Philippines Football Thread II[R]

FT Philippines 2-2 Yemen
Brothers P Younghusband and J Younghusband each scored a goal for the Philippines

 

The PFF is finally getting their own training ground with the turnover of the FIFA sponsored artificial turf in Carmona Cavite within the grounds donated by the Manila Jockey Club. The PFF plan to build 2 more football fields in the same area using natural grass, a stadium as well as infrastructure where the players will be housed and the PFF headquarters will be relocated.

"The project, formalized in April 2014, aims to build a football complex and stadium at SLLBP featuring a prestigious FIFA certified 2-Star artificial pitch.

With the field now completed, the partnership looks forward to developing related appurtenances including locker rooms, dormitories and other training facilities. In the pipeline is the construction of a 25,000-seater stadium with VIP viewing boxes, media center, dressing rooms and concessionaire booths.

The day will also host the groundbreaking ceremony of the PFF House of Football and National Football Center, effectively making the SLLBP complex a football mecca of the Philippines. Apart from being a training center of the National Teams, the site will also host international friendlies, competition matches and other related events."

www.philstar.com/sports/2017/09/09/1737303/fifa-football-turf-turnover-today-sllp

www.facebook.com/PTV4SPORTS/videos/1390039634442351/

This facilities are being built in partnership with the Manila Jockey Club. Although being primarily a horse racing club established in 1867, the MJC also established a football club back in the early 1900s competing against the likes of former FC Barcelona(Spanish league) great and Philippine national footbal team star Paulino Alcantara who played for the multi-titled local team Bohemian Sporting Club at that time.

 

Asian Cup qualifier

Philippines 1-1 Yemen

Good result for the Philippines with the Azkals leading the group by 2 points with only 2 games to play.

 

Latest Group F Standings:

 

Dooley: Win Over Nepal is a Must

The stakes could not get any higher for the Philippine Men’s National Team ahead of their crucial AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers match against Nepal on Tuesday 14 November 2017 at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Azkals arrived in Kathmandu last Wednesday and have been in intense training for the past few days leading up to the match.

Philippines head coach Thomas Dooley was fairly impressed with how the players have trained despite the high altitude.

“Preparations are going very well,” said Dooley. “I was a little bit surprised with how the players handled the difference in the altitude well, but we will see in the game.”

The Azkals mentor understood the risks going to the match as several regulars such as Amani Aguinaldo, Manny Ott, and Javier Patiño out for the match due to injuries. Still, Dooley is adamant that the 23 players he called up for the match can accomplish the task.

“We have to win the game and that’s the bottom line,” added Dooley. “The confidence I have in the players is that individually they are unique and if they put together their 100% on the field, then we have a big chance to win the game.”

Goalkeeping coach Stefano Marsella also gave his view on the preparations for the match.

“The three goalkeepers work together, they all know what’s about, what’s at stake, but they’re also playing and training because they know what’s coming up as well,” said Marsella. “Their attitude has been spot on during training.”

23 players have been called up for the Nepal match. Former Philippine Under-22 player and Global Cebu forward Paolo Salenga and Ceres Negros forward Joshua Dutosme earned their first call up to the team. Kaya FC Makati midfielder Marwin Angeles is back with the national team after a stint in 2014. Misagh Bahadoran returns to the squad after missing out in the draw against Yemen last 10 October. Patiño, Amani Aguinaldo, Manny Ott, and Luke Woodland are still out of the squad due to injuries.

Players:

Marwin ANGELES – Kaya FC Makati
Fitch ARBOLEDA – Stallion Laguna FC
Misagh BAHADORAN – Global Cebu FC
Dylan DE BRUYCKER – Davao Aguilas FC
Carlos DE MURGA – Ceres Negros FC
Patrick DEYTO – Global Cebu FC
Curt DIZON – FC Meralco Manila
Joshua DUTOSME – Ceres Negros FC
Neil ETHERIDGE – Cardiff City FC
Kevin INGRESO – Ceres Negros FC
Sean Patrick KANE – JPV Marikina FC
Hikaru MINEGISHI – Global Cebu FC
Paul MULDERS – Global Cebu FC
Jim Junior MUÑOZ – Ceres Negros FC
Nicholas O’DONNELL – Davao Aguilas FC
Mike OTT – Angthong United
Iain RAMSAY – Ceres Negros FC
Simone ROTA – Davao Aguilas FC
Paolo SALENGA – Global Cebu FC
Daisuke SATO – AC Horsens
Dennis VILLANUEVA – Global Cebu FC
James YOUNGHUSBAND – Davao Aguilas FC
Phil YOUNGHUSBAND – Davao Aguilas FC

Head coach Thomas Dooley will be assisted by Stefano Marsella. The Philippine team will fly to Kathmandu on Wednesday morning, 8 November 2017.

