Gilas inspires Azkals for Peace Cup

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas' brave performances in the 2014 FIBA World Cup have become a source of inspiration for the Philippine Azkals as they seek to retain their crown in the Philippine Peace Cup.

Skipper Rob Gier said he was able to watch part of Gilas' game against Argentina early this morning, which resulted in a heartbreaking 81-85 setback for the Philippines.

"It just kind of inspires us to want to do well as well," Gier said of how Gilas Pilipinas has been performing.

Despite having one of the shortest and oldest teams in the tournament, Gilas nonetheless came close to toppling higher-ranked teams -- twice. They lost in overtime to Croatia in their tournament opener, then just fell short against Argentina earlier Tuesday.

Their lone double-digit loss came against Greece.

Gier said that watching Gilas compete against the best in the world has helped fire up the Azkals.

"They're competing against the best teams in the world, and that's where we want to be," he said. "To have that kind of recognition is what we want."

"That's hugely inspiring to the guys," he added.

Both the Azkals and Gilas will be in action this week. Gilas resumes their FIBA World Cup campaign against Puerto Rico, while the Azkals play Chinese-Taipei in the Peace Cup on Wednesday.

By Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBNnews.com

Azkals’ time to win AFC Challenge Cup

ADDU CITY, Maldives—Suspended for the Philippines’ first match in the AFC Challenge Cup against Afghanistan, Azkals skipper Rob Gier still made sure his presence was felt.

Tasked to deliver the pep talk on the last training session before the tournament started Monday night, Gier challenged his teammates.

“It’s our best chance and I honestly believe we can win this tournament,” he said in the huddle. “The coaching staff has done everything and it’s down to us (players) to make this happen.”

Gier made his debut for the Azkals in the Challenge Cup Qualifiers in the capital Male in 2009.

It wasn’t a pleasant experience as the Azkals failed to make it to the final tournament.

But having been with the team the last five years and seeing it progressed, Gier’s belief is firm.

“We all need to believe that we can win this,” he said. “Because there is going to be a point in this tournament whether it’s going to be in the first game or in the final where we will be down or up against it and you have to find it in you to believe that you can do it.”


The Azkals need two wins to move into the semifinals, making their match against Afghanistan last night crucial.

Gier returns for the Laos game on Thursday along with Phil Younghusband who was also suspended for a red card in the qualifiers last year.

Turkmenistan is the Azkals’ last opponent in Male on Saturday. Only the top two teams in the group will qualify.

Meanwhile, Myanmar and Palestine got their campaign off to a flying start with opening day wins in Group A.

The Burmese side mentored by former Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic stunned host Maldives, 3-1, despite going down to 10 men in the first half.

Palestine snatched a last-minute goal as it nipped Kyrgyzstan, 1-0.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Robert Gier

Azkals Player Profile: Rob Gier

Name: Robert James Dazo Gier

Position: Defender

Born: 6 January 1981 (Ascot, England)

Current Club: Global

Jersey No.: 2

Etheridge, Ott back for Burma friendly

Now available after skipping important tournaments last year, goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and midfielder Manny Ott have been recalled for the Philippine side that will face Burma (Myanmar) in an international friendly in Yangon next week.

Etheridge missed the AFF Suzuki Cup last year due to commitments with his club Fulham, while Ott also focused on his club career in Germany last year, forcing him out of the AFC Challenge Cup as well as the Suzuki Cup.

But with the Burma friendly on Feb. 6 falling on an international date, there seems to be no problem securing the release of Ether-idge and Ott to the team which is preparing for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers in March.

The Azkals will face Turkmenistan, Brunei and Cambodia in the Group E Qualifiers from March 22 to 26 at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Only the top team in the group will advance to next year’s main tournament in the Maldives.

England-based defender Rob Gier, who is coming off a rock-solid performance in the Suzuki Cup, is also expected to return to the side for the Myanmar match.

After the Burma match, the Azkals may stop in Thailand to play a local club either on Feb. 9 or 10, according to Philippine Football Federation general secretary Ed Gastanes.

Azkals manager Dan Palami said the other players based in Europe like Stephan Schrock, Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara will be called up in the late stages of the preparation or just during the tournament itself.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Azkals radio stint at 101.9 Tambayan

Azkals Rob Gier, Misagh, Nate and Simon guesting at 101.9 Tambayan. You can watch their interview below.

The Azkals sexy posts for Health and Beyond

Behind the scenes of the Azkals Photo Shoot for Health and Beyond with Nate Burkey, Misagh Bahadoran, Anton Del Rosario, Simon Greatwich and Rob Gier by Thinline Advertising.