Spain vs the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final

Badminton and Football or Soccer Enjoying New Found Popularity in the Philippines

For the past few years the not so popular sports in the Philippines is taking a shot in the arm as they are now being played in grassroots level all over the country. Badminton and Football now commands following and their popularity is growing gradually.

There are now a lot of badminton clubs as more and more tournaments are held. The game of badminton requires sheer dexterity, endurance, stamina and strategy. And unlike basketball one need not be tall, strong or hefty in order to play the game well. There are events played in the game like the men’s and women’s singles and doubles, and the mixed the doubles.

It is indeed fun to watch the badminton players do their wares as they showcase their nimbleness on the court.  Some players are good at baseline whilst others plays it serve and volley. The attacking plays of the players are also a fun to watch as they jump in thin air to wallop the shuttlecock with pinpoint accuracy foiling the defense of the opposing player.

You can also see them use the court well as the players will spread the shuttlecock waiting for the time to initiate attack, pounce on the uncovered area or take advantage of the enemy’s mistakes.

It is great to see how the sports is booming in the Philippines, since this sports is the gold mine in the Olympics and other international tournaments of its neighbors such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The game as I said earlier doesn’t favor the taller players like in basketball, volleyball, tennis and the like, the game just needs lots of guts, skills and agility to pull through.

Another sport that is commanding throngs of followers is the football or soccer which is the most famous sports in the world. The Philippines lags behind on this sport since it’s overshadowed by basketball, boxing and billiards.

But thanks to the exploits of Philippine national football team or the so-called Azkals the sport of football is now growing popular in the country. There are now numerous football clinics and summer football lessons taking place all over the country especially in the Metro Manila area.

The Filipinos already advanced in next year’s AFC Challenge Cup and will face Sri Lanka in the first round of 2014 Soccer World Cup in Brazil. The country will face Kuwait next if ever they will hurdle the Sri Lankans. The team is aiming to gate crashed into the third round of the tournament with a healthy lineup and more firepower provided by its players coming from various clubs overseas.

With the fruitful and  inspirational campaign of the Azkals including their entry into  the semifinal round of the Suzuki Cup last December in Vietnam, people are now aware of the sports and the excitement it can bring.

The football is a perfect for the Filipinos since the sports doesn’t require height and heft to succeed, since it requires skills, agility and speed as well just like badminton.

The Philippines Versus Sri Lanka in the First Round of World Cup Qualifier

The Philippines will be pitted against Sri Lanka in the first round of the qualifier for 2012 Soccer World Cup in Brazil.
The duel will be a home-and-away series which will start on June 28 in Sri Lanka. The second will be scheduled on June 28 in the Philippines. The winner which will sweep the matches will automatically if ever the two teams are even on win-draw-loss slate, the team with the higher points aggregate will advance.
The possible venue for the Philippine on the second game is the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Philippines is favored to win the series since it ranks higher than its opponent. In the latest rankings released by the FIFA the Philippines is ranked 151st which is 22 rungs higher than that of Sri Lanka.

Th team that will emerge victorious will next face Kuwait in the second draw which draw a bye in the first round.
Although in paper the Sri Lankans are at disadvantage, the Philippines cannot take it for granted since it beat Chinese-Taipei and Bangladesh few years ago and drew with former Challenge Cup winner Tajikistan.

Latest Game Result of the Philippines Versus Palestine in AFC Challenge Cup

(The update of the game between the Philippine Azkals versus the Palestine after fulltime)

(The update of the game between the Philippine Azkals versus the Palestine at halftime)

The Philippine Azkals found Palestine a tough team to crack as they are held to 0-all after halftime on their second game in the Group Stage of the AFC Challenge Cup.

Parading more reinforcement to make up for the loss of its main gunner, Phil Younghusband, the fast-rising Azkals is now leaning on tough defense to neutralize the cohesive plays of the Palestinian team. Azkal goalkeeper Neil Etheridge is so far doing a good job of foiling enemy attempts with worthy saves.

The Azkals are held to scoreless draw by host Myanmar and hopes to nail a win over the Palestine to bolster its bid in collaring one of the two berths to the elite eight at stake in the tournament.