 

I don't that link is available in the US. Try this instead:
https://mycujoo.tv/anfa?id=10908

I might be asleep though by then(2AM Central). We will see.

 

29 November 2017
PFL Finals Series Cast Finalized

The cast for the Philippines Football League Finals Series has been determined following the conclusion of the PFL Regular Season yesterday, Tuesday 28 November 2017.
The four clubs that have qualified for the Finals Series are: FC Meralco Manila, Ceres Negros FC, Kaya FC Makati, and Global Cebu FC. The four teams will battle it out in the Finals Series to determine the inaugural PFL champions.
The PFL Regular Season started last May 2017 which saw the 8 participating clubs play a total of 112 matches, with each club playing 14 home and 14 away matches.
The PFL Finals Series will pit the four teams matched up in terms of their standings in the two-legged semifinals. The first leg is scheduled on 2 and 3 December and the second leg will be held on 9 and 10 December.
The winning teams of the semifinals will dispute the championship while the losing teams will battle for third place. The PFL Final will be held on 16 December 2017 with the venue still to be determined.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano V. Araneta Jr. congratulated the four clubs which have qualified to the PFL Finals Series.
“I would like to congratulate the four teams that have qualified to the Philippines Football League Finals Series and at the same time wish them good luck,” said Araneta. “What started out as a collective dream then has become a reality; we are near the day where the first professional club of the Philippines Football League will be crowned champions.”
http://pff.org.ph/2017/11/29/pfl-finals-series-cast-finalized/

 

30 November 2017
PFF formally taps Richard Boon to take charge of the Malditas for the Women's Asian Cup

by Kevin Estrada

MANILA--The Philippines' preparations for next year's Women's Asian Cup have stepped up a notch, as the Philippine Football Federation has formally tapped up the services of Richard Boon as its head coach last Thursday.


With the signing of Boon, the American influence in the country's game is now set in stone for the senior national sides, as Thomas Dooley handles the Azkals for the past three years.


Already been hired last month to oversee the US-based footballers, Boon has now put the pen to the paper on the contracts alongside newly appointed assistant Clint McDaniel, with PFF President Mariano Araneta and MVP Sports Foundation president Vince Santos alongside them as the team was in its training and identification camp in California during the week.

Boon, who had vast experience in the youth and the women's game, is replacing FEU tactician Let Dimzon who steered the Malditas during August's SEA Games.

http://www.dugout.ph/2017/11/pff-formally-taps-richard-boon-to-take.html

 

Wikipedia

Coaching career
Boon has several coaching credentials including the a license from the English Football Association, National A and National Youth licenses from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), and a Premier Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). He has been named as "2013 Nike Coach of the Year" and "Goal International Magazine Coach of the Year". He is also the Director for Girls Development Program of Corinthians S.C.

Boon etched his name in the realm of soccer development during his long time involvement with the elite CalSouth Olympic Development Program. He has served in various capacities as ODP Residential Director, ODP scout, ODP Age group head coach, head licensing instructor for Orange County and ODP Region IV staff coach. Some of his notable accomplishments include winning a number of major soccer tournaments and earned accolades such as “2013 Nike Coach of the Year” and also the “Goal International Magazine Coach of the Year” multiple times. Boon prides himself most with his success rate of players placement in colleges helping them earned much coveted scholarships.

When the Philippine Football Federation and the MVP Sports Foundation conducted a training and identification camp for the Philippines women's national football team in California, Richard Boon was tasked on October 2017 to the oversee the US-based players participating in the camp. On November 23, 2017, Boon along with Clint McDaniel were formally hired as the head coach and assistant coach of the Philippine national team respectively. He is expected to mentor the team at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

_____

His coaching credentials are impressive for women's soccer.

 

Neil Etheridge‏Verified account @Neil38Etheridge Nov 28

So far, so good. But what a great team and defence I have infront of me

 

With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup tournament less than five months away, participating teams have been busy with preparations with most, namely Australia, Japan, Korea Republic, China, Thailand, Vietnam and Jordan holding friendly matches against each other. The Philippines meanwhile is taking a unique step.

