigners in a long time, although it is true they resent Americans in particular. It is too bad PR for them and their bosses in the Netherlands. The Muslim extremists in the far South(like the Abu Sayyaf) are indeed a lot more dangerous, but you won't be venturing there anyways. Regardless, it is always prudent to be careful whenever you go areas you are not familiar with. I would do the same when traveling at night in the Southside of Chicago as well. The best strategy is to just go to the areas where tourists venture frequently and not explore on your own in some backwater spot that you or your girlfriend might not be familiar with.
I meant besides your girlfriend as well. NPA is the New Peoples Army, they are communist. I am not trying to say that it will be dangerous, because more than likely it won't be. I just don't want you to go wandering into something that will get you jumped or kidnapped. And before people say being jumped won't happen, I know two guys (Americans of Filipino decent) who were jumped because they thought they were amongst friends. There are some haters over there is all I am saying.
As for the criminal elements, they exists everywhere including the US. Don't let that from stopping you from enjoying your visit. Most Filipinos like Americans and go out of their way to try to be hospitable to them. Culturally esp. in the urban areas, they identify themselves with the US more than any other country. In practically every international poll made, including during the time of President Bush when the US was particularly unpopular abroad, Filipinos are usually ranked the highest among those who look at the US favorably(even higher than their Western allies). There are disgruntled elements of course, but that is true anywhere.
Good looking out buddy. I'll keep it in mind for sure. Of course when you are in a different place let alone another country you gotta be cautious. Seen to many TV shows no to be lol. But I don't see it being a problem as I'd be surrounded by her family there.
If you are a boxing fan and in Baguio, you might also want to check out the gym, where Manny Pacquaio trained and the luxurious, wooded log cabin like resort where his trainer Freddie Roach stayed. It's high elevation and temperate climate, makes it a good training ground for athletes and with all the Pine trees lining the roads, it makes for a scenic and exhilarating run if you want to train. If you were watching HBO's 24/7 in the runup to the Pacquiao-Cotto fight a few years ago, you would see what I mean.
On the bottom left corner of the official afcasiancup website is a poll on who you think will win the Challenge Cup. The Philippines is leading by a big margin currently(52-11%) over 2nd spot Palestine and Turkmenistan. www.afcasiancup.com/
Dooley has been cutting articles from magazines and newspapers since he became the Azkal's coach. Here they are in his new facebook account: www.facebook.com/pages/Thomas-Dooley/274556976044563 Plenty of pics of him in practice coaching his players.
Leo Messi finally breaks Filipino legend Paulino Alcantara's record of 369 goals in 357 games at FC Barcelona in today's game against Osasuna by scoring a brace so far, giving him 370 goals. Messi ends the game with one more goal for a hat trick.
Paulino held Barcelona’s scoring record for over 87 years, scoring 369 goals in 357 official and friendly matches. Alcántara made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 15 and remains the youngest player to play or score for the club and the first Asian and Filipino to play for a European club. Upon retiring in 1927 at the age of 31, become a medical physician, while also managing the national teams of Catalunya, Spain and the Philippines. Messi made his debut at a similar age and despite being one of the most prolific scorers in European football history, it still took the diminutive Argentine 95 more appearances to break Paulino’s long-standing record. Messi, who as just 26 years of age, will continue scoring for many years to come and in all likelihood, hold the record for another 100 years. http://www.insidespanishfootball.co...-the-highest-goalscorer-in-barcelona-history/
More Dooley interviews: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/stor...otball-vision-of-azkals-coach-thomas-dooley/1 The guy is getting a reputation for being a media friendly coach. He talks a little bit about his time with Kaiserslauten and Schalke 04 in this interview.
Photo: Messi puts on Paulino Alcantara's jersey Messi puts on shirt used in the time of Barcelona’s previous topscorer Paulino Alcantara after beating his record in the last game against Osasuna!
Dooley's evaluation of the team during the interview and his review of the previous 2 friendlies: He said that Azerbaijan had to change their game when they found out that the Philippines can play. That is why Azerbaijan adopted the counterattacking style in the second half when most of the play was in the Azerbaijan side of the field.