Palestine is leading the group with full 3 points after winning against Bangladesh 2-0 on their first game. Myanmar and the Philippines are tied for second place with one point a piece, since a draw is worth a point.

The Palestinian national football team is one of the favorites in the tournament and the Philippines hopes to at least salvage a draw or perhaps score a win to enhance chances of qualifying in the next round.

Philippines Draws First Game Against Myanmar in Group Stage of AFC Challenge Cup

The Philippine Azkals squeezed out tough a draw against neighborhood rival Myanmar 1-1 at the start of the group stage of the AFC Challenge Cup in Yangon, Myanmar.

Both teams were both scoreless but James Younghusband scored a goal in the earlier minutes of the second half to take a 1-0. The Azkals could’ve wrapped up the game but the gritty Myanmarians scored a goal in the last minute of the game to tie the score at 1 point a piece.

The Philippines tries to grab one of the two slots at stake in the tournament by facing Palestine on March 23 and Bangladesh on March 25.

The Waka Waka Song by Shakira

Underdevelopment, famine, drought and starvation continue to haunts the African continent. While insurgencies, wars and the dreaded disease which is the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome continues wreaks havoc on several countries in Africa. Moreover, the shackles of underdevelopment is prevalent in many parts of the continent and adding salt to the injury are the high unemployment and inflation rate. It seems that there is no end to the woes of the African nations.

Although blistering hot and some of its land dry and barren, the continent is endowed with the nature’s wonders and bounty. Africa is home to the magnificent animals such as lions, cheetahs, alligators, crocodiles, impalas, wildebeests, hippopotamuses, rhinos, elephants, giraffes and the list goes on, which makes animal safari a tour like no other. The continent is also gifted with awesome and beguiling tourist spots in the world. It is also blessed with mineral deposits and precious metals and gems. The continent is also proud of the various cultures of its people which are distinct in the planet and they are truly fascinating. The ethnic songs of the people are music to the ears as it reverberates to the veins of people who could hear them. Their active and jovial dances are also fun to watch and the costumes these wonderful Africans dons are not only unique but also creative, resourceful and colorful. Millions of people who watched the Lion King might also be familiar with the song “Hakuna Matata”.

The continent finally gets the attention and break it deserves, as South Africa took center stage by virtue of hosting the quadrennial event which is also the most prestigious and much-anticipated event, the 2011 Soccer World Cup. The edition of the Cup here was so historic and memorable, since the tournament produced mixed results. The Cup was spoiled by giant-sized upsets as many top contenders were waylaid and fell ambush to teams that are ranked below them. High profile teams that are also previous Cup winners such as Italy, Argentina, Brazil, France, and Uruguay were eliminated by their upset-wielding opponents.

The Spanish national football finally end the jinx as they finally barged into the winners column of the Cup by fashioning out a convincing win over the Netherlands, a team that is also seeking its first ever title in the tournament. The Spanish team was led by strikers David Villa and Carles Puyol, mid-fielders Xavi, and Andres Iniesta and goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

The enormous drama, passion and excitement generated by the 2010 World Cup in South Africa were recalled by the song Waka Waka. Rendered by Shakira , the song brings to life the heroics of the football players on the field and the great passion and compassion of the football fans and pundits.

The song also puts the African continent in the spotlight as it features the culture and language of the people here. So lively and full of energy the song is truly a masterpiece since it relives the glory of football that took place in South Africa and at the same time can easily make everyone dance and be upbeat.

An African singer also done a part on the song and she did a great part, since she has a powerful and beautiful voice. The song will come down as one of the best inspirational songs (though dished out in a very lively manner and directly related to sports) just like the We Are World which was led by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Here is the lyrics of the song Waka waka which also served as the official song anthem of the 2010 World Cup from directlyrics.com

You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle

You’re on the frontline
Everyone’s watching
You know it’s serious
We’re getting closer
This isnt over

The pressure is on
You feel it
But you’ve got it all
Believe it

When you fall get up
Oh oh…
And if you fall get up
Oh oh…

Tsamina mina
Zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa

Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa

Listen to your god

This is our motto
Your time to shine
Dont wait in line
Y vamos por Todo

People are raising
Their Expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations

Today’s your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it

If you get down
Get up Oh oh…
When you get down
Get up eh eh…

Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa

Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa

Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

And if you feel like you want to see the music on video larger than life feel free to hit the image below:

With a whopping 300 million views in YouTube this video is a monster.