Immediately right after the last tour of duty by the Philippine women’s football team—the Southeast Asian Games—the Philippine Football Federation created a special task force to see through preparations for the Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan next April with the goal of qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

Called “Project Jordan”, the task force is spearheaded by the PFF President Mariano V. Araneta himself and has reeled in major sponsors namely PLDT, the MVP Sports Foundation, Giligan’s, Corinthians Soccer Club, Deft Touch Soccer, the Athletics Rehabilitation and Mixed Martial Arts (ARMM) facility, and Pythos Technology Philippines Inc.

Two major undertakings have taken place because of Project Jordan, the first being an identification camp held in the U.S. that was participated by potential new recruits based overseas together with players who have already capped for the Philippines such as Hali Long, Hanna Parado, Claire Lim, Patricia Tomanon and Eva Madarang from this year. Participants like Alexa Diaz, Chalise Baysa, Morgan Brown, Sidra Bugsch, Krystal De Ramos, Caitlyn Kreutz, Shelby Salvacion and Camille Wilson have represented the Philippines in 2013 and 2016.

Most of the participants are based in North America save for Cathrine Buccat Graversen who plays top-flight professional club football in Denmark. Two locally based players, Natasha Alquiros and Camille Rodriguez, joined the camp for training which took place in the El Cerrito Sports Complex in Corona, California from November 18 to 26.

The other major action is the signing of American Richard Boon to the head coaching position along with a new staff. Boon is a licensed USSF A coach who specializes in girls’ youth soccer, and also holds a license from the English Football Association as well as a premier diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

“I’m very excited and honored to have been appointed as the senior national team coach,” Boon told Tiebreaker Times through e-mail.

With Boon, the Philippines has seen its third women’s team head coach this year and succeeds Let Dimzon, who led a fourth-place finish at the SEA Games, and Buda Bautista, who led the team to a successful AFC Qualifiers campaign in Tajikistan and was honored for it by the AFC. This also means Boon is the first male coach to lead the Philippines since Ernest Nierras in 2013.

Boon said that they are extremely pleased with the outcome of the U.S. camp.

“The selection camp was very successful. It had a good mix of young talented collegiate players, and experienced players who have had prior international experience. The girls showed a great competitive spirit and high work rate throughout the duration of camp. As a coach I’m looking for players who are capable of training and playing at a high standard on a consistent basis,” he said.

Boon also spoke highly of local representatives Alquiros and Rodriguez, while generally commending those who have already played for the Philippines.

“It was apparent that players from the Philippines are technically gifted and very comfortable on the ball. It was great to see the more experienced players from the national team pool sharing their knowledge of playing international events, and what to expect on and off the field as we get closer to our goal of qualifying in Jordan for the World Cup. As would be expected, the capped players were all in sync with the tactical aspect of game management,” he added.

Boon reassures that whatever system he has in place will be adjusted once the other locally-based players join the training camps that are slated to start next month.

“Once we have seen all the players selected from the camps and the inclusion of the new players coming from the Philippines, as well as players who were injured, we will identify what system best suits our player personnel for success.”

This system will also depend on the outcome of the bracketing draw for the Women’s Asian Cup on December 9. Boon is aware that every match in Jordan next year will be a battle with so much at stake and that a Women’s World Cup berth will be on every team’s agenda. He promises that he will make sure the Philippines will be prepared for any opponent.

“There is a belief among this group of players and staff that we can achieve what we are setting out to do,” Boon asserted.

tiebreakertimes.com/tbt/project-jordan-pff-recruits-more-overseas-based-players-signs-new-coach-for-womens-team/103237

Some exciting new players including a pro from Europe will be added to the team. Hopefully they can make the Women's World Cup.

They needed to do this as many of the participants in the Asian Women's Cup are top notch and regular Women's World Cup contenders.

