Philippine Azkals lost to Beckham and the LA Galaxy

The country’s much revered team, that is, the Philippine Azkals just met David Beckham and his very popular LA Galaxy team last December 3, 2011 in a friendly football match that attracted throngs of fans and aficionados in the country.

The effervescent Beckham, who once became the pillar of strength of the British National Football Team and one of the most popular and most highly-paid athletes in Europe is bringing his wares and fearsome skills to the country.  Showcased his finesse and vast creativity in passing as he quarterbacked the Galaxy to a smashing 6-1 victory over the host team.

The two teams faced in a historic match at Rizal Memorial football stadium. The game is the second in a three-leg Asia Pacific tour for Beckham and the Galaxy. The Galaxy team is still basking in victory after capturing the 2011 Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup.

Earlier the Galaxy escaped with a 1-0 win over resilient national team of Indonesia. Irish football stalwart Robbie Keane scored a goal in the 14^th minute of the match.

Beckham said, “It’s hard to be diplomatic sometimes but definitely want to win the game…” and he added, “we want to win, no matter where we are.”

The Azkals will be parading a team minus its captain Aly Borromeo (nursing a knee injury) the same lineup that competed in the semis of 2010 ASEAN Suzuki Cup.

Azkals coach Michael Weiss and his team will surely have their hands full over their opponents but is confident that they will give the visiting a competitive game.

Phil Younghusband, Azkals ace striker quoted, “We’re more than excited than pressured. It’s important  that we just enjoy the game.

Though the Philippines lost the match the country still benefited from it since it just promoted the game in a grand fashion. Expect more Filipino kids to emulate the world class players of the Galaxy.

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.

Philippines Win Over Bangladesh 3-0 Enters the Final Round of AFC Challenge Cup

(Update of the Game Result Between the Philippine Azkals and the Bangladeshi Bengals)
Philippines win over Bangladesh 3-0

Its final the Philippines is marching into the elite eight of the AFC Challenge Cup as the Philippine Azkals comes up with a stellar performance. The Philippines Azkals thanks to the new reinforcement in Fil-Spanish Anghel Guirido and local stalwart Ian Araneta, finally showed classy football act as they drubbed the Bengals in a lopsided 3-0 fashion. Guirido scored two goals in the second half while his teammate Araneta scored a goal in the first half.

James Younghusband played superbly as he made great passes from the midfield even as the Philippine defenders did their as they made a decent job of shellacking the enemy’s offense.

The Palestine wins it game against host Myanmar to raised its total points output to 7 points to top the group. Philippines checked in second with 5 points, the Bangladesh is at third with 3 points and Myanmar bring up the rear with just one point to show.

Maldives, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and India also advances into the next round together with the Philippines and Palestine after qualifying from their group.

(The Philippines is leading at half time 1-0)

Needing no less than a win to advance into the next round of the AFC Challenge Cup the Philippine Azkals have a gargantuan task of upending equally surprising Bangladesh which wielded the upset axe against host Myanmar.

The Philippines lived up to the challenge as it takes a 1-o lead after halftime against the gritty Bangladeshi side. Striker Ian Araneta filling the shoes left by the Philippine’s top gunner Phil Younghusband scored a sizzling free kick on the first half to help the Philippines seize the early lead.

The Philippines which is running third with two points on the two draws scored against both Palestine and Myanmar is hard-pressed to win its third game to snatch one of the two berths at stake into the next round. Palestine has four points to pace the group. Bangladesh has three points, the Philippines 2 points and Myanmar with only a point to show.
The tournament calls for 3 points for every won match, one point for a draw and nil for a loss.

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 Playing Minus Phil Younghusband in the Group Stage of the Asian Challenge Cup

The Philippine Azkals overcame the gritty challenge mounted by the tough Mongolian side in Ulan Bator escaping with a 3-2 aggregate in two games to enter the group stage of the Asian Challenge Cup. The Azkals is bunched with Palestine, Bangladesh and host Myanmar and hopes to snare the one of the two berths at stake here to advance into the next round of the Cup.

But that task seems daunting since its top scorer is hampered by an injury. Phil Younghusband is nursing a pulled a hamstring he suffered in the second game of their tie with the Mongolians. Younghusband will be out for at least two weeks and he is expected not to suit up for the country in the Myanmar joust. Younghusband scored the lone goal for the country in just four minutes against the Mongolians and his 14^th overall goal in the international competition.

Cushioning the temporary loss of Younghusband on the team is the return of its top goal keeper Neil Etheridge on the team. The team is also expected to parade Fil-foreigners on its lineup.

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.

Football Phenom Ronaldo Retiring

A vital cog in the Brazilian national football team, Ronaldo finally decides to hang is football uniforms and shoes for good. The 34-year old Ronaldo who was named as the world player of the year three times has a contract with the Corinthians until the end of 2011 but announced early retirement as his team was bundled out early of the Libertadores Cup. Ronaldo added that his injury were one of the reasons why he is calling it quits.

Ronaldo’s career as a football player is indeed noteworthy and astonishing. He collected more than 400 goals and fifteen (15) of which at World Cups. He was benched in the 1994 World Cup, but became Brazil’s top scorer when they copped their fifth World Cup title in 2002.

Ronaldo played then for Brazil’s Cruzeiro and PSV Eindhoven when he was just 18 years old. He also suited up for both of Milan’s clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid. His exploits in the football field helped Corinthian’s bag the Copa Brasil and Paulista (Sao Paulo) state championship in 2009.

The early exit of Corinthians upsets the fans and fuels rages and injuries made the once formidable Brazilian football ace to retire.

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