5 Apr PFF to Issue Club Licenses to 8 Clubs for the Inaugural Season of the Philippines Football League The Philippine Football Federation is set to issue to eight (8) clubs that have applied to participate in the Philippines Football League. These 8 clubs, after evaluation of their submissions, have substantially complied with the criteria imposed by the PFF Club Licensing Regulations. The commercialization of the PFL and its financial model was completed with the assistance of Red Card Global, an international sports marketing agency based in Singapore. The agency is also the exclusive commercial agent of the PFL for the next 6 years, tasked with growing the league’s commercial potential both locally and internationally. PFF President Mariano V. Araneta stated: “The success of the National League is very important for the further growth of Philippine football. I thank all stakeholders, including the upcoming sponsors, private club investors, stadia owners, players and football fans in keeping faith with us in the PFF to have this professional football league.” Executive Chairman of Red Card Global R. Sasikumar also said: “We are proud to have played a part in assisting the PFF in this endeavor. It is our hope that this model propels Philippine football to a new level. With 100 million people in the Philippines and another 10 million outside the country, commercially this provides huge opportunities for the PFL.” The PFL is set to sign terms with national broadcaster, People’s Television Network, Inc. (PTV), to be the Free-To-Air partner for the inaugural season of the PFL. Several other broadcast deals are now being discussed and will be confirmed before the start of the season. The 8 clubs and nominated home stadia are Ceres Negros FC (Panaad Park and Stadium, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental); Davao Aguilas FC (Davao del Norte Sports & Tourism Stadium, Tagum City); Global Cebu FC (University of San Carlos Stadium, Cebu City); Ilocos United FC (President Elpidio Quirino Stadium-Vigan, Ilocos Sur); JPV Marikina FC (Marikina Sports Complex, Marikina City); Kaya FC-Makati (UMak Football Stadium, Makati City); and Stallion Laguna FC (Binan Football Stadium, Binan City, Laguna). Loyola Meralco Sparks FC is nominating Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila. Each licensed club will need to sign a franchise agreement with the PFF to be able to compete in the PFL. The PFL will have a formal launch on 20 April 2017 with the kick-off of the first match scheduled on Saturday, 29 April 2017 (venue TBA). Participating clubs will play on a Home-and-Away format, with the top 4 clubs after two (2) rounds competing in a Finals Series. Matches will be played every Saturdays and Sundays, with the first match slated on 4:00PM-6:00PM time slot. The fixtures and the broadcast schedule of live matches will be announced during the launch. 04 April 2017 Atty. Edwin B. Gastanes PFF General Secretary
Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers - Group A: Philippines 4-0 Iraq Dushanbe: An impressive first half display helped the Philippines secure a 4-0 win over Iraq on Wednesday to continue the Southeast Asian side’s dominant start to their AFC Women’s Asian Cup Jordan 2018 qualifying campaign. After Monday’s 4-0 success against the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines scored four times in a rampant first period to further enhance their chances of securing a ticket to next year’s finals, and virtually end the hopes of a resilient Iraqi side which succumbed to its second successive defeat. Philippines started strongly at the Republican Central Stadium, with defender Claire Lim and forward Eva Madarang both testing Iraqi goalkeeper Khalat Asaad Mustafa from range, before Madarang burst beyond the Iraq defence to fire home and hand her side a 21st minute lead. It was not to be all one-way traffic, however, Iraqi captain Nadia Fadhil coming close to levelling matters with a free-kick which sailed narrowly over the bar. However, Iraq’s creditable resistance was to be well and truly undone courtesy of an incredible Philippines goalscoring spree shortly before the break. First, Hali Long scored in the 44th minute with a powerful header from a corner to deservedly extend her side’s lead. Moments later, Sara Castaneda made it three from inside the six-yard area, and in the third minute of added time, Alesa Nazareno Dolino converted a Madarang pass to effectively end the game as a contest. Madarang then spurned a hat-trick of chances to further stretch the Philippines’ advantage and, with Iraq digging deep, Claire Lim hit the bar for the Philippines late on in what was to prove the game’s last meaningful action. The Philippines are next in action on Friday when they are scheduled to face qualifying hosts Tajikistan, while Iraq will play Jordan. Iraq head coach Adil Qader: “We lost the match because of the three goals we conceded in the five minutes before half-time. Philippines are a great team and although we lost the match, we are improving step by step. We hope that in the coming matches we will get some goals and points.” Philippines head coach Letecia Bautista: “We have been trying to adapt to the weather and made some minor adjustments in attack ahead of today’s match. Still, in the second half we were able to control the ball but lacked the ability to finish. Everyone, including the Iraq team, played well today, I applaud them – they have improved since their first match, they played as a team today.” Philippines goalscorer Eva Madarang: “I am happy about the goal I scored and helped the team so am pleased with today. I always like to have some background of the team we are playing so I did some research before this match, on their key players and especially the defenders.”
Global win gives Philippines football reasons to be cheerful Global FC enjoyed a big win in the AFC Cup on Wednesday when they beat 2015 champions JDT. by John Duerden @JohnnyDuerden It is only four months since fans in the Philippines were in a state of depression after crashing out at the group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup despite being co-hosts. At the Rizal Stadium in downtown Manila at the end of November, Indonesia defeated Singapore to confirm the exit. Things have changed and have done so at the same atmospheric but aging arena. At the Rizal in March, the Azkals started the final round of qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup with a win over Nepal. Better came on April 5 – a date that should be circled in football calendars for years to come – as Global FC recorded what must be the best result by a club team in international competition. The 3-2 win over Johor Darul Ta’zim in the AFC Cup on Wednesday was a big deal. To start with, JDT are a regional powerhouse. In Southeast Asia at the moment, only the big two of Thailand –the twin Uniteds of Muangthong and Buriram – are in the same league. The team has won the last three Malaysia Super League titles, the 2015 AFC Cup and reached the last four last year. Off the pitch, it is also a well-oiled machine of the sort that is rare in Asia, never mind the Southeast. Johor do not expect to lose to a team from the Philippines. Yet, it was a deserved victory for the hosts. Perhaps the visitors breezed into Manila expecting an easy ride. In the previous round, the two met at the Larkin Stadium with the Malaysians running out easy 4-0 winners. Heading to Manila, the Southern Tigers rested four players who had lost to Pahang at the weekend (this is a first successive defeat for the team since 2015). Captain Safiq Rahim was one of those benched perhaps in the expectation that they would get the three points that would send them four points clear at the top of the group with two to play. While the Malaysians were missing their skipper through choice, Global were without theirs through injury as Misagh Bahadoran had a knee problem. But there can be no excuses for the visitors. In an eight-minute spell of madness, from an away team point of view, JDT were all over the place. Long balls from deep caused all sorts of problems for a defence that was supposed to be well-drilled. After 27 minutes, Dennis Villanueva put the hosts head, five minutes later Shu Sasaki made it two and it was almost game over when Amani Aguinaldo virtually sealed the win from a counter-attack on the 35 minute-mark. Gabriel Guerra scored twice in the second half but it was too little too late. The win was deserved. Global looked more threatening on the ball and while there was always going to be serious JDT pressure in the second half, the defence and goalkeeper held firm against an attack that lacked movement and fluency and only