 

Pretty impressive list of players who attended the national women's team scouting combine in California:

Participants with national team experience based in the Philippines

Natasha Alquiros
Camille Rodriguez

Participants with national team experience based overseas who have graduated from college:

Chalise Baysa
Morgan Brown
Alexa Diaz
Hali Long
Shelby Salvacion
Pat Tomanon

Participants with national team experience based overseas who are still in college:

Sidra Bugsch (Cal Poly)
Caitlyn Kreutz (UNLV)
Claire Lim (UC-Santa Cruz)
Eva Madarang (Rogers State)
Hanna Parado (University of Colorado-Colorado Springs)
Camille Wilson (University of San Francisco)

Participants without national team experience based overseas who are still in college:

Carissa Christensen (Texas Tech)
Olivia Davies (Milwaukee)
Crystal Sanchez (College of the Canyons)
Keagan Bolibol (Point Loma)
Dylan Patterson (Winthrop)
Kara Montilla (New Mexico State)
Sofia Harrison (Slippery Rock)
Jessica Miclat (UC-Irvine)
Megan Abutin (Cal Poly)
Nerisse Bugho (UC-Riverside)
Michelle Feinberg (University of San Francisco)
Ryley Bugay (Marquette)
Quinley Quezada (UC-Riverside)
Kaya Hawkinson (Palos Verdes HS, committed to Cal State-Fullerton)
Chandler McDaniel (Virginia Tech)
Amy Aquino (Cal State-Northridge)
Mackenzie Magaoay (Long Beach State)
Nicole Tentativa (Centennial College (Canada))
Sarina Bolden (Loyola Marymount)

Participants without national team experience based overseas not currently playing in college:

Lauren Bellone (Long Island University alumna)
Tahnai Annis (Florida alumna, current assistant coach at Averett University)
Tiffany Dimaculangan (Westmont College alumna)
Calah Simarago (UC-Santa Barbara alumna, currently playing with Fram Ajax Soccer Club in WPSL)
Leah Larot (Sacramento State alumna, elder sister of former Philippine international Raylene Larot)
Cathrine Buccat Graversen (who is of Danish descent and is playing with KoldingQ in Denmark)
Kaela Reisfelt (Whittier College alumna)

 

Men's friendly

2017 CTFA International Tournament

Fixtures:
1 December 2017 – 4:00 PM
Laos vs Philippines
3 December 2017 – 7:00 PM
Chinese Taipei vs Philippines
5 December 2017 – 4:00 PM
Timor-Leste vs Philippines


Philippines(B/C team) 3-1 Laos
P Younghusband, Angel Guirado, Kintaro Miyagi

Different coach(Maro) and team manager(Cheng) from A team and mostly reserve, youth or fringe national team players involved except for the Younghusbands, Mike Ott and Simone Rota. Most players on the roster are from Davao PFL team including 2 of the team manager's sons.

They apparently decided to send a totally different national team for this low level tournament that includes Chinese Taipei, Laos and Timor Leste.

 

Since the PFL semifinal is going on at the same time as the CTFA tournament, they decided to include for the CTFA, only players from teams which did not make the semis of the PFL, primarily from Davao and Stallion.

 

Disaster in Taipei

PH Team sent to Taipei for CTFA Invitational finish the tournament with 1 win and 2 losses.

It was supposed to be an easy tournament, a pocket tournament played against some of the weakest teams on Earth that would serve as good experience to test out fringe players for the National Team. Coming into the tournament as the highest ranking team, on paper, this should pose no problem for our side.

But things didn’t exactly go to plan.

The PFF sent a team made mostly of players from the 2017 SEA GAMES team reinforced by players from Stallions Laguna and Davao Aguilas PFL teams and was coached by PFF Technical Director Marlon Maro.

The first game was against a young Laos side, ranked 184th in the world, a whooping 66 places below the Philippines. Things went on as expected as the Philippines thrashed Laos 3-1 with goals from Phil Younghusband, his 48th, the returning Angel Guirado and debutant Kintaro Miyagi adding one each before the Laotians pulled one back deep into stoppage time. Fans celebrated the victory, with defenders of the team hushing the critics, telling those that are against the selections to keep their mouth shuts, as if rubbing it into their faces that they were right, and the critics were wrong.

Then the 2nd game came against a stronger Chinese-Taipei side, ranked 135 in the world. But the ranking were thrown out the window in this game, 2 goals by Li Mao, one for each half buried the Philippines early. A red card from Angel Guirado in the 68th minute did not make things easier for the visitors. Chen Ting-Yang added salt to the PH Team’s wound by scoring a third for Chinese-Taipei.

