Palami wants Azkals to be the best in Asia

The Philippine Azkals have gone a long way since their inception several years ago.

On September 2006 the country fell to 195th on the Fifa World Rankings, its lowest ever. Because of the Azkals program the country has climbed to 147th, its highest ever ranking, as of October, 2012.

From No. 33 in Asia the country is now No. 22 and most importantly the Philippines is now the No. 3 team in Southeast Asia behind only Thailand and Vietnam.

The Azkals have made huge strides. But according to Azkals team manager Dan Palami, the 42-year-old businessman from Tacloban who started bankrolling the national team two years ago, the best is yet to come because apparently they have loftier goals than just ruling the Southeast Asian arena.

“We hope to become number one in Southeast Asia by the end of the year. After Southeast Asia, we’ll set our sights on Asia. We’ll just try to make it one (goal) at a time,” he said.

The Azkals have indeed arrived. But because they’ve established their credibility the tradeoff is that opposing teams now scout more and prepare much harder before they play against the Azkals.

“Our neighbors no longer consider us underdogs. We have to live up to expectations not only for our fans here in the Philippines, but also in the competitions. We’re no longer coming in as a surprise team. All the other teams are paying attention to us now,” said Palami.

Success has not come easy and problems abound and not just on the pitch. It is not a secret that the Azkals have been involved in a lot of issues and controversies several times. Palami is always there to take up the cudgels for his players.

“More than anybody else, I know the boys will never do such things to destroy the team. It was just that they were often misunderstood. Now I know they are more sensitive to what is happening to the team,” Palami said.

Palami said it was a difficult to handle a team in a sport that was not popular nationwide. He was aware that the entire country basked in the success of basketball and was not very fond of football. This did not deter the president of the Leyte Football Association who took on the challenge of managing the Azkals.

“Nobody wanted my job before, especially when the team kept on losing matches. But then somebody had to take the chance. So I took on the challenge. I’m finding out what I can do for the team,” Palami said.

Palami accepted the responsibility of handling the team and assembled a mixture of talent for the Azkals, getting the services of Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario, Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, and the Fil-foreign football players: the Younghusband brothers, Phil and James, Neil Ethridge and Robert Gier.

He then gathered several sponsors to supply and clothe the team. From then on, even though he had a day job as manager of his own company, Palami never turned his back on the Azkals.

“I’ll never forget how it was when we all started, when the players, myself and the management were all trying to build the dream. It’s nice to recall those moments and then you realize where you are now. You tell yourself that everything turned out well,” Palami said.

The team has matured according to its team manager. Right now it is preparing for the upcoming Suzuki Cup in Thailand this November 24.

The team’s development now can be compared to a grade-schooler who is ready to take on his high school life according to Palami.

“We are now about to graduate elementary. To improve we have been playing as a team against high school teams like Bahrain and Kuwait,” said Palami of the improved competition his team now has to face.

Azkals just had their 10-day training stint in the Middle East against Bahrain and Kuwait which according to the team manager, only shows that they’re on the right track.

“We are now ready to fight. I can see the progress of the team from before. We can see the quality of players that we have. Some members of team of 2010 are no longer here but we are thankful for their contribution,” said an optimistic Palami despite the Azkals 2-1 loss to Kuwait and the scoreless draw with Bahrain.

The following weeks will be tough for the Azkals. After losing the Younghusbands (who have since committed to return to the program) for a spell the team faces more uncertainty with players like Neil Ethridge, Roland Muller, Stephan Schrock and Angel Guirado possibly missing more games.

Despite the handicap, the Azkals are hoping to reach a whole new level when they see action in the Asean region’s premier football competition. They will play in the 2012 AFF Cup, also known as the 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup. This will be the ninth edition of the Asean Football Championship, the football championship of Southeast Asia which will be co-hosted by Malaysia and Thailand and will be held Nov. 24 to Dec. 12, 2012.

However, if the past few years have shown anything it is that Dan Palami has a sound program in the Azkals who have improved consistently through the years and that aspiring to be the best football team in Asia is not just an empty pipe dream but an achievable, realistic objective to aspire for.

source: manilastandardtoday.com

Palami: Azkals stronger now

THE PHILIPPINES will have a “much stronger side” than the one that made the semifinals of the AFF Suzuki Cup two years ago when the tournament kicks off Nov. 24 in Bangkok.

This was the assessment of Azkals manager Dan Palami, who said the depth of the side has improved significantly following the influx of new talents over the past two years.