really got going when the game was virtually over. This is the biggest and best result ever recorded by a Filipino club. This is just Global’s second appearance in the competition, with the first coming back in 2015 when JDT ended up winning the whole thing. It shows how far the club has come in such a short space of time. To defeat JDT, a team that eliminated 2016 Thai Premier League runners-up Bangkok United from the Asian Champions League play-offs after dominating Malaysian football for three years, is a real feather in the twin caps of Global and Philippines club football. What Global, two points clear at the top, have to do now is secure first place and a spot in the knockout stage. Victory over JDT would end up less sweet if it was followed by dropped points against Cambodia’s Boeung Ket and Magwe from Myanmar. It would continue the impressive progress made by the country’s clubs in Asia. In 2016, both Ceres and Kaya got to the last 16. Ceres topped a group containing Malaysian and Singapore giants Selangor and Tampines Rovers respectively. Kaya edged out Balestier Khalsa of the S-League. It all bodes well for the new Philippines Football League that is due to kick off this year. The country’s first fully professional and national club competition has had some teething problems in getting off the ground and uncertainty as to when it will actually start but if it can take the club scene to the next level then the best in Southeast Asia will have a new challenger to worry about. But until that happens, individual clubs are providing plenty for local fans to be happy about. Ceres and Kaya set the scene in 2016 but Global defeating JDT in a competitive game is a step up. It is not only the best result in Filipino club history, it offers real hope and optimism for the future. http://www.foxsportsasia.com/footba...-philippines-football-reasons-to-be-cheerful/
Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers - Group A: Tajikistan 0-8 Philippines Dushanbe: Goals from sisters Anicka and Sara Castañeda helped the Philippines beat Tajikistan 8-0 on Friday to record the Southeast Asian nation’s third win of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Group A qualifiers, and edge them ever closer to a spot at next year’s finals in Jordan. The victory, which follows successive 4-0 defeats of the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, leaves an impressive Philippines side now needing only a point in their next game against Bahrain on Sunday to qualify for Jordan 2018. Going into the encounter as firm favourites despite the Central Asians having home advantage, the Maltidas seemed determined to put the game to bed early, Anicka Castañeda shooting just over the bar, and the star trio of Eva Madarang, Irish Navaja and Hali Long all testing Tajikistan goalkeeper Sakhina Saidova within the first 15 minutes. Not to be outdone, the lively Madarang duly broke the deadlock in the 17th minute, firing home from six yards to earn her side a deserved lead. The impressive Saidova continued to impress, but she was unable to prevent Anicka Castañeda doubling her side’s advantage with a magnificent strike from just inside the penalty area, and Hali Long notching a third for the Philippines on 38 minutes. With the Philippines continuing to dominate after the break, Sara Castañeda joined her sister Anicka on the scoresheet within minutes of the restart, before Hali Long scored twice to complete an admirable hat-trick on a day it appeared the Philippines could do little wrong. Anicka Castañeda doubled her account in the 85th minute, finishing a fine Mary Duran pass, before Duran headed home an eighth and final goal for a rampant Philippines in the final moments. Philippines head coach Letecia Bautista: “We could’ve controlled the game better and we were a bit erratic early on. We need to work on our passing and distribution. With the momentum we’re having right now we can go into the match on Monday with a positive attitude – but we don’t want to underestimate Bahrain. But before then we will enjoy Dushanbe, as we have two rest days tomorrow and Sunday. We will do some light exercises, have a tour of the city and on Sunday we will go back to the routine.” Tajikistan head coach Bobokalonov Sulaymon: “The girls played well and we will learn from today’s match, work on our mistakes and try to improve. Our captain Natalia Sotnikova is our best player but we need more players like her in order to challenge teams like the Philippines. After this tournament player development is one thing we will concentrate on.' http://www.the-afc.com/womens-asian...qualifiers-group-a-tajikistan-0-8-philippines Bright future for the Philippines Women's national football teams with high schoolers Anicka Castaneda leading the way. Anicka Castañeda has been named AFC's Woman Of The Match! The 17-year-old who assisted on some goals also scored a brace!
As we count down the days to the inaugural season of the Philippine Football League, some of the folks that made it possible reminisce about what it took to eventually reach this point. Here is a statement by one of them, Philip Hagedorn. Exit the UFL, Enter the PFL The road to the UFL for me started back in 1982. Back then I was a 16-year-old high school sophomore at the Colegio San Agustine (CSA). My passion was and continues to be Football. Almost every afternoon after classes (sometime even before they ended), I would head out to the Football fields of CSA and practice. Some days it was with my Aspirants team that played in the RIFA and BOFA tournaments, some days it was working on technic and skill at the Makati Football School of Tomas Lozano and Juan Cutillas and some days it was training with the San Agustine Football Club which played in the 1st Division with powerhouses like Air Force, Army and San Miguel FC. My coach and mentor through those years was Tomas Lozano. Tomas was a professional footballer who came to Manila in the late 70’s to play professionally. Tomas never left the country. He married, had a family and has since committed his entire life to Football for the youth in the Philippines. Back then, Tomas and I were neighbors and I would regularly hitch a ride home after practice in his mustard colored Ford Cortina. I remember very well many conversations in that car about how the Philippines needed a club football program and that this would be the formula for growing the popularity of the sport in the Philippines to the levels that we were seeing in Europe at that time. Fast forward to 1994. I was back from college working full time in Manila. Easily 30 pounds heavier and having undergone two knee surgeries, my playing career was over. Philippine Football was in the doldrums. We saw a bit of resurgence in 1991 with our massive win over Malaysia at the SEA Games but that fervor quickly died because, I believe, the lack of a proper league. The only clubs making waves and supplying players to the national team were from the Armed Forces. Professional Soldiers who happen to be Footballers. By this time, Tomas had grown the Makati Football School to the premier football academy in the Philippines. But the glaring lack of a club league meant that a Pinoy Footballers career ended after college at around the age of 22 (even before their prime). Tomas, myself and my childhood friend Santi Elizalde reunited that year and began working at the National Capital Region Football Association (NCRFA). Santi was the President, Tomas was the Secretary General and I was the Treasurer. That year we launch what was then known as the Globe Telecom SuperCup. This was a cup competition that was an open tournament with prize money. We invited players to form clubs and participate. We also invited the Armed Forces clubs to join. The event was a success running for 6 years between 1994 and 2002 (and won every year by an Armed Forces team). It was during the Globe SuperCup days that clubs like Kaya FC and Loyola FC were born. One thing was missing though. All these new clubs that were popping up around town were not officially recognized by the Philippine Football Federation as members because they did not belong to an association who was a member of a provincial Football association, a requirement. So, in 2002, the NCRFA officially recognized the United Football Clubs Association (UFCA) as a member of the NCRFA and the official association for club Football in the NCR. My brother, Christopher was the UFCA’s first and only President. He represented Kaya FC. Other clubs that made up the UFCA were Loyola FC, Union FC, Archers FC and of course Nomads which were gracious enough to host almost all games at their grounds. Later that year the UFCA held their first competition and called it the United