Barca’s Vaunted La Masia

The Barcelona team Barca is indeed one of the teams to contend with in the Spanish National League, thanks to its world renowned style in producing topnotch football players. The Barca team is a product of the unique training program which is also dubbed as the La Masia. It already produced great players in Lionel Messi, Xavi Fernandez and Sergio Busquets. Messi was chosen as the World Player of the Year in 2009, electrified 80,000 fans and watched by millions of viewers in the YouTube whilst lifting the Barca team to a nail-biting win over the gritty Getafe side.

The La Masia products have been taught the art of football since their tender age. You could see the hopeful trainees honing and polishing their skills in the Camp Nou Stadium. Messi and other  prominent football players can be seen here playing with the trainees sparingly. Although the chance of nailing a spot on the Barca team is slim since there are a lot of aspirants, being part of the program is considered a great honor already. And if ever an aspirant made the grade and be part of the team windfall of privileges will be imminent.

La Masia’s legacy of producing high-caliber football players should be emulated by other countries worldwide to produce world class players, forge a stronger national team and be able to qualify to the World Cup.

The Road for Glory of the Philippine National Football Team – the Azkals

The Philippines many moons ago ranked as high 26th in the world and even a powerhouse in the Asian continent, but since the immense fascination of its people to basketball and even boxing is so strong, the sports slowly became unpopular and the Filipinos eventually became the perennial whipping boys in the Asian continent particularly in South East Asian region.

But this sad scenario is about to change since the Philippine Football team which is also known as the Azkals thanks to the reinforcements it got from players playing in various countries is now slowly turning into a fierce and mighty team.

In the qualifying round of the 8th Suzuki Cup in Laos, (a tournament that pits the five lowest ranked countries in South East Asia) the vaunted Philippine Azkals finally displayed the vast improvement they have had achieved after years of hard work. The Philippine team beat Brunei 2-0, Timor Leste 5-0, and Cambodia 1-0 and was held to a 2-all draw against Laos to qualify into the main draw of the Suzuki Cup in Vietnam unbeaten with an impressive 3 wins and one draw.

The core of the team includes fierce strikers Phil Younghusband (from United Kingdom, now unattached and once suited up for Chelsea) and Ian Araneta (Philippine Air Force), Goal Keeper Neil Etheridge (Fulham, Scotland), Defenders Rob Gier (Ascot United, Scotland), Ray Jonnson (Grindavik, Iceland), Alexander Borromeo (Team Captain, Kaya) and Midfielders Jason de Jong (Veendam, the Netherlands), Mark Ferrer (Philippine Air Force), Emelio Caligdong (Philippine Air Force), Chieffy Caligdong, James, Younghusband (United Kingdom unattached)and Chris Greatwitch (Morris Country Colonials, the United States), which forms the nucleus of the team. The team’s coach is Briton Simon McMenemy.

In the Suzuki Cup (which is held every two years) in Vietnam, the Philippines showed class especially in the closing minutes of the game. In a game where they are expected to be blown away from one of the favorites in the tournament which is the Singapore, The gritty Filipinos showed tremendous defense and vicious counter attacks. The Filipinos fought the Singaporeans toe and nail as they escaped with a 1-all draw, which will matter as a win for the team longing for attention and redemption.

The Filipinos are not yet done with their upset conscious ways. In a game against one of the best teams in Asia which is the defending champion Vietnam, the Filipinos displayed one of their best fighting form just as yet. The Filipino booters essayed a masterful 2-0 conquest of the favored Vietnamese side. The Vietnamese controlled the majority of the ball possessions but unluckily cannot convert any goal against the tough defense of the Filipinos and its goalie Etheridge. This breakthrough victory by the Filipinos is one of the greatest upset posted by the country after so many years.

