UFL Div 2 Thursday - Updated results

UFL Div 2 Thursday :

Mendiola FC 0-1 Pasargad FC

Goal scorer- Ubiam Okoro- 90+3' (PK)


Forza FC 2-2 JP Voltes FC
Goal scorers- Forza- Lobe Mbang- 33' (OG) Jangobah Johnson- 71' 90+2' JP Voltes- John Celiz- 26'

Draw date set for Round 2 of 2018 World Cup, 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers

Kuala Lumpur: The Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup – Preliminary Competition and 2019 Asian Cup 2019 Qualifiers will be held on April 14, 2015, at 5pm, in the Malaysian capital city.

The seedings for the draw will be based on the latest FIFA Rankings available at the time of the draw.

Thirty-four nations have automatically qualified for Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 by virtue of their highest ranks at the time of the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 Draw held on February 10.

The 34 nations are Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Uzbekistan, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, China, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Kuwait, the Philippines, Maldives, Vietnam, Tajikistan, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, DPR Korea, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos, Guam and Bangladesh.         

Six nations will advance to Round 2 where the 34 highest ranked teams await (total 40 nations) by finishing as winners in the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 in their respective pairings.

The pairings are India vs Nepal, Yemen vs Pakistan, Timor Leste vs Mongolia, Cambodia vs Macau, Chinese Taipei vs Brunei and Sri Lanka vs Bhutan. The six winners will be decided by March 17.

The 40 nations will be drawn into eight groups of five teams and compete according to a double round robin format, and the Round 2 qualification matches will be held from June 11, 2015 to March 29, 2016.

The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) will advance to the 2019 Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + 1 slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup finals.

 

afc.com

Bahrain friendly kicks off Azkals’ World Cup qualifier buildup

By Cedelf P .Tupas

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines begins its buildup for the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers in late March with a training camp and a friendly match possibly against a team from the Middle East in Bahrain.

With the match against China no longer on, Azkals coach Thomas Dooley Tuesday said he felt it was best to have his players train together and play just one match during the Fifa international window this month.

“Some of players have a game in the league, and we needed to travel and then play and sometimes it doesn’t make sense [because they are tired],” said Dooley at the launch of the fund-raising campaign for the team dubbed Small Change Big Change.

Dooley, who returned from Germany early last month, has remained tightlipped on the prospects expected to bolster the team starting this year.

The Azkals start World Cup Qualifying in June and they have partnered with supermarket chain, Puregold, in their latest move to raise funds for their campaigns overseas.

The fund-raiser involves the placement of donation cans in key commercial establishments and stores.

Azkals manager Dan Palami, who has bankrolled the team since 2010, welcomed the development even as he thanked Puregold for being the first establishment to “embrace” the campaign.

“We’re quite happy that some of the fans of the Azkals have taken their support a step further and that is to actually and completely help management especially myself in defraying some of the costs of the Azkals through this initiative,” Palami said.

Read more: http://sports.inquirer.net/174801/bahrain-friendly-kicks-off-azkals-world-cup-qualifier-buildup#ixzz3TLKUHG8F

Azkals set to train in Bahrain

By Bong Pedralvez on March 04, 2015

AS part of their preparations for the World Cup qualifiers set t start in May, the Philippine Azkals will hold a week-long training camp from March 24 to 31 in Bahrain, capped by a friendly against a still undetermined opponent.

“We hope to leave on March 23 and stay there until March 31,” American coach Thomas Dooley said yesterday on the sidelines of the launching of “Small Change Big Change,” a fund-raising campaign for the Azkals at the Luk Foo Restaurant in Quezon City.

Dooley said the Philippine Football Federation would soon notify the national team hopefuls, although he has started speaking individually to some players he wants to bring to the training camp.

National team manager Dan Palami said they are looking for a new squad to face the Azkals in a friendly after China begged off due to previous commitments.

Dooley said they are trying to invite Kuwait, which the Azkals faced for the first time in the World Cup Asian Qualifiers in 2011, for the March 31 friendly in Bahrain “but we still haven’t received word from them.

We should know by tonight.”

He said they are looking at three more national teams that could test the Nationals “but basically we have to ask them one by one so that they don’t get upset when we suddenly withdraw the invitation should more than one team agree.”

Dooley is anxious to get the build-up going since the World Cup qualifiers will also serve as the qualifying competitions for the next Asian Cup.

He said they are looking at new recruits from overseas to beef up their roster but declined to name them until negotiations have been finalized.

Among those keen on wearing the Azkals jersey again, Dooley said, are Fil-Spanish striker Javier Patino, who now plays for a Chinese side, and Fil-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, an original member of the national men’s team that reached the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals for the first time five years ago.