Football League. The UFL was born. Enter 2009 and the Football Alliance. Some 7 years passed since the inaugural UFL season and the league had gained very little traction. But one thing was becoming clearer, the non-Armed Forces Clubs were giving the traditional powerhouses of Air Force, Army and Navy and run for their money. The career of local footballers had been extended beyond college and the best of the best were finding their way to some of the clubs which began to improve the quality of the play. These improvements even filtered down to the national team which began to put together a good string of results, although the Philippines was still struggling at the bottom of the ladder in the region. Check out the link below for reference regarding the Football Alliance and the early days of the UFL. www.interaksyon.com/…/the-football-alliance-philippi…. Sometime before the start of the 2009 UFL season, the Football Alliance joined forces with the UFCA to manage, fund and run the UFL. The big idea was to level up the league to achieve one thing and one thing only, recognition from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and an invitation to play in the traditional regional club competitions of which Philippine clubs were always left out. It was a daunting task as we at the FA learned what it would take to get the recognition we so desired. The list included minimum number of matches, registration of players and clubs, television revenues, stadiums and ticket sales & professional management among others. We gave ourselves 5 years to hit the goal. We felt it would take a miracle to achieve this but we put our heads down and got to work. December 2010 – Hanoi. The miracle. Football was alive and kicking. And unlike back in 1991, there was now a league in the UFL where folks could come watch their heroes play on a regular basis. The FA quickly grabbed the opportunity and in 2011 we signed a 5-year television contract with Channel 5 which cemented the foundation for the league. Clubs began to build up further adding not only the foreign born Azkals to their squads but also inviting quality players from all around the world to compete in the UFL. Foreign players from Europe, Africa the Middle East and South America started arriving on our shores and practicing their trade in the UFL. The stands were still generally empty with only a few hundred regularly attending matches but the quality of the Football on the pitch improved dramatically. Sure there were plenty of growing pains but we got through it all and forged on. Goal hit. In 2013, exactly 5 years from when the FA took over management of the UFL, Global FC was the first Filipino Football Club to receive an invitation to participate in the AFC Presidents Cup as Champions of the UFL. The UFL was now being recognized by the AFC as a legitimate club competition and its champion would test their abilities against the best clubs in the region. Since then other UFL clubs like Kaya FC and Ceres FC have stepped onto pitches in Asia representing the UFL and the Philippines in regional club competitions organized by the AFC. The game was much improved but the number of people (or lack off) in stands suggested that another change had to happen. For club Football to truly prosper, clubs needed to locate in specific cities and regions, have their own home stadiums and fan base and draw loyal support from these communities they chose to locate at. This was the model that we all dreamt of all along. Football without fans is nothing. Enter the PFL. The Philippine Football League. This will be the first community based football league in the country where clubs will have home stadiums and will hope to develop a local and loyal supporters base. It has not been an easy road but nothing worth fighting for comes on a silver platter. It’s been long delayed but it will happen. The PFL will kick off at the end of this month with 8 clubs located across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Game on! Personally, I have aligned myself with Kaya FC of Makati. Kaya was founded in Makati and its only right that our club chose Makati as its home. We will be playing all our home games at the University of Makati Stadium and I am looking forward to cheering alongside our city folks. I am very excited for Kaya FC and the PFL. This is the final phase of a dream that started almost 35 years ago. This is it. We are all in. And for you naysayers out there, go ahead and whine all you want, I dare you to stand in the way. Onward and upward Kaya FC. Onward and upward PFL.
Tajikistan romp sends Philippines to brink of qualification Mia Montayre 6 hours ago The Philippine freight train continued to steamroll the opposition as it inches closer to securing a berth to the AFC Women’s Asian Cup finals in Jordan next year. This time around, the Pinays whitewashed hosts Tajikistan, 8-0, for share of first, Friday evening in Dushanbe. Fresh off a convincing win two days ago against Iraq slightly shaken by a scoreless second half, the ladies in blue appeared to show some vulnerability at first as Tajikistan pressed for attack. This was silenced when Eva Madarang delivered the go-ahead yet again inside 17 minutes as she headed in Sara Castañeda’s cross. Another 17 minutes in and 17-year-old Anicka Castañeda doubled the Philippine lead when she let loose a rocket from 18 yards out that Tajikistan goalie Sakhina Saidova was helpless to stop. Four minutes later, a corner taken by Claire Lim was sought after by Hali Long and the defender headed in the Philippines’ third goal. Three minutes into the second half, some confusion between Saidova and her backline was taken advantage of by S. Castañeda as she headed the ball over the Tajikistani keeper to pad the lead to 4. In the 59th minute, a free kick by Lim from near the halfway line found Long again who was lurking near the left flank to beat Saidova in heading in her second goal and the Philippines’ fifth. 25 minutes later she connected with Lim yet again to complete a hat-trick of header goals. Tajikistan’s defense totally collapsed by this point as substitute Mary Cristine Duran’s one-two with A. Castañeda resulted in the latter’s second goal of the game just a minute later. In the 90th minute, Duran’s energetic hustle since coming on was rewarded when Tomanon’s cross was an easy header for Duran to put away. Both A. Castañeda and Duran scored their first international goals from this game. Hazel Arce and Joanna Almeda came on as substitutes to earn their first caps. The Philippines also secured its third clean sheet thanks to Inna Palacios and Arce. A. Castañeda was named AFC Woman of the Match and she later admits that it was the biggest game of her life. “It’s my first time starting for the women’s national team so I guess it was,” said the youngster who thanks her teammates, coaches and especially family for her merits. “It really helps having her here to guide me,” A. Castañeda said of elder sister Sara. The game was also a first of sorts for Long, who acknowledged it was the first time she scored that many goals with her head along with her first ever hat-trick. “I still can’t fathom it all,” said the delighted 22-year-old who spoke praises of her teammates especially Duran’s closing goal. “I’m proud of what we did and continue to do as a team. Everyone is stepping up this year and we’re making things happen. We’re taking one team at a time. I think we’ve set the bar pretty high for ourselves the first game, and I think we keep raising higher and higher,” said Long who also revealed that team morale is at an all-time high. “The fact that we whipped out a 4-0 win in the first and second game, we realized like, ‘yeah, we can do this thing’ and we just kept the ball rolling. We feed off one another’s energies on and off the field,” she shared. Tajikistan XI: Saidova, Sharipova, Sayramj, Halimova, Jumakhon, Iroda, Natalia (C), Iskandari (Zulaikho), Nodira, Mirzoeva (Olimova), Marjona (Laylo) Philippines XI: Palacios (Arce), Lim, Dolino, Long, Tomanon (Duran), Navaja, Parado, Impelido (C), Castañeda S., Madarang, Castañeda A. (Almeda)
2019 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers Group A Standings JORDAN – 9 pts (+22) PHILIPPINES – 9 pts (+16) BAHRAIN – 4pts (-2) TAJIKISTAN – 3 pts (-11) UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – 1 pt (-10) IRAQ – 0 pt (-15)
