Five good reasons why Pinoys should remain proud of the Azkals

Posted at 2:53 pm August 01, 2011

Tags: Football

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By Anna Valmero

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA— Despite the huge loss to football powerhouse Kuwait, Filipinos worldwide are celebrating the gallant attempt of the Philippine Azkals to advance in the FIFA qualifiers.

Here are five good reasons why Pinoys should remain proud of the Azkals.

Azkals have shown a lot of potential. According to FIFA.com, one-time World Cup finalist Kuwait is 95th in the global ranking while the Philippines is ranked at 162nd.

The Azkals still have a long way to go but the match-up against Kuwait gave a glimpse of the team’s potential. Kuwait joined the World Cup Finals in 1982 but lost to England and France.

It is also good to point out that football is well established as a sport in the Middle East; in Kuwait, there with at least four national events participated by professional teams. In the Philippines, football has just been rediscovered and gradually became an emerging sport over the last few years.

Azkals brought Pinoys together. Next to boxing hero and Congressman Emmanuel “Manny Pacman” Pacquiao, the Azkals were able to unite the country as spectators.

Amid the pouring rain during the Azkals fight with Sri Lanka early this month, Filipinos braved the cold to cheer them on; some avid supporters even banded together and formed a cheering squad “Kaholeros (literally meaning barkers).”

Azkals co-captain Chieffy Caligdong said in a TV interview that before the team’s popularity, there was a time that players had to pay audiences to watch the game. This time, ticket sales for the Azkals game were sold out weeks before the game schedule.

Azkals look good on the field. Aside from their football prowess, one reason that girls loved watching the Azkals live is because of the good-looking players.

Team captain Aly Borromeo, goalie Neil Etheridge, brothers Phil and James Younghusband, and defender Anton Del Rosario are cheered on like matinee idols. Even Chieffy (Caligdong) has his share of ardent fans.

Which is no wonder the team has been endorsing products left and right, a win-win situation to promote the brand and the team, while giving alternative income to the players. It’s no secret that national team athletes rely solely on allowance from the government so an extra source of much-needed funding to support the team should account for something.

Azkals play with a lot of heart. Aside from raw talent, the Azkals have shown a lot of heart every time they play. This energy rippled and inspired overflowing support from Filipinos, who, some two or three years ago, barely knew a thing about football.

After losing to Kuwait last Thursday, the Azkals became a top trending topic on Twitter (with hashtage #azkalswebelieve) and the most-searched term on Yahoo! Philippines.

Azkals will play more international games. As the saying goes, when a door closes a window opens. The Azkals may not be included in the top 32 teams to play in the 2014 World Cup Finals but they can still to slowly but surely become a football powerhouse.

It starts with next year’s Suzuki Cup (or the ASEAN Football Championships). Many are saying our ASEAN neighbors like Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore are keenly watching how the Azkals are developing as a team.

As Filipina singer Leah Navarro tweeted: “Onward to March 2012! We shall continue to believe!”

Former elections commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, an avid football fan, also tweeted: “It was a good game. Remember that PH soccer doesn’t end with tonight’s game. Great things for PH soccer just STARTED! It took DECADES for Spain to win the world cup. I KNOW and I BELIEVE we can do it! We need perseverance and dedication!”

Five good reasons why Pinoys should remain proud of the Azkals

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