Patino was sidelined with a back injury and didn’t play in the 2014 Suzuki Cup while Etheridge had a falling out with Dooley after a so-so outing in the AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives last year.

Palami was encouraged by the initiative of Azkal fans to raise money for the national team’s campaign, especially this year during the WC qualifiers.

“This will help me especially in defraying expenses for our trips abroad,” said Palami, a businessman who has personally invested a hefty sum for the Azkals’ overseas stints.

He thanked Puregold, led by owner Lucio Co, and Puregold director Vincent Co in boosting the fund-raiser. 

- See more at: http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/sports/azkals-set-train-bahrain#sthash.6BWLjSzN.kSuuFoYv.dpuf

Azkals fundraiser launched

By Olmin Leyba

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals have tapped their 12th man – their fans – for help in filling the war chest for their expensive bid in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers via the “Small Change, Big Change” fundraising campaign.
Under the project, which is a partnership between the Azkals Foundation and supermarket giant Puregold, donation cans will be placed in key commercial establishments and stores where people can donate their loose change for the team after paying at the counter.
Azkals team manager Dan Palami said the campaign was inspired by comments from fans in a Facebook page who wanted to pitch in and that Puregold was the first supermarket chain to get involved.
“We’re happy that some of the fans of the Azkals have taken their support a step further and that is to actually and concretely help management in defraying some of the cost for the Azkals through their initiative,” Palami said.
Palami, along with coach Thomas Dooley and some players, joined Puregold officials led by director Vincent Co, National Operations manager Antonio delos Santos and advertising and communications manager Ivy Piedad, in the launch of the fundraiser.
“I hope a lot of fans will be able to support the Azkals in such a way especially as we embark on the World Cup qualifiers. Sigurado, mas maraming gastos at mas maraming resources ang kailangan (This campaign will entail higher cost and we’ll need more resources for it),” said Palami.

We’re trying to fly in even better players (from overseas), we’ll have more games and more preparations para mas maganda showing natin kesa last time. Of course, our ultimate goal is to get to the World Cup. We take it one step at a time and we’re glad fans are also doing that, from the stands to this particular activity,” he added.
The Azkals will play eight home-and-away round robin matches in the World Cup Asian qualifiers beginning June, meaning going overseas four times for the fixtures.
“We spend at least $150,000 to $200,000 (per overseas trip) so for the World Cup qualifiers, we’ll have more trips and we hope more cans will be filled by the fans,” said Palami.
The “fan contributions” aim to augment the Azkals budget from Palami and financial support from the Philippine Football Football Federation and commercial sponsors.
“The team has achieved much with limited funds available and we believe it can go much farther with more funding support,” he said.
The Azkals will hold a training camp in Bahrain later this month, with one friendly likely against a Gulf nation, to start their buildup for the World Cup qualifiers.


Read more: http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/03/03/1429673/azkals-fundraiser-launched#ixzz3TJpFuwaO

Azkals friendlies in March ?

FIFA match days for friendly matches for National Teams are from March 25 to 31.

A scheduled friendly against China was cancelled some weeks ago.

Friendlies are now beeing arranged and a confirmation is expected soon.

Note also that Azkals U22 are playing Olympics qualifiers at the same time in Thailand, and some younger Azkals players could be going to Thailand instead of playing friendlies.

Update :


"The Azkals will hold a training camp in Bahrain later this month, with one friendly likely against a Gulf nation,"  Philstar

UFL Tuesday : Ceres Fc 7-0 Army FC

UFL Tuesday at 8.15 pm : Ceres Fc vs Army FC

Rizal Memorial Stadium

Stallion Football Club acquires Fil-Briton

STALLION Football Club, fresh from a 2-1 conquest of erstwhile unbeaten Loyola Meralco Sparks, has tapped Filipino-Briton Levi Gilmar Di Silva Fernandez to reinforce its roster.

The 21-year-old Fernandez is expected to arrive on March 27. His name is Portuguese-sounding but is actually of Jamaican ancestry and was born in England.  His grandmother, Concepcion Fernandez, hails from Laguna. She will be joining Levi this month to help facilitate his application for a Philippine passport.

“Levi will be playing for Stallion FC while on loan from Alloa Athletic of the Scottish Champions Side, from April 1 to August,” Stallion Head Coach Ernest Nierras said.

Nierras said the lanky forward will be a huge addition to his team that boasts of current and former national players, among them defender Simone Rota and forwards Ruben Doctora Jr. and OJ Clarino.

According to agent Steve MacCallen, Fernandez possesses sound technical skills and “has a very good tactical understanding of the game.”

Rick Olivares

Business Mirror