Women's football: It's all coming together for the Philippines After 3 straight blowout wins, the Philippine women's football team is on the cusp of making the AFC Asian Cup for the first time Philippines vs Bahrain AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifier Dushanbe, Tajikistan 10:00 pm Philippine time Monday, April 10 Watch LIVE on mycujoo.tv/ch/273?id=4549 On Friday the Philippine Women's National team demolished Tajikistan 8-0 in AFC Asian Cup qualifying. It was the third straight blowout win after 4-0 triumphs against the UAE on Monday and Iraq on Wednesday. The Philippines are in a 6-team qualifying group for the final stage of the AFC Asian Cup in Jordan next year. The Jordanian women are in Group A with the Pinays despite the fact that they have qualified as hosts. Only the top team is supposed to make it out of this pool, and if Jordan finishes on top, the second-place team progresses. A draw or a victory against Bahrain on Monday and the Philippines will likely ice that second spot no matter what happens in Wednesday's final match against Jordan, unless the Jordanians slip up against Tajikistan on Monday, a long shot. Bahrain are third in the table with 4 points, Jordan walloped them 6-0 and they drew against UAE 1-1. This plucky bunch of Filipinas has overcome plenty of adversity to get to one win away from a first appearance in the Asian Cup. Attendance in training was spotty because of school and UAAP games. Securing a training ground was not always easy. Preparation time was, as usual, in short supply. But the stars have also aligned for Buda Bautista's side. Here are the factors that have led them here. Title IX. Yes, the seeds of this amazing week in Philippine women's football were sown on June 23, 1972, when, with a stroke of President Richard Nixon's pen, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 became law in the United States. Co-authored and introduced by Senator Birch Bayh, (D-Indiana), the portion of the act states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” That included sports in public schools and colleges that received federal funding. In effect, whatever money spent on boy's sports in this school had to be equal to what was given to women. Since public educational institutions in the states spend a great deal of money on sports like basketball and American football, a similar amount of cash got poured into girl's and women's sports. And one of the most popular women's sports in the states is Soccer. This is one of the reasons why the USA is a serial world champion in soccer. They won the World Cup in 2015 for a record third time. The American women perform much better than other traditional football powerhouses like Italy and Spain. In the states there is so much public sector support for the game in all levels from grade school to college. Hence generation upon generation of quality female women players, thousands upon thousands of them, are being churned out. And some of these girls just so happen to have Filipino heritage. On Friday 6 Filipina-Americans took to the field against Tajikistan. Hali Long nodded in a hat trick of headers. Claire Lim served up quality set pieces and so much more. Patrice Impelido, the unretired captain, secured the center of the park. Patricia Tomanon displayed blazing speed on the flanks, even deep into second-half stoppage time. Hanna Parado pulled the strings in midfield. And Eva Madarang once again struck. She is lethal with either foot and apparently with her head too. The big question for me is this: should the Philippines have its own Title IX? I hope our legislators are taking note. A Golden Generation of homegrown girls. While the overseas-born Pinays have been stellar, it is apparent that the homegrowns in the lineup are playing near or at the level of the Filipina-Americans. Check out this video of the win against UAE. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10154519919102333 Irish Navaja's lobbed goal from an acute angle is no fluke. Her coach in DLSU, Hans Smit, says the Bacolodnon does it all the time. Navaja also crossed to Sara Castañeda, who controlled deftly and finished for 4-0. Castañeda is also a DLSU player, a product of De La Salle Zobel. In the second game Sara scored again, and centerback Dai Dai Dolino from San Carlos City got on the scoresheet as well with a perfect header. In the 8-0 beatdown versus Tajikistan, Sara's younger sister Anicka got in on the action with a pair of goals, one a rocket from distance that the Tajik keeper could not prevent from going in. Late sub Mary Christine Duran also nodded home for a goal. Duran is from Talisay, just outside of Bacolod. These are amazing players but in reality only the tip of the iceberg. Because of school commitments and other reasons, a bunch of very experienced quality players were unable to make the team. Absent from the roster were the likes of Molly Manalansan, Kyra Dimaandal, Cristina De Los Reyes, and Natasha Alquiros. Etang Ladero of FEU and now Air Force is another amazing player who wasn't in the team. Ditto for Charissa Lemoran, a prolific scorer for UST. Two high schoolers from the U16 girls national team, the incredibly gifted scorer Lindsay Whaley and goalie Yasmin Elauria both made the squad but were so young the DSWD would not let them travel without their parents. Joyce Semacio, the U14 Asean MVP 3 years ago, is not in this team but one thinks she will get a full senior cap sooner than later. Another two players, UP's Mary Rose Obra and Shannon Arthur, both solid UAAP veterans, are recovering from injury. Both might have made the roster. Alisha Del Campo, still studying in DLSZ, got a start the other day. Pinay women's football is deep, and it's young, and it's getting more experience than ever because... The PFF Women's League was a huge help. The UAAP used to be the top tier of 11-a-side women's football in the country. Once you were done in UAAP, that was it. But late last year the PFF began the PFF Women's League. It is now in hiatus during the UAAP season but it will continue in May. Read more about it here. Outkast FC is one of the teams in that league. Mostly composed of FEU alumni, it's where Dai Dai Dolino plays. Surely her matches in the league helped keep her fit leading up this campaign. Whaley and Elauria also play for that club. Del Campo suited up for the Green Archers United ladies team. Good decision making is born from experience. This league came at the right time for these players. Let's hope the league becomes a yearly thing. Culture. Last week I met a Spanish priest working in a school for indigents in Bicutan called Mano Amiga. The priest, like all Spaniards, played football growing up. He was surprised to learn that boys and girls play football against each other here. He said that when he was a boy, girls just didn't play football in Spain. Of course that's not the case anymore, but perhaps countries like the UAE, Iraq and Tajikistan are in a similar situation. Men's football is huge in these nations, but women's football, due to societal norms, economics, or religious mores, might be neglected. For all we know our girls and women's football infrastructure, as underdeveloped as it may be, could be light years ahead of Tajikistan, Bahrain and UAE. The Philippines does not face these restraints. We are one of the most gender-equal countries in Asia, if not the world. We generally let our girls play sports. That's one reason why this team can compete so well against more mature footballing countries. Another note on gender equality: coach Buda Bautista is the only female head coach in Group A. Luck. The men's senior team got a pretty tough draw in their AFC Asian Cup qualifying, but the women have surely been drawn in the “Group of Hope.” After winning the first three games by a combined score of 16-0, that is a pretty fair conclusion. Meanwhile Group B is a shark tank. DPR Korea, South Korea, and Uzbekistan are there and only one punches a ticket to Jordan. It's a similar story in Group D, where ASEAN powerhouses Vietnam and Myanmar are battling it out with Iran for one slot. Yes the Philippines did get a slice of good fortune, but we have taken it and ran with it. Luck alone will not catapult us to Jordan. The girls must keep their composure and continue playing the ball-possession brand of attacking football that has gotten them this far. Come Monday we will know if they are truly destined for glory. www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/166404-womens-football-all-coming-together-philippines As Bob mentioned Madarang has been a revelation. If we do make it to the Asian Cup finals, I can see her and the prolific Shugg(who was not available for this tournament due to injury and is playing professional soccer in the Icelandic women's 1st division) creating havoc in the frontline, with the caveat they would be facing much stronger defences at that stage, compared to what they have seen so far. Jesse Shugg has tweeted that she is still recovering from injury but will back for the SEAG and hopefully the Asian Cup.
