JAKARTA – He carries the full weight of the team on his broad shoulders, his huge 6-foot-3 frame.
No wonder Neil Etheridge, on the morning after Thursday’s bitter loss to Indonesia in the AFF Suzuki Cup, was still trying to shake it off.
“It cost us a goal and I’m still upset,” said the 20-year-old goalie, a third-choice goalie at Fulham, and here just to help keep Philippine football kicking.
In the 34th minute of the match, Etheridge came off the line to meet a header by Indonesian striker Cristian Gonzales. But he failed and the ball went it.
It was all the Indonesians need to win the match, the first of two in their semis matchup, and moved them closer to the finals of the tournament.
Etheridge has taken the responsibility for the loss, but said he’d come out stronger for the next game.
“For a goalkeeper, that’s the position I keep. If I make a mistake it usually would cost the team a goal. It’s a big responsibility being a goalkeeper. I feel upset I let the team down, more than to myself,” he said.
Etheridge, who makes girls swoon on and off the field, makes millions, even more than the highest-paid PBA player, but comes here for free, almost for free.
But he has no complaints. He said all he wants is for the Philippines to make it to the finals of the Suzuki Cup.
“Hands up it’s my mistake and I’m looking forward to Sunday,” he said.
If not for that one moment of lapse, things could have gone either way. Or at least, the match could have ended in a draw.
“I think it was a very evenly matched game, and a draw would have been a better result, probably a nil-nil or even one-one. Phil (Younghusband) had a previous shot saved by the goalkeeper,” said Etheridge.
But there’s no reason to apologize, he insisted.
“I’m going to stand strong. I think that if I apologized it would mean I’ve lost the battle already. We have another game on Sunday to correct it,” said Etheridge, whose mother is from Tarlac.
“It’s the first time I’ve made a mistake that has caused us a goal. And it was such a big game unfortunately that’s football. Unfortunately it was such a big game for the Philippines,” he added.
“We need to come out and win the next one. We need to get to the finals.”
He’s got no doubt about it.