Coming into the last day against the only winless team in the competition, Timor-Leste ranked 196th in the world, the Philippines were expected to steamroll their opponents. But the Timorese had other ideas. Marlon Maro, clearly underestimating the opponents chose to start Phil Younghusband on the bench. Clearly this decision by Maro is not the right one with your team needing to win to avoid embarrassment against the lowest ranked team in this tournament.. But alas, disaster struck, with the Philippines wasting their chances, Timor-Leste scored a dagger in the 89th minute to doom the Azkals to their 2nd loss in 3 games. To make things more head scratching, Maro chose to sub out Keeper Ray Joyel in the dying moments of the game. The result was a hard one to stomach, and the fact that it happened the same day as the Miracle in Hanoi makes it even worse.

The recent results does not bode well for the REAL AZKALS. A drop in the rankings could prove fatal if we qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup as we could be dropped from Pot 3 to Pot 4.

In the first place, who authorized that they send THIS team instead of professionals? Players from 4 of the 8 PFL teams out of playoff contention were available for selection, the likes of Sean Kane, Melo Tacusalme and Nelson Gasic of JPV, Nico Nazal, David Kamau, and the Uzoka brothers of Ilocos were there for the taking. Instead they brought the SEA Games team.

Why was Maro handling this team? This is an A level tournament. That means the Head coach of the Senior team should be the one calling the shots or at least one of his assistants.

As of writing the PFF has been silent, Only choosing to report the Laos win with no mention of the loss to CT and the recent loss to the weakest team in SEA and the World.

The Federation officials are complacent, the fans are being told to shut up by PFF defenders. What a time to be a Filipino Football fan.

pinoyfootball.com/2017/12/06/disaster-in-taipei/

 

We appreciate the love Redstriker. (-:

However, the PFF did not even send the best available players from the teams that did not participate in the PFL. A totally different management team and coaching staff was sent instead and the new team manager decided to include 2 of his sons(who were incidentally given playing time in this tournament) who are fringe players on the club he owns in the PFL, Davao United which placed 2nd to last in the league. The Davao team manager offered to pay for the expenses and was given carte blanche to form a team of nobody's(not even B or C team).

Normally I wouldn't care, especially for youth level tournaments, since it is my belief that the PFF should concentrate on local players for youth level tournaments with possibly a handful or less of reinforcements from our diaspora abroad if necessary.

But this is the men's team and the results impact the FIFA rankings at a critical time. As an article mentioned "A drop in the rankings could prove fatal if we qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup as we could be dropped from Pot 3 to Pot 4."

The PFF's decision has raised quite a ruckus at home, with the current national men's team manager who was not consulted on the issue, bemoaning the decision and its consequences and many in the media following suit. Of course, the PFF has turned silent and did not even report the results on its official team website.

More relevant articles on the issue:

Conflict erupts after Azkals' losses in Taiwan tilt

news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/07/17/football-conflict-erupts-after-azkals-losses-in-taiwan-tilt

PFF still silent on Taiwan ‘debacle’

http://fastbreak.com.ph/pff-still-silent-on-taiwan-debacle/

Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami says the Taiwan debacle could have been prevented.

“We understand the need to send a team to the tournament. Chinese Taipei is one of the few countries that supported and gave exposure to the Philippine Azkals when nobody then gave us a chance. But they should have consulted the national management for the call ups,” he says.

Palami said the team was assembled while the Azkals were in Nepal.

While the management made suggestions, Palami was told the team is already complete.

“We could have sent Harry Fäll and others to reinforce the team but the matter was already decided,” he added.

_________

As was pointed by the regular men's team national team manager, they could have added a few more young deserving players from other teams in the UFL or the senior national team and the team would most likely have a better chance of winning this low level tournament.

 

Redstriker,

Having said that, I do however agree with your general observation.

The current PFF administration needs to be made accountable for not doing a better job at the grassroots level. They didn't even institute a national level club youth tournament(which they used to have under previous administrations) where they can properly scout and develop young talent.

And they don't properly scout and prepare( a few weeks preparation instead of the months or years you see on other national teams) the teams they send to international football age group level tournaments. They don't send the best young players and there seems to be a lot of favoritism involved(again the team manager's sons from Davao United were added for example).

In the PFF's defence, the universities in the Philippines have this unfortunate habit of refusing to lend their best players to the national team(not only in football by the way) at the most critical times. College priorities(both athletic and academic) tend to take precedence in the Philippines and the PFF sometimes end up scrambling around a few weeks before the tournament trying to fill a competitive team from whoever is available to send.

 

Yes he is for the regular men's national team participating in the Asian Cup qualifiers.