Bautista hails momentum as qualification beckons / Apr 09 2017 / Dushanbe: Philippines head coach Letecia Bautista believes her side’s current momentum may yet prove decisive when they face Bahrain on Monday in a game which could see the Southeast Asians qualify for the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. With Group A leaders Jordan already assured of qualification thanks to the hosting duties they will perform at the continental gathering, second-placed Philippines approach their latest test knowing that a draw would be enough for them to qualify. Having seen her side notch up three successive in Tajikistan, Bautista believes the Maltidas’ current form should hold them in good stead. “We have the momentum. We have a positive attitude going into that game,” she said, adding that the Philippines would not underestimate the threat posed by their West Asian opponents. Meanwhile, Bahrain head coach Khaled Mohamed Harban is hoping that his charges can develop a more ruthless edge than they displayed in their previous outing against the United Arab Emirates, something they will have to do if they are to stand any chance of overhauling the Philippines. “It is a big match. The Philippines are a good team but we have a chance against them, although it will be tough. The girls needed to rest well after their three matches and we will go into Monday refreshed. We will have more to our game against the Philippines than in our previous matches.” Elsewhere, current Group leaders Jordan have no intention of relinquishing top spot, with coach Maher Abu Hantash set to use a tried and tested strategy against Tajikistan. “We will play to score and I will involve more players from the bench,” he explained. After one win and two defeats hosts Tajikistan find themselves unable to progress, but head coach Bobokalonov Sulaymon has urged his troops to up their game and play without fear against the impressive Jordanians. “We will play better,” he declared. “The most important thing is not to be afraid. We will play as we usually do.” The group’s other game on Monday pits rock bottom Iraq against the UAE who are in fifth spot - two sides who now have nothing but pride left to play for. Photo: Tajikistan Football Federation
Extra Time an Inquirer special report on football in the Philippines Written by: Sara Isabelle Pacia Illustration by: Maximillan Villanos and Mok Pusung April 9, 2016 Much like the sport itself, the state of football in the Philippines is oftentimes on the brink of a goal, only for the shot to miss and for the play to start all over again. The successful goals are really only few and far in between. Filipinos fondly remember how in 2010, the historic success of a then lagging national team pushed the sport to mainstream mania. But close to seven years later, football's growth remains but an unrealized potential, leading many a Filipino to ask: Why has football declined in the Philippines? The Beautiful Game, as football is fondly dubbed, is a little more difficult to love in a country used to the instant gratification from favorite pastime basketball and emerging fan favorite volleyball. Dan Palami, team manager of the Philippine Azkals, credits this underappreciation to the lack of education on and exposure of the sport to the uninitiated. "The excitement in football is not just in the goal scoring," Palami said. "Maybe you score, maybe you don't score, but people who are into football appreciate how a play is developed or how an offensive attack is developed." "Not too many people are aware of that yet," he added. What Filipinos are acutely aware of, instead, are the big personalities that comprised the 2010 Azkals-to the boon (and bane) of the sport's popularity in the country. The Younghusbands and Caligdong and more are household names, but ask any Filipino what else they know about football and the answer is most likely none. The Inquirer was the first to feature the Philippine Azkals on a national broadsheet after their historic 2-0 win against Vietnam on Dec. 6, 2010. "Where football is now, much of it is influenced by how the national team is going to perform in the next years," Palami said. It's not hard to understand why. The Azkals may have won their first qualifying match against Nepal for the 2019 Asian Cup, but the national team has arguably failed to ride the momentum gained in 2010. This lack of success has in turn led to a decline in mainstream interest. No two people understand this better than Phil and James Younghusband, considered the poster boys of Philippine football. The Filipino-British brothers have been playing for the national team for about a decade, and were part of the 2010 roster that won the Azkals their first claim to fame. Today, however, the most common question they're asked is, "When's the next game?" "For me and James personally, I think there's still the name recall, you know, when we still get recognized when we go out for being involved in football and being involved in the national team," said Phil Younghusband, to his brother's agreement. "We are recognized for what has transpired in the past couple of years, six or seven years, but definitely for Philippine football there has been a decline." It was but second nature for Filipinos to root for to the underdogs, to latch on to the story of a group of half-Filipino players who, while raised outside the Philippines, were full in their desire to bring home a win for their mothers' country. The boys would fail to win the Suzuki Cup in 2010, but Azkals mania followed the players through short sprints of success in 2011 and 2012. But soon, the original members retired and left. Talent began flowing in from abroad and some locally, and no longer were the Azkals considered underdogs. With no compelling narrative to root for, and no more groundbreaking wins under the team's belt, both the fans' fervor and the media exposure waned. The Azkals huddle before a 2011 game against Kuwait at the Rizal Football Stadium. Inquirer File Photo. "We had a lot of high expectations because we know where football can go in the Philippines," said Phil. "I think it wasn't sustained because maybe due to our lack of success since. I think there's many factors, I think maybe due to short-term decisions made rather than long-term after that success in 2010." What those decisions are, Phil declined to elaborate. Instead, he stressed what Palami had also emphasized: a need to make Filipinos love the sport beyond the Azkals. "Once we had the interest and the awareness of the national team and Philippine football, I think the step to sustaining that was getting people to love the sport, and I don't think we made Filipinos love the sport," he said. The story of Philippine football, therefore, cannot solely hinge on a love of the Azkals. To rely on their popularity alone would be, in the words of Palami, "disastrous." For the sport to move forward from its 15 minutes of fame, it has to step out of the shadow of the personalities that sparked interest in the first place. The current members of the Philippine Azkals practice at Rizal Stadium in Manila. Photo by Sherwin Vardeleon/Philippine Daily Inquirer. The future is with the children Chris Greatwich, a former Azkal, knows his claim to fame is the header that kickstarted the national team's historic run in the 2010 Suzuki Cup. But today, he'd rather be remembered for his other passion: coaching kids of all ages in football as director of Kaya FC Academy. "Essentially what we're trying to do is promote the sport to the kids and whether it's kids who are just looking to improve, kids who are looking to have fun and enjoy it, and kids who aspire to become a professional player or an Azkal themselves," he said. "It's important that we provide the platform for these kids to have fun and enjoy the sport and also to learn and develop, to achieve whatever they want to achieve." Kaya FC Academy has since trained over 1,000 kids as young as 2 years old since it first opened in 2010. Greatwich came on board in 2013. The academy also sponsors underprivileged children from a Gawad Kalinga community nearby, who without the support would not have an avenue to play football on a larger scale. And Kaya FC Academy is not alone. The Younghusbands, who play for Meralco Sparks FC outside of their stint with the national team, also have their own football academy active in the summer. Private companies have also sponsored their own camps and workshops, with some even sending children abroad to train with the European ligas. "I think that's a testament to post-2010, the people who have come over here and the work that they've done," said Greatwich. "They've really tried to develop grassroots