“We’re a much stronger team now,” Palami said at yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Mabini in Manila. “We have a lot of offensive options, unlike in 2010 when our focus was really defending and counter-attacking.”

But Palami said there’s no guarantee that the Azkals’ will have an easier path in the Suzuki Cup with teams like Thailand and Vietnam—two teams in the Azkals’ group which failed to meet expectations two years ago—aching to bounce back.

“We’re no longer coming in as a surprise team,” said Palami. “All the teams are paying attention to us now.”

The Azkals, who narrowly lost to Indonesia in the last four two years ago, are coming off a 10-day camp in the Middle East last week, where they showed up powerhouse sides Bahrain and Kuwait. A couple of local mini-camps have been lined up for the team, before a friendly match with Singapore on Nov. 15 in Cebu City caps the Azkals’ preparations.

Palami attended the forum sponsored by Smart, Outlast Battery and Pagcor with players Marwin Angeles, Misagh Bahadoran and Demitrius Omphroy.

The team still has concerns with the availability of players, particularly goalkeepers Neil Etheridge and Roland Muller and star midfielders Stephan Schrock and Angel Guirado.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Azkals set mini-camp for S'pore 'friendly'

MANILA, Philippines - Although currently with their respective clubs, members of the Philippine Azkals based in Manila will regularly get together for a “mini-camp” and play tuneup matches against local clubs prior to their Nov. 15 international friendly with Singapore in Cebu.

“We’ll gather them in a mini-camp, for say, three days, probably house them in a hotel, so they can be together as a team and develop camaraderie,” Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Nonong Araneta said.

“The plan also calls for them to play against local teams, against UFL teams, in preparation for Nov. 15 in Cebu,” Araneta added.

The friendly with the Lions – actually a second engagement this year following their initial meeting last Sept. 7 in Singapore that saw a monumental 2-0 triumph for the Azkals – serves as Phl XIs’ send-off home game before plunging into action in next month’s AFF Suzuki Cup in Thailand.

The Azkals came off a productive 10-day training camp in the Middle East, battling higher-ranked Bahrain to a scoreless draw and yielding a fighting 1-2 setback to fancied Kuwait before breaking up to rejoin their respective clubs.

Meanwhile, Phl will host the AFC Women’s U-16 Championship Qualification Round 1 from Nov. 7-11 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The national sides of powerhouse nations Australia, Thailand and Myanmar will come over to play, along with host Philippines, in the Group C of the qualifiers to the 2013 Asian U-16 tilt.

“These are strong teams but I think it will be their U-14 teams. And I think before, our team beat Austria and drew with Thailand before in the U-14 in AFC so we’ll give them a good fight,” said Araneta.

Phl just hosted the Qualification Round 1 for the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship at Rizal, which was topped by Myanmar with Chinese Taipei beating the hosts for the runner-up honors and the second and last berth to the next stage.

“It was a successful hosting, even if we did not qualify to the second round. We just need more exposure for the team because some of the players were released late by their schools, due to exams. We can see that they gave it their all, we gave Chinese Taipei and Myanmar a good fight, it’s just that they lacked match fitness, having limited time to practice together,” Araneta said.

Phl U-19 started the tourney with a 2-0 win over Hong Kong but dropped a 0-4 loss to Myanmar. Needing no less than a win against the Taiwanese to advance, the Pinays suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the last day to bow out for good. – Olmin Leyba

source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

Azkals lose to Kuwait in Fifa friendly

MANILA, Philippines—Returning key players gave the Philippines a boost but it wasn’t enough as the Azkals yielded to Kuwait, 1-2, in a Fifa international friendly late Tuesday night (Manila time) in Kuwait.

Phil Younghusband, who was back in the lineup after missing the Peace Cup and the Bahrain friendly, picked up where he left off as he struck the Philippines lone goal off a penalty kick after a handball called against Kuwait.

Fil-British Neil Etheridge kept the Azkals in the game with a slew of fine saves in the first half including a double save in the 27th minute.

Bader Al-Mutawa opened up the scoring for Kuwait in the 35th minute off a powerful strike before Younghusband equalized in the 60th minute.

Coming out sharp in the second half, the Philippines got good looks but the quicker Kuwaitis held their ground.

Demitrius Omphroy had a shot on goal but didn’t get a clear hit on the shot after Patrick Reichelt’s attempt went over.

