Young guns, national pressure: The boys are back in town

MANILA, Philippines - Every four years, the rest of the sion sets. The phenomenon makes for an arresting image, no doubt, but the atmosphere is what makes the matches worth watching. Frankly, it’s also something in which the Philippines had been remiss — until Azkals fever broke out just recently and turned millions into fans. Silencing the critics must not have been easy — especially when the idea of whether the country even had a national football squad (yes, we did have a team before this year) could exist as a question.

The reason was pretty simple, really: the Philippines has never qualified for the World Cup, and has never quite come this close to securing a competing spot. Support has been undeniably lackluster in the past, but the cliché is dead on target this time around: when it rains, it pours. With the million-fan-strong support system, however, comes a decreed responsibility to perform well, and more importantly, to deliver a win, because otherwise, disappointment will be palpable.

Just as all the current football greats are known to use adversity as a tool to play harder in the face of tough competition, the Azkals will have to thrive under the enormous expectation and sudden spotlight thrust upon them.

We lined up two of the most familiar faces in the football scene as well as two of the newest kids on the Azkals’ block as they gear up for perhaps the biggest football game to be played in the country in recent years — the World Cup Qualifiers match between the Philippines and Sri Lanka — to share their experience and thoughts with Young STAR.

James Younghusband, 25

•When we were younger growing up in a place called Kingstown, we were part of a local football club that held tournaments every Sunday where for example you’re playing for a team called Manchester United and you wear a red jersey, and you’re really excited because you think you’re playing for Manchester United.

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•If kids can get a good education from football scholarships, then that takes them out of the streets. We want kids to have a future in the sport — to do what they love, earn good decent money, and have a nice family. You have problems at home, you play football, and you’ll kind of just forget about them.

•Other kids, their parents wouldn’t turn up. Our dad would, even for school games. He’d commute all the way from work to London, which is like an hour and a half’s worth of journey, just to watch us play, and then go back to work. If we traveled in Europe, playing games in Belgium, France, he would come.

•I’ve dreamt of just playing in front of 30, 000 people and playing football here. I really don’t care about being the star player. We get people come up to us and say, “You’re such an inspiration,” and it feels good to hear that.

•When we were little our dad set up a football goal in our garden and every time we’d hit the target he’d give us a bit of money. That showed us that there are rewards for doing something well enough. Work hard, and you’ll get rewarded.

•I had 16 kids I was coaching at one point, which was okay. And then I told them to get a quick drink, and they came back and they turned into 35! I was planning to have a nice game of football, and I couldn’t do that with 35 kids to one coach. I was very concerned that they would lose interest in the sport after that.

•Phil is the best younger brother in the world.

Phil Younghusband, 24

•We’re trying not to get ahead of ourselves but we’re pretty confident of our ability to work hard.

•Our mum, she hates driving. But she drove in another country for our games. When we’re off the pitch our family makes sure we eat well and that we’re taken good care of, and that’s important for when you do play, that you’re comfortable. When we go out to play, we think about that.

• Football in the Philippines is considered an elite sport — it’s played where people can afford to pay. Around the world, it’s the complete opposite — you go to Brazil, or Argentina, to Europe, it’s played in the streets. It’s the sport for the masses.

•How are we ever going to be successful if only the players who are available are those who can afford it? We’ll never reach our full potential if that’s the case.

• Playing’s all about self-expression. You make decisions depending on how the game’s situation arises. You haven’t got a coach saying “You pass to him and you pass to him” — if I can pass then I will but if I can’t then I’ll do something else, and it’s up to the players. That’s the great thing about football: you’re constantly making choices.

• We were in Wales and had a pack of potato chips and they were all moldy, and ever since then James won’t even touch the package. That’s why I always threaten him, like, “Do that, and I’ll put potato chips in your room.” When we were younger though we were more physical, I’d get a tennis racket and start hitting him.

•My brother James is a real kuya.

‘There’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders, because I never tried out for the national football team.’ — Misagh Bahadoran

Misagh Bahadoran, 24

•I really enjoyed my experience coaching at Azkals-Global Football Academy because I saw all these kids who were willing to learn how to play — some were even younger than five years old. I liked the passion I saw in the kids.

•There’s a lot of pressure on my shoulders, because I never tried out for the national football team. The way I played in futsal is very different from football. It was so difficult for me at first to try and catch up with the other players, in terms of fitness, and I was also finishing up my college degree at the time.

•I like football because of the way people fight to score. You score one goal and everyone will be happy, because competition is tough.

•Even when I’m tired I know that I still have to finish the game. I don’t like to lose so I give my hundred percent on the field — losing is not good for any athlete. When you play, you go for one thing, and that’s winning. For me, win first, and then you can feel tired.

•My life has changed ever since I became an Azkal. The way I live now is better — I run, I play. I’m young, so I feel like I can do what I want for a while before I start working as a dentist. There are sacrifices, too, like I haven’t seen my family, I haven’t gone out, I haven’t even seen a movie. I don’t party, but we don’t have time to party anyway.

‘‘It’s about time, because I believe that this is the sport for us Filipinos.’ — Paolo Pascual

Paolo Pascual, 20

•I see football growing rapidly in the Philippines, it’s slowly gaining recognition due to the Azkals’ success. It’s about time, because I believe that this is the sport for us Filipinos. What we can do to further the process is by starting with the young ones, by starting grassroots programs nationwide.

•I’m most passionate about God, music, and my family. My life revolves around those. A perfect day would be just playing football, and being with friends and family.

•I want to go to Italy because I’d like to visit Rome. That should be on every Catholic’s bucket list!

•Ian Araneta, Chieffy Caligdong, Eduard Sacapano, Roel Gener, Nestorio Margarse, and Aly Borromeo — these are the players I look up to because they have stayed with the national team for the longest time, even when fame and support weren’t there yet. They deserve all the credit. Internationally, Iker Casillas of Real Madrid is my favorite player, and I support Manchester United in the Premier League.

•I had to give up family and school to be on the team — I was on my fourth year already. Drinking is not an option anymore, you can’t drink so much, and we have to sleep really early. It takes a lot of discipline and patience, but ultimately it’s our love for the game that makes everything worth it.

•My family, especially my dad, inspire me to keep going. I’ve come a long way, and I can just stop here, but… being an Azkal is a huge privilege for me.