football. And I definitely think the standards of football have definitely improved amongst the younger age groups." "Ultimately, you need to bring the game to the masses, and you have to go to the provinces and bring it to the rest of the country," he added. Once that happens, today's kids will experience what once seemed impossible for the sport: professional football as a viable career, just like in basketball and volleyball. "There are a lot more kids now who see that there is a viable pathway into professional football," said Greatwich. "They see that professional football is a viable career option for them and that's why a lot of these kids are more invested in trying to develop themselves as best as they can." "It's up to the young guys, the younger generation coming through to pick up the torch and run with it," he added. Expanding outside Metro Manila The pressure to promote football as a career on the grassroots level is even more palpable outside Metro Manila, where provinces like Cebu and Iloilo are known hotbeds of the sport. In Bacolod City, games at Panaad Stadium are attracting diehard and casual fans alike, all of whom see football as a passion and as entertainment. "We have a lot of grassroots players in the country. Every festival we have, there are always a lot of kids. So it's encouraging to see kids that are playing not only in Metro Manila but all over the country," said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano "Nonong" Araneta. In 2014, the PFF was recognized for its grassroots initiative at the Asian Football Confederation Annual Awards. Araneta, who has served as PFF president since 2010, said improving its grassroots programs remained the organization's main focus. "That's really the role of the PFF: to promote football, to develop football," he said. "I think we really have to develop from the grassroots and just graduate it to the youth, so that later on we have more players playing for the national team or the club teams." "While they don't have clubs or they're not professionals, it's the duty of the PFF to create the necessary tournaments for them, the training for them," he added. Among the tournaments organized by the PFF are the Regional Festival of Football and the PFA-Youth Championship. This year, Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation have provided more than quadrupled the PFF's current budget. Araneta said the money would be used to conduct more football festivals and tournaments in more provinces across the country in the coming years. And it's not just private entities involved in current grassroots programs. The Philippine Marine Corps, for instance, has a program called Football for Peace, where members of the military teach and play football with children who live in war-torn provinces. Among the private entities they have tapped was Loyola-Meralco FC, who played a UFL match against Green Archers United in Zamboanga City. The clubs' players also conducted workshops for about 200 kids. Belay Fernando, assistant general manager of Loyola-Meralco FC, said initiatives of the government and military to bring football to the kids "If you look at it from the grassroots, in the base of it, we're actually experiencing quite a boom from 2010," she said. "You can see so many academies sprouting and so many good players being grown locally." Fernando, herself a "Maldita" or a member of the national women's football team, cited the 2015 and 2016 silver medals garnered the national football team for girls under 14 years old. For that to be sustained, however, Fernando said the government must get more involved in promoting the sport, whether it involves building more fields or training physical education teachers how to teach football. "What's important more is getting the support of a local government unit (LGUs) that fully supports the program," she said. "Then you can really monitor it more and budget from the ground instead of placing people there or sending funds from the stores of PFF." "Slowly, the LGUs are getting on board and they're realizing that there is a future for our local talent in the sport," she added, citing Laguna province and San Carlos and Taguig cities for their interest in developing the sport in their area. A national league for future Azkals The PFF, while focused on the grassroots program, also has another immediate task that is crucial to the sports' future: setting up the nationwide Philippines Football League (PFL). The PFL, set to begin in April this year, is expected to replace the Manila-based United Football League as the top-tier tournament for clubs in the country. Existing clubs will call provinces across the country as home bases; for example, Ceres FC will now be Ceres-Negros FC and will be based in Bacolod City. Like how it is in other football-centric countries, members of the Azkals are also members of football clubs in the Philippines. The Younghusbands play for Meralco Sparks Taguig FC and Greatwich, for Kaya Makati FC. Players who will participate in the PFL are expected to play around 27 games for the tournament's first run. "As a sport, what PFF has done is to allow the different communities outside Metro Manila to actually participate in a national tournament so the community will know that there is actually football in their region," said Palami, who owns Global Cebu FC. "Before, it was just a 'Metro Manila affair' because the biggest tournament was being done here. Now that it's going to be done nationwide on a professional level, the sport will only become bigger and will have participation from communities outside Metro Manila," he said. "That's the only way to make it sustainable, if the games are broadcasting actively," he added. At present, the Azkals' tournaments and select UFL games are broadcast only on cable, which a lot of the population may have access to--but their games are often lost in the rich, varied sporting menu of cable TV. The PFF has begun broadcasting the Azkals' matches live on the Internet, but TV is admittedly still the way to go for maximum exposure. "Obviously you look at the way basketball's set up, there's a lot of interest there. It's shown on TV, it's competitive, it's thrilling to watch. And maybe that's what's needed for football, just that showcase as well," said James Younghusband, whose own interest in football stemmed from watching games in England. "When you watch it on TV, it inspires you to go out and do that. You wanna just try what you've seen on TV. In the future, if we have more football on TV, then it can get more kids on the streets playing," he added. Where do we go from here? Palami, the Younghusbands, Greatwich and Araneta; they and more are the current ambassadors of football, slowly laying down the groundwork for future generations. There are grassroots programs in place to provide a fresh pool for the lagging national team; there will be more leagues for professionals and the youth alike to practice, hone their skills to match up to rivals overseas. "For football to grow, you need all that working together," said Phil. "It is detrimental to just focus on one, if you're just relying on the success of one team to promote Philippine football. That's dangerous because if you don't get success, then the sport suffers." "Where we go from now, that's up to everyone involved in Philippine football to think about and try and grow step by step again," he added. Whether the hard work of everyone involved pays off, however, is yet to be seen. But much like the sport itself, perhaps the beauty of football's journey to success in the Philippines may be in setting the scene, positioning key players and waiting for the exact chance to strike the next goal. How long till the next goal? The next score can come as soon as 2019, should the Philippines qualify this year for the Asian Cup. Palami, however, has a more ambitious dream for football in the country. "In about five years time, we could actually be sending players out of the country and earn their keep," he said. Told that it was unheard of, Palami could only laugh. "Well, the Azkals were unheard of how many years ago. Who knows?" Who knows indeed. sports.inquirer.net/football-state-philippines
FT Philippines 1-1 Bahrain Philippines advances to the Asian Cup finals next year along with host Jordan from Grp A. More than a third of the usual Philppines roster was missing from this tournament this year due to academic, fitness(injury) and other reasons including their only professional player who plays in the Icelandic first division. They brought a squad made up almost entirely of college and high school students and still made it. Hopefully everyone will be available next year in the finals.