Kuwait, ranked 112, struck again in the 70th minute after a questionable penalty called against Juani Guirado.

The Azkals, who are on a build-up for the AFF Suzuki Cup,  held Asian powerhouse Bahrain to a scoreless draw last Saturday but just couldn’t slow down the relentless Kuwait side.

source: inquirer.net

Azkals in full force for Middle East friendlies

GAINING momentum for the AFF Suzuki Cup this coming November, the Philippine Azkals will try the mettle of Bahrain and Kuwait on October 12 and 16, respectively, hoping to fine tune the team's strengths and weaknesses.

Coach Michael Weiss' wards will play two tough and higher ranked teams but our Azkals are on roll and in high spirits going in these two crucial matches. This time however, the Azkals will be playing with Phil and James Younghusband who rejoin the team after missing the Philippine Football Peace Cup last month.

What are we going to expect in the Middle East friendlies? Here's a guide:

Mix It Up. Coach Weiss enjoyed the performance of his new recruits in Matthew Uy, Demet Omphroy, and the emergence of Denis Wolf as the Azkals' main striker in the Peace Cup. This time, he will test the chemistry of the team by merging his mainstays in Angel Guirado, James and Phil, Ray Jonsson, Dennis Cagara, Jerry Lucena among others.

Will the team blend in this short span of time? We think coach Weiss has something up his sleeve that will surprise Mid East contenders in Bahrain and Kuwait. This is a scheduled FIFA friendly and we expect Bahrain and Kuwait will make it hard for our team but the Azkals are gearing up and we anticipate a battle in the Gulf.

Azkals Confidence. The Philippine Azkals are enjoying its strongest performance in years in FIFA standing by ranking 147 in its latest card. However, Kuwait (rank 112) and Bahrain (rank 115) are way above us. Their rankings show how competitive these teams are.

If we can recall, Kuwait eliminated us in the second round of the World Cup qualifying last year ending our hopes of progressing for a better finish. This time, they will be facing a different Azkals line up that has matured through time and played with much intensity in its previous games.

Do we see some upsets in the making? Yes. Our team has evolved and definitely our opponents are wary with the way the rising Azkals are playing. Two quality victories will surely catapult our ranking further.

Old Reliable. Chieffy Caligdong will play a vital role in these matches, as he will act as the team's ultimate leader, the glue the binds the squad to perform better. The team will look for his field guidance and leadership.

As team captain, he will be coach Weiss' voice in the pitch. Chieffy will definitely live up to expectation and much more. His mere presence commands respect and this should be the way our team should play: with pride for the glory of our country. (Junjun Carballo/Contributor)

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on October 11, 2012.

Azkals healthy, complete

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals expect a near full-strength squad for their Middle East training camp and friendlies against Bahrain and Kuwait, with Europe-based pros and the Younghusband brothers beefing up the side that ruled the recent Philippine Football Peace Cup.

Fil-Danish Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara, Fil-Dutch Paul Mulders, Fil-German Roland Muller, and Fil-Icelandic Ray Jonsson are slated to meet up in Dubai with the local-based Azkals led by Chieffy Caligdong, Carli de Murga, Denis Wolf, Jeff Christiaens and Patrick Reichelt for their Oct. 7-17 Gulf gig.

Phil and James Younghusband, who were not called up for the Peace Cup campaign, will rejoin the PH XI team that is slated to mix it up with Bahrain on Oct. 12 and Kuwait on Oct. 16 as part of preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup.

"The Peace Cup was meant to be a testing ground for local-based Azkals. Now we take it a notch higher by mixing that with professionals in Europe and form a stronger team. Hopefully we get the right mix just in time for the Suzuki Cup," Azkals manager Dan Palami said during the recent launch of Global FC's programs.

Azkals coach Michael Weiss has called up 26 players for the Middle East camp, including new Fil-Am recruits Demit Omphroy and Matthew Uy, and the Guirado brothers, Angel and Juani.

About 90 percent of the players, according to Palami, has confirmed participation in the trip on the eve of their departure, including Phil and James who had already formally told management they were accepting the call-up.

Palami also sees no problem with local clubs as the United Football League has a standing agreement with the Philippine Football Federation for the release of players for PH team during Fifa friendlies.

Palami's own club, UFL champ Global FC, is lending a number of players to the Azkals like Misagh Bahadoran, Marwin Angeles, Reichelt, and latest additions Wolf, Omphroy and Uy.

