Support the Azkals!

At around this time of the year in 2010, we caught glimpses of the Azkals playing in the AFF Suzuki Cup that was held in Vietnam. Not much was expected from them, or so we all thought. It was going to be the usual routine of the Philippines falling to the powerful teams of Southeast Asia. After all, they had to go through a qualifier to make it to the regular group stage and we have always been known as a nobody in football in the region. And in that qualifying round, we were the second, not the top ranked qualifier.

But it happened. First, we came from behind to tie Singapore, 1-1, thanks to a goal in injury time by Chris Greatwich. The impact of that goal was so huge that the momentum, confidence and drive carried over to the next game where the Azkals upset Vietnam, 2-0, in that now infamous game where the Vietnam coach refused to shake the hand of his counterpart. And so after settling for a scoreless draw with Myanmar, the Azkals qualified for the semifinals for the first time in Pinoy football history. Vietnam had topped the group while the Azkals were second, a notch above perennial favourite Singapore. We had never done this in the past and weren’t even prepared to host a game of the semifinals simply because we weren’t expected to make it that far. We also didn’t have a stadium that was fit to host an international match. The irony of it all is that we had to play our “home” game in the semi-finals on enemy territory. We did lose to Indonesia in the semifinals of that tournament, but this was the only loss that actually felt like a huge win. This sparked the rise of the Azkals who we know today. Their stock, popularity and program had reached out of the chart figures, and were finally headed somewhere. At the AFF Suzuki Cup of 2012, the Azkals qualified for the semifinals again, finishing behind Thailand in group play. We defeated Vietnam for a second straight AFF Suzuki Cup, and the Vietnamese were ousted after the group stage. And while we finally played a semis game at home, we bowed to Singapore, 0-1, in the two-game series. The Azkals program continued to rise as it also managed to fair well in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup and their FIFA ranking reached record levels.

And so today, we find ourselves again in the semifinals of the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup after an impressive performance in group play. The venue? Our favorite: Vietnam (again). We won over Laos, 4-1, then trounced Indonesia, 4-0. The only bad news of this trip to Vietnam was our loss to the host, 1-3, in the last game of group play. This drops us to second in Group A and a date with Group B topnotcher Thailand in the semifinals. We do have to mention that Group B is like a group of death with defending champion Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia fighting it out for two semifinals slots. Thailand (6 points) and Singapore (3 points) have the inner track as they played their final group stage games last night. Singapore needed only a draw in their game against Malaysia, while Malaysia is in a must-win situation.

The 4-1 and 4-0 wins of the Azkals are just as unexpected as the loss to Vietnam. After a great start, the Azkals were brought back to earth by a team it had beaten twice in the past. The Azkals were playing well in their first two games, but it looks like the loss has also brought out a cause for concern as we enter the playoffs against a very tough Thailand side. We have to remember that all these impressive games and those eight goals must be thrown out the window when we go into the two-game home-and-away semifinals. The Azkals play Group B’s top seed in the Philippines on December 6 with the brand new Philippine Sports Arena in Bulacan being mentioned as a possible venue. The Rizal Memorial Stadium may also be tapped for the game.

This is a perfect time to call for more support for the Azkals as they target to win it all and not just settle for three straight exits from the semifinals. The team has a legitimate shot at the AFF Suzuki Cup and should be supported by the entire country. We should carry over the euphoria from Manny Pacquiao’s win over Chris Algieri and the record breaking performance of Donnie Nietes and pass this to the Azkals. This early, I’m sure ABS-CBN, which earns the broadcast rights for the AFF Suzuki Cup, is already cooking up a communication campaign for the upcoming semifinals and finals. Yes, I dare say that we will make it to the finals. Much has been said about Dooley’s management style, the “resigning” of Stephen Shrock and the absence of Neil Etheridge and Roland Muller. But we move on, thank them for their service, and cheer on the current team. Phil Younghusband and Patrick Reichelt have been at the forefront of the scoring. But they’re also scoring due to the tremendous improvement of the midfield play of Jerry Lucena and Manny Ott, and the exciting play of left wing Misagh Bahadoran and right wing Marin Steuble. The defense has also been solid with 19-year old Amani Aguinaldo playing with a gung ho spirit along with the consistent play of Daisuke Sato, Juani Guirado (who’s injured), and Simone Rota. Patrick Deyto has made people say we don’t need Etheridge or Muller. Rob Gier may be Dooley’s choice to replace Guirado. Reichelt also hurt himself but could be available for the semifinals. Moreover, the bench is raring to go with guys like Mark Hartmann, James Younghusband and Paul Mulders.

This is it guys. The Azkals need you more than ever. Let all Pinoy sports fans unite and support the Azkals on this history-seeking drive to win the AFF Suzuki Cup. Let’s pack the semifinals match, yell our lungs out, let our voices be heard even at their “away” game and welcome them back with even louder support at the finals.

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Time-out: “Jesus, the Light Who Leads The Way” is this year’s theme for the Christmas Fair of SHS-Ateneo de Cebu today. Go out, have fun, and raise funds for the lesser privileged. Every peso you spend will go a long way this Christmas.