Dushanbe: Anicka Castañeda’s late equaliser helped the Philippines secure a 1-1 draw with Bahrain on Monday and secure their place at next year’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup. With table-topping Jordan assured of a spot at the continental gathering because of their hosting duties, the Southeast Asians struck at the death to ensure a top two finish in Group A and book a ticket to what will be their first Asian Cup. On a day when only a win was going to be enough for Bahrain to have a chance of qualifying for the finals, the West Asians began brightly at Dushanbe’s Republican Central Stadium, with Reem Alhashmi twice denied by Philippines goalkeeper Inna Palacio within the first 35 minutes. However, the Philippines, who had notched up three successive wins going into the fixture, were always in the game, and went close to breaking the deadlock through Alesa Nazarena Dolino’s effort from a corner and decent strikes from both Claire Lim and Eva Madarang ahead of the break. It was to be Bahrain though who took the lead on 56 minutes, Noora Sami Al Dossary firing home from within the penalty area to set up the potential for a major upset. Desperate to restore parity, the Philippines poured forward and their pressure eventually paid dividends eight minutes from time when Anicka Castañeda scored to help seal her nation’s richly deserved place at the 2018 finals. Philippines head coach Letecia Bautista: “It was a crazy match. It was like playing for the title. We wanted this more so we were able to bounce back and I am just thankful for the win. I am speechless. At half-time I said to my players that they needed to find some composure. Bahrain also really wanted the slot and we just had to remember how we played in the last three games.” Bahrain head coach Khaled Mohamed Harban: “We studied the Philippines team very carefully ahead of today’s match. We figured out their strengths and how to play against them. We tried our best.” www.the-afc.com/womens-asian-cup-2018/philippines-qualify-for-the-2018-afc-womens-asian-cup
correction on the afc article: It is Sara Castaneda who scored for the Philippines, not her sister Anicka.
Nice to be noticed by other feds(retweeted by PFF) FootballPakistan.com @footballpak 19h19 hours ago FootballPakistan.com Retweeted The-AFC.com The rise and rise of Philippines football continues for both men and women.
Phillippines reiterates opposition to ASL after launch of new pro league South-east Asia will welcome a new professional league later this month, with the Philippines Football League (PFL) poised for its official launch on April 21. With the eight-team PFL, which kicks off eight days later, taking the sport to football-mad regions in the Central Visayas and Southern Philippines, there is understandable excitement in the Philippines Football Federation (PFF). And their stance on the proposed Asean Super League (ASL) is clear: No, thank you. PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes told The New Paper yesterday: "We have been forthright in our stand, and we must be honest - we must focus, prioritise and give emphasis to our pro league. "We lack sufficient numbers of local players - clubs are fighting it out for them, and there have even been shouting matches (between the clubs) already. LIMITED RESOURCES "I believe people will understand. Our investors are limited, we have limited resources, but have high hopes for the league," added the lawyer, who asserts that the federation will not stand in the way of any organisation that wants to join the ASL. Apr 13, 2017 First conceived over a decade ago, the ASL project has gone through several setbacks, and it remains to be seen if it will get off the ground. Long periods of silence from its organisers have not helped to clear up the situation, although a 10-team league has been tentatively pencilled in for kick-off next year. In a nation crazy about basketball and boxing, support for football has been growing. The men's national team are now the top South-east Asian team in the Fifa rankings - they are in 127th place, two spots ahead of Thailand. Their clubs have also been turning in decent performances in second-tier regional tournament, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup. The Philippines' women's team recently qualified for the AFC Women's Asian Cup next year. Red Card Global, a sports marketing agency led by former Singapore international R Sasikumar, holds the exclusive commercial rights to the PFL. Said Sasi: "There is a 100 million population in a country that is showing growth in football, and this on a platform of 300,000 children playing at the grassroots level. "With the national teams doing well, it is really about creating a product that fans can enjoy. We don't have massive money like Major League Soccer did when it first started, but it is about putting money in the right places and growing the sport." BROADCAST DEAL A deal signed yesterday between the Philippine national broadcaster PTV and the PFL will see two "live" matches screened over the weekend, with delayed telecasts and a highlights show also thrown in. Said Gastanes, who hopes to attract more sponsors: "There is tremendous regionalistic rivalry in the Philippines, and this league will take football into the communities of those regions that are hotbeds of Philippine football. "We have plans to implement promotion and relegation after three years, and there has already been some interest from people who want to own franchises, but my only wish is that we get the full complement of sponsors by April 29." PFL TEAMS: Ceres Negros Davao Aguilas Global Cebu Ilocos United JPV Marikina Kaya FC-Makati Stallion Laguna Loyola Meralco Sparks. http://www.tnp.sg/sports/football/phillippines-reiterates-opposition-asl-after-launch-new-pro-league
Jesper Nyholm is still undecided: www.expressen.se/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/filippinernas-landslag-ute-efter-aiks-nyholm/ AIK Jesper Nyholm match winner against Elfsborg is hunted by the Philippines national team. League boss Thomas Dooley wants to join the player as soon as possible - but the midback has not yet decided how to do. "I'm flattered, but Rikard has told me to wait a bit," said the midfielder. On Monday, AIK's new acquisition Jesper Nyholm decided to match Elfsborg with a goal after 47 minutes. Mittbacken came to AIK as a forest player from Dalkurd in front of this season. He was hunted by Djurgården and IFK Göteborg, but after a personal meeting with Rikard Norling in front of Hammarby at Friends in August, he chose to sign for "Gnaget." The 23-year-old's mother is from the Philippines, meaning Nyholm has dual citizenship. This means that he can represent both Sweden and the Philippines national team. "They have called and written that I will make a passport" Philippine federation, former German player Thomas Dooley, including 106 matches for the Kaiserslautern, has been in contact with the defender. - The Philippines needs midway. They have some older people who are about to leave. Their federation has been on me for a while now. I told Rikard Norling and made a reasoning with him. "He has told me to wait a bit," says Nyholm. Is the Swedish national team you are aiming for? "Yes, that's all players do. Rikard said he thought I had great potential and therefore I should wait. I'm listening his advice now and then we'll see. "It's like flattering that the Philippians want me. How concrete is the Philippines? "They have called and wrote that I will make passports and they want to come with me now in June when there was any match. I will admit that I have no further track of their team but they meet Japan and some other good teams.