The win propelled the Filipinos of earning a berth in the semifinal of the Cup by just scoring at least a draw against cellar dweller but dangerous Myanmar. And when the draw matters most, the Filipinos did not disappoint, sure enough, the Filipinos once again scored a draw to formalize their entry into the semis. The Filipinos battled the emphatic Myanmar squad to a scoreless draw, to clinch the second spot in Group B with five points, joining their prey Vietnam which has 6 points in the next round of the competition.

The entry of the Philippine team in the semifinal round is their first ever and cause tremendous elation and awareness back home. The monumental feat of the Filipinos in the tournament was even voted as one of the best soccer story in the year 2010 by Sports illustrated overshadowing the great news provided by higher ranked countries that participated in the recent World Cup which was held in South Africa and other high profile ball clubs from the four face of the planet. But the Filipinos’ luck runs short on their semifinal duel with another crack team, that is, the Indonesia. The Filipino soccer players were beaten twice with an identical 0-1 verdict, and kissed their title aspirations goodbye. The Filipinos missed the chance to host one of the games, in the home and away series, no thanks to some problems back home, which could have made some impact in favor of the resilient and persevering Filipino footballers.

Overall the Philippines is already overachieving. Prior to the tournament, they are not even tipped to qualify in the semifinals or perform well against their opponents. The Filipinos also won a sportsmanship award, dubbed as “Fair Play” award in the tournament, a testament that the team thrives on crisp and clean games. The team’s ranking also soar to 150th, which is their highest in years. Whipping boys no more, the Filipinos showed too much intensity on each game they played. Although still in the developmental stage, the team displayed vast improvements. Their raw plays will be more formidable in the coming days with solid trainings and if the team will put things together in good stead, the Filipinos will be dangerous a team to deal with.

Riding to the crest of their remarkable performance in Suzuki Cup, the Philippine team is expected to showcase their fierce fighting form in the coming days as they finally shed off their mundane ways.

The Azkals will be busy with their schedule next year. The team will host a game versus Mongolia on February 9, 2011 in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup qualifiers in Panaad Stadium in Bacolod and a good performance here will help them earn a crack at one of the best teams in Asia.
By mid-next year the Filipinos will be participating in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and will wind up their campaign on foreign soil in the South East Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia in December, 2011.
The Azkals will also be competing in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers that begin by mid-next year and the year-ending Southeast Asian Games that will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The groupings for the World Cup qualifiers have yet to be determined by FIFA.

Finally the most popular game in the world is slowly making its dent on the Philippine soil, a country who loves basketball and boxing so much. The Philippines will finally experience the electrifying feel and enormous joy, that can be whipped out by football or soccer.

Suggested Readings:

The Impressive Philippine Azkals

Philippine Azkals Images or Pictures

The Sights, Sounds and Highlights of the 2010 Soccer FIFA World Cup

The March for Glory of Spain Team in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup

Spain vs the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final

The 2010 Soccer World Cup :: Group of Death :: Teams and Young Players to Watch

Funny and Hilarious Football or Soccer Images

Asian Teams in the World Cup

The Impressive Philippine Azkals

(News Update and Result Philippines Versus Mongolia, March 15, 2011)

Philippine Azkals lost to Mongolia 1-2 But Still Advances in the Next Round

The Philippines battling extreme weather and chilly wind at -20 degrees Celsius Centigrade lost to Mongolia 1-2 on their second home-and-away game in Ulan Bator in the AFC Champions Cup but still wins the tie via 3-2 aggregate.

But the winning effort of the Mongolians is not enough to help them push through the second round since they lost a 0-2 decision last month and must at least win by a margin of 3 goals.

The Philippines thus  earned a spot in the  Group Stage of the AFC Champions Cup against host and fellow South East Asian rival Myanmar, Palestine and Bangladesh in the

Phil Younghusband scored the first goal of the match but failed to finish the game after suffering a hamstring injury. Mongolia gave the Filipinos as they scored the last two goals of the game to win 2-1 at the end. But the gallant effort of the Mongolians was in a naught since they are trailing the Filipinos 2-3 on points aggregate.

(News Updates: Philippine Azkals Beat Mongolia Lead Home and Away Series)

The Philippine footballers which carries the moniker Azkals made big news in the country as they gate crashed through the semifinal round of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup by beating host and defending champion Vietnam and scored two draws against Myanmar and Singapore.