"It has always been a big problem for Global every time we have players leave for the national team duty but our contribution to country comes first before the club," said Palami as he also announced the club's plans to hold international training camps and friendly matches against foreign clubs and establish Global FC Academy intended to be a "hub of excellence."

Global FC has tapped Hinko of One Above Management, a UK-based sports consultancy firm to help achieve these goals and at the same time “professionalize” the structure of the club similar to big clubs all over Europe.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Azkals Sans Younghusbands: Fresher, Better?

MANILA, Philippines - Not many gave them a fighting chance, but the Philippine national football team proved their mettle as they crushed Chinese Taipei on Saturday, taking home the Philippine Football Peace Cup -- their first international title in 99 years.

It's no mean feat considering that the team, dubbed Azkals by fans, played minus most of their star players including the celebrated Younghusband brothers.

Azkal's Coach Michael Weiss heaped praises on the team during the post-game press conference hailing them for their "spirit" and their "hunger."

Weiss also differentiated the current team lineup from its past incarnation, noting how they have "evolved" into a "fresher," "better" team compared to the Azkals contingent of three years ago.

He went on to urge fans "not to pine" for that old team as most of them "will not play anymore.”

He then took a seeming dig at the Younghusband brothers, whom he was reported to have mentioned in past interviews as supposedly having made themselves scarce during training sessions and matches to the detriment of the team.

"This team is now without prima donnas... people who think they already have achieved something in football,” he said.

But in a separate interview with GMA News, current Azkals captain Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong said that the Philippine Football Federation's (PFF) "conflict" with the brothers could still be resolved.

“Maa-ayos at maa-ayos din iyan,” Caligdong said.

Meanwhile, PFF technical director Aris Caslib, clarified that the brothers remain in the pool of players from which the PFF draws for competitions.

“Nandiyan pa silang dalawa," Caslib said.

The statement differed from the hazy stance of the PFF's Marketing and Communications Department last week, which painted the brothers as being in limbo relating to their involvement in the team's future.

"We cannot answer whether this is a permanent or temporary separation with the national team," Ebong Joson, head of the PFF communications was quoted as saying in news reports.

The exclusion of the brothers from the team lineup that played at the Peace Cup was, according to Joson, about “certain economic and non-economic" privileges that the brothers were asking for.

"We just cannot match it," he was quoted to have said in a report.

The Younghusband brothers have downplayed the charge in a separate press conference reiterating that their non-inclusion in the lineup for the Peace Cup was due to them being "late" in making known their availability to the team. The duo stated that they remain devoted to the National Team and would even play for the team for "free" if need be.

The brothers hope to be allowed to return to the national team.

"We're hoping in the next games we can get the call-up again. If we get the call-up, we'll be there," said Phil in a separate report on GMA News.

"We'd be there in a heartbeat," James added.

Azkals Gear Up For Bangkok Tourney

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Azkals want to build on the success of their title victory in the recent Philippine Football Peace Cup as they head into the final stage of preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup set for November in Bangkok, Thailand.

Coach Michael Weiss hopes that positive vibes earned from the four-nation tournament will be carried into the next eight weeks when the Azkals hold a training camp and play friendlies before the Suzuki Cup.

“We are now entering the final phase of our preparation for the Suzuki Cup and those matches will see much, much better competition and stronger opponents so it's important that have many matches and that's the main purpose of playing this tournament,” Weiss said after the Azkals defeated Taiwan, 3-1, on Saturday to claim the Peace Cup title.

Lined up for the Azkals is a training camp in the Middle East which will be highlighted by friendly matches with Bahrain on Oct. 12 in Manama and Kuwait on Oct. 16 in Kuwait City.

They will also play Singapore on Nov. 15 in Cebu City in a rematch of the Filipinos' 2-0 win in the Lion City two weeks ago thanks to an opening goal by Chieffy Caligdong.

From there it's off to the Thai capital for the Suzuki Cup group stage where the Azkals battle the hosts, Vietnam and the top team of the qualifying round. The two top teams in the group will make it to the semifinals.

The team's buildup and sharpness will also be determined on the availability of key players for the Suzuki Cup.

Absent from the Peace Cup were ace goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and Stephan Schrock, among others, due to commitments with their clubs in Europe, and brothers Phil and James Younghusband due to differences with Azkals management and the Philippine Football Federation over monetary and commitment issues.

source: http://mb.com.ph/