Mabuhay!
The Philippine National Men’s Football Team would like to offer to every Filipino this great triumph achieved in the football fields of Vietnam.
In the 14-history of the Suzuki Cup, the Philippines only qualified twice in the biennial competition that is at once the most prestigious tournament in the Asean region.
To get through the final rounds competition in Vietnam, we played three qualifying matches Laos where we finished second to the host country to advance to Vietnam.
And for the first time, we have advanced to the semifinals where the Philippines will play Indonesia in a home and away series where the winner, determined through the aggregate goal score, will play for the championship.
As we drew 1-1 with mighty Singapore and beat the defending champions Vietnam on their home turf 2-nil with 40,000 people in the stands cheering them on, we got word of how you, our fellow Filipinos watched us, cheered us, and sent us messages of support.
Believe us when we say that it was fantastic to hear and see all of that considering how the sport has largely gone unnoticed back home. We hope that this will be the start of football taking its rightful place as a premier sport In the Philippines.
As we drew Myanmar in a scoreless affair that saw us finish second to Vietnam in our Group, we received word that the Asean Football Federation has deemed that our homefield of Panaad, Bacolod to not be up to the requirements of the AFF Suzuki Cup after consultations with PFF President Jose Mari Martinez and therefore our hard-fought “home game” will be played either in a neutral venue or at the homefield of the other semis winner.
We deplore this decision that was arrived at without consulting the national team management team or even having the facilities inspected. We believe that this is an opportunity to provide Filipinos with a chance to watch some world-class football action that will inspire our countrymen to take up the sport and break new ground for the Philippines.
Just as you were all on our side when we were playing in Vietnam, we ask that every Filipino and football fan out there to express this indignation with regard to this decision in every venue, fora, or media so that we may treat the country to Azkals football. We implore you to express yourself on twitter, facebook, messenger, and everywhere else.
After all, the home field game is rightfully ours.
The Philippine National Men’s Football Team
Team Manager - Dan Palami, Head Coach - Simon McMenemy, Assistant Coaches - Edwin Cabalida, Edzel Bracamonte, Roland Piñero, Trainers -- Wally Javier and Josef Malinay, Media Officer - Rick Olivares, and the players -- Ian Araneta, Jerry Barbaso, Yanti Barsales, David Mark Basa, Joebel Bermejo, Alexander Borromeo, Emelio Caligdong, Christopher Camcam, Jason de Jong, Anton del Rosario, Neil Etheridge, Mark Ferrer, Roel Gener, Robert Gier, Christopher Greatwich, Peter Jaugan, Ray Jonsson, Nestor Margarse, Reymark Palmes, Kristopher Relucio, Eduard Sacapaño, James Younghusband, and Philip Younghusband.
Bleachers' Brew
KOREA DPR ARE #U17WWC CHAMPIONS! 🇰🇵🏆
5 hours ago
we need this game! this is thier chance to promote football in our country
ReplyDeleteC'mon Pnoy do something!
ReplyDeletethis team, the azkals, will not be forgotten, they are legends. but how i wish they could find a home. i thought panaad is it, but even that modest venue had been denied by martinez.
ReplyDeleteMartinez denied Panaad? If this is true, what is this guy thinking? No press release, no statement on the PFF website, nothing.
ReplyDeletebring the semis game of RP XI to DAVAO!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/AFF-Bring-the-semifinals-to-the-Philippines/148278031888635?v=wall like this lets help campaign!
ReplyDeleteMartinez?Why is he even still there?
ReplyDeleteYou people just love to point blame because you dont know real facts, ! You dont even know what it will entail if it was held here! Who does not want it to be done here in our country but you dont even know how big the requirement is needed!
ReplyDeleteMaybe if the past presidents had worked even as half as hard as the martinez administration then they could have secured a football field par excellance.
It took a martinez administration for 3 years to build a good football team that you can be proud of today. And now you want to crucify Martinez.
Then a so called Dan Palami, the team manager tries to get all the glory and the credit and tries to incite people against martinez!
He sounds like the Fly that is seated in the carabao's head. Mr Palami, you still have milk in your mouth!
These Martinez cohorts are something else. Let's see if they can swallow this:
ReplyDeleteWe know that we don't have a stadium that is acceptable, but more importantly, HE knows that. So why not a NEUTRAL venue, haber? This whole affair raises a lot of questions and suspicions, and most of them revolve around money.
And there are many other things missing in RP football. Where is football development? the Women's game? What has been done to ensure that the time, efforts and money put in by thousands of kids are not in vain? Has this president united or divided? Has he operated with any transparency? Oh and let us not forget Valle Verde CC. Are you also going to tell us that he invested FIFA money for the good of the PFF? If that were true he would have told the board. Like his 3-year plan for the MNT, all of these are non-existent. IF he accomplished anything, and that's the biggest IF that will thrown around this blog, I'm pretty certain that it's something that anyone with a pulse could have done.
And Vision Philippines? Don't even go there.
US$250k is a paltry sum, but a good manager and leader should know how to prioritize to make the most of scarce resources. Hiring more messengers than staff is hardly prioritizing. And when FAP ends, it is NOT the fault of the whistle blower, it is the fault of one man, your man.
We don't want to crucify him, we are simply holding him accountable. Too bad that's too painful of a process for a supposedly "honest" man and his supporters.
On the subject of the Men's team, football is not just one team, OK? The P in PFF stands for Philippines. Now for a just second, take away the success of our MNT, and Martinez' accomplishments come into full view, NADA.