The entry of the Philippine soccer team to the semis was even voted as one of the finest in football worldwide this year by the Sports Illustrated as it was stalled as 10th nosing out other major football news. Although the Philippine team yielded to Indonesia last December no thanks to troubles back home. The Philippine team didn’t play one of the games on its home turf which could have brought wonders to the team. The Indonesians dash the Philippine campaign in the tournament by winning twice by an identical 1-0 score.

The perennial whipping boys in the continent and in the South East Asian region, the Azkals provided a Cinderella finish, by holding both Singapore and Myanmar to draws before hacking out a shocking 2-0 triumph over Vietnam over a stunned crowd. The win by the Philippines was monumental since in can be likened to Brunei winning over the Philippine team in men’s basketball.

The Philippine footballers which is consists of several Filipino-Foreigners wielded the axe on their Vietnamese counterpart with a fluid and cohesive counter attacks and tough defensive stratagem. The Philippine finished with five points in Group B just one point behind their victim Vietnam which wound up their campaign with 6 points. Both Vietnam and the Philippines advances into the semifinal round. The tournament awards three points for a win, 1 point for a draw and nil for a loss.

Both Vietnam and Philippines secured semifinal berth and they are pitted against Malaysia and Indonesia respectively.

Now hope is high for the team that is thirsty for attention and accolades as they set their sights in several tournaments in the year 2011, including the South East Asian Games

Suggested Readings:

The Latest Heartthrobs in Philippine Sports – Phil and James Younghusband

The Road For Glory of the Philippine National Football Team – The Azkals

Philippine Azkals Images or Pictures

The Sights, Sounds and Highlights of the 2010 Soccer FIFA World Cup

The March for Glory of Spain Team in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup

Spain vs the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final

The 2010 Soccer World Cup :: Group of Death :: Teams and Young Players to Watch

Funny and Hilarious Football or Soccer Images

Asian Teams in the World Cup

The Sights, Sounds and Highlights of the 2010 Soccer FIFA World Cup

Spain Wins World Cup

The Spanish Team was triumphant in edging out the Netherlands in a thrilling 1-0 victory behind a goal by an unlikely hero Carles Puyol. The Spain team thus barged into the championship winners of the World Cup such as Brazil, Italy, Germany, France, Argentina, Uruguay, and England.
The team relied on the solid game of David Villa and Xavi and the goalkeeping prowess of Isker Casillas in the early stages of the tournament.

Here are the highlights of the 2010 Soccer World Cup
The 2010 edition of the Soccer World Cup saw a lot of resounding upsets and departure of some of the favored teams throughout the tournament. France, Italy and Serbia were booted out as early as the qualifying stages. Portugal and England were eliminated in the second round by Spain and Germany. Argentina and top-seeded Brazil fell ambush to the Netherlands and Germany. Alas, in the semifinals, previous winners of the World Cup were formally wiped out as Uruguay bowed to giant killer the Netherlands and Spain wielding the upset axe against Germany.

The Seer from Oberhausen, which is actually an octopus named Paul, and hmmm not a human so as to speak gained global prominence by predicting accurately the winner between Germany and Spain in the semifinals. The poor octopus was the center of ire of the exasperated and angered German soccer fans and aficionados. The Germans wanted the sea creature be placed in a tank that contains sharks rofl. The octopus went on to predict the wins of Germany on its battle for third against the 1930 and 1950 champions Uruguay and the title conquest of Spain in the World Cup over shocked the Netherlands. The octopus thus raised its success rate to 12 correct predictions against one foiled prediction.

Photo from telegraph.co.uk

The vuvuzuela the horns used in the World Cup by the fans and pundits was a resounding success and millions worth of revenues will inevitably fickle in to the vuvuzuela inventor and maker who happens to be the 55 year old Freddie Maake.

Suggested Readings:

Philippine Azkals Images or Pictures

The Impressive Philippine Azkals

Meet the Equally Tough Philippine Azkals

The Road For Glory of the Philippine National Football Team – The Azkals

The March for Glory of Spain Team in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup

Spain vs the Netherlands in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final

The 2010 Soccer World Cup :: Group of Death :: Teams and Young Players to Watch