Ceres ran riot on hapless Hanoi, goes top of Group G By Kevin Estrada Ceres Negros overtook a listless, 10-man Hanoi side to the top of Group G, and they did it in a merciless fashion, beating the Vietnamese side to the pulp in their return fixture Wednesday night in Bacolod's Panaad. Knowing that a win in their final home match will keep their hopes of progression alive, the Busmen went straight at their top gear and put the visitors into an easy hit and run target, with their aggressive attacking put them to sleep with a 6-2 win and snagged the group lead on goal difference, tying their victims at 8 points. The Spanish strike partnership of Bienvenido Marañón (13' pen., 90') and Fernando Rodríguez (53', 69') produce four goals between then, with each bagging a brace for Risto Vidakovic's men with Kevin Ingreso (21') and Jason De Jong (87') chipped in a goal apiece in a total team effort. Hanoi had a rough night against a hostile 8,366-strong Panaad crowd, with Pham Thanh Luong's 25th minute free kick and Do Hung Dung's 86th minute penalty were quickly negated by their hotheadedness, as they end the match shorthanded as substitute Hoang Vu Samson saw red for his violent conduct, after headbutting Super Herrera and punching Kota Kawase in a commotion. The rout, along with Tampines Rover's 3-1 win away at FELDA United, puts the group in a wide open race heading into the final matchday two weeks from now. www.dugout.ph/2017/04/ceres-ran-riot-on-hapless-hanoi-goes-top-group.html Global Cebu inching closer to AFC Cup KO stage, sweeps Magwe on a second half fightback By Kevin Estrada Reigning Philippine champions Global Cebu have put one foot into the AFC Cup knockout stage after coming from a goal down to sweep Magwe in a hot Yangon afternoon today (early evening Manila time). After being behind against the run of play in the 38th minute thru Kyaw Naing Naing, the Queen City outfit went on a rampaging second half en route to retain their Group F leadership with a 4-2 win in their penultimate group stage tie, despite Johor Darul Ta'zim recording a comfortable 3-0 win away at already eliminated Boeung Ket Angkor later in the evening. Toshiaki Imai's men went on a twenty-minute scoring spree to complete the double on the Aung San Shield holders that inched them closer to the ASEAN semifinal round, with Trinidadian forward Daryl Roberts bagging a quickfire brace on both feet to put the game away for their fourth win. After Hikaru Minegishi equalized in the 71th minute, Roberts' left boot from a Minegishi feed shove them ahead in the 81st minute, then put the result beyond doubt just two minutes later with his right foot. Shu Sasaki then made it 4-1 Global a minute before full time before Nai Ling Tun pulled the consolation in the fourth added minute of full time. www.dugout.ph/2017/04/ceres-ran-riot-on-hapless-hanoi-goes-top-group.html
PFL Launches On 21 April 2017 The country’s first fully professional football league will be launched on Friday, April 21, 2017 at the Grand Ballroom in Shangri-La Fort at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. All eight clubs participating in the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League will be unveiled at the ceremony that starts at 6:30 p.m. The program will also be highlighted by the unveiling of the PFL logo as well as the announcement of sponsors of the league. The draw for the opening weekend fixtures will also be conducted during the program. Officials of the Philippine Football Federation, Singapore-based international marketing sports agency Red Card Global and Philippine football stakeholders are gracing the affair, marking another milestone for the sport in the country. pff.org.ph/2017/04/20/pfl-launches-21-april-2017/
It's official!!! The logo of Philippines Football League revealed. Philippines Football League opening weekend: May 6 4 pm Kaya Makati vs Ceres Negros (UMak Stadium, Makati) 7 pm Stallion Laguna vs Meralco Manila (Binan Football Stadium; Binan, Laguna) May 7 4 pm Ilocos United vs Davao Aguilas (Quirino Stadium; Bantay, Ilocos Sur) 7 pm JPV Marikina vs Global Cebu (Marikina Sports Complex, Marikina City)
The Ilocos United club was backed by Australian and English investors. It is nice to hear them saying that they plan to establish local academies throughout the province. Can top-flight PHL football thrive up north? Ilocos United FC is here to find out Published April 20, 2017 5:01pm By RYAN FENIX When Australian A-League side Perth Glory played a local United Football League-select squad last July in Manila, there were approximately 500 people in attendance at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. But when the same Perth side took on the Azkals way up north in Quirino Stadium in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, there were reportedly 7,000 people packing the stands and catching the football action. For Filipino-Australian tour promoter Jarred Kelly, the reception in Vigan was an unforgettable success story, and one that opened his eyes to the fact that football could indeed be brought successfully to the Ilocos region. So when the Philippine Football Federation invited interested parties to submit expressions of intent for football franchises for the first ever Philippine Football League, Kelly took on the challenge and jumped on the chance. Kelly, together with Sydney-based English businessman Tony Lazaro, submitted the requirements to the PFF, and Ilocos United Football Club was born. Together, they had a vision. “It was not just to build a team, but to take entertainment to the provinces,” Lazaro tells GMA News Online. “It was to develop a co-partnership with the Ilocos tourism process to develop tourism in the area through football and through awareness.” For them, the motivations to form a football club was appealing in many ways. “First and foremost, it’s a blank page. And the appealing thing was, there was no baggage,” Lazaro says. “Secondly, it’s the fact that I’ve been to Ilocos and the people and the province, they’re just simple and lovely human beings. “They work hard and want to raise a family and what we’re gonna try and do is to create some local heroes for them, so they can aspire. For 90 minutes on a weekend, they can go and watch their heroes play. And I believe Ilocos United create heroes for them.” Lazaro, who hails from Leeds in England, is himself a B licensed coach whose football playing career was cut short by an ACL injury. He now runs the Rising Stars Sports Management in Sydney, a sports travel management firm that specializes in looking after travel logistics of high performance athletes, which may serve his team in good stead with the long travel to and from Vigan. Former Perth Glory team manager and Malaysian side Kedah coach Ian Gillan has been tapped as head coach, and has been given three distinct directives by Lazaro. “We have to survive the league and survive it by finishing in the top half. Our aim is to be in the 3-4-5 position. I think that’s very doable,” says Lazaro. “(We hope) to develop the community relationship, so I want to have a coaching education program so by the end of this year, we would have established local academies throughout the province. “And lastly, we need to find a 16-year-old local boy, and see if we can get him in our team which shows our youth development.” For the last criteria at least, Gillan has delivered, with Ilocos United signing sixteen-year-old Filipino-American Nico Nazal. On trial with Global and Loyola before signing with Ilocos, the 6’1” Nazal plays in the midfield and is one of the 21 players that the team has signed so far. Former Loyola Sparks John Kanayama and Baba Sampana, former Ceres defender Val Kama and former Kaya midfielder Dominic del Rosario are among the notable names in their roster, as well as former Azkals U21 and Fil-Belgian Angelo Verheye Marasigan and veteran Anton del Rosario, who will come in as club captain. “We’ve looked to try and find a balanced squad with some experience, certainly with youth,” explains Lazaro. “We have no marquee players, we have no prima donnas, we have no superstars, we just have a bunch of players that have come together to form a very, very strong bond. For some teams who see new boys Ilocos United as an automatic victory, Lazaro has a word of warning. “The challenge of the other teams is not to beat us skillfully, the challenge for the other teams will be to break our spirit, and I think that that’s a big challenge.” Cost play a big part in running a club in the PFL, but Ilocos United sees beyond the current balance sheets. “There’s no money in running a football team. There’s only the ability to engage with the community, with businesses, and with commercial opportunities," says Lazro “Where we are quite successful is, we have very, very strong commercial opportunities and commercial alliances and that’s what’s helping. “The potential for football in this country is phenomenal. The commercialization of this sport will put the Philippines on the map.” —JST, GMA News - See more at: www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/football/607739/can-top-flight-phl-football-thrive-up-north-ilocos-united-fc-is-here-to-find-out/story#undefined.uxfs