19 February 2011

JFA plays host to Azkals’ AFC Challenge Cup training

Cedelf P. Tupas

MANILA---The Japan Football Association has agreed to host a week-long training camp for the Philippine national team, which is preparing for the second leg of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifier against Mongolia next month.

Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said yesterday in an overseas call to the
Inquirer from Jakarta that the Azkals will be allowed to train at the JFA facility in Fukushima from March 6 to 12.

The Azkals will play the Mongolians on March 15 in expected sub-zero temperatures in Ulan Bator. The team is actually starting its buildup for the second leg today in Baguio City, where it will be undergoing a week-long camp.

For the second leg, the Azkals only need to protect their two-goal cushion they earned during the first match at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod last week.

Mongolia can bundle out the Azkals with at least a 3-nil victory.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami welcomed the JFA’s response, saying the camp will help the team adjust to the conditions in Mongolia.

But Palami also expressed concern that if the Filipinos make it to the group stage—which has been moved from Bangladesh to Myanmar from March 20 to 31—the weather might also take its toll on the players.

“This will be very difficult since the players might play in extreme weather conditions in a week, that’s why we really need to prepare,” said Palami, who was the recipient of the Presidential Award during the Sportswriters Association of Cebu annual awards gala yesterday.

But more than the extreme weather, Palami said “complacency will be their biggest enemy in Mongolia.”

“That’s why I have coach (Hans Michael) Weiss to ensure that we train as if we’re 2-nil down rather than 2-nil up,” Palami said.

The PFF actually requested its Mongolia counterpart to hold a training camp in Ulan Bator, but Araneta said their request was turned down, leaving the federation with no recourse but to look for another venue.

Meanwhile, the Azkals have been seeded straight to the group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2012 for the first time, owing to their semifinal finish in last year’s tournament, Araneta said.

The Philippines and Myanmar were actually tied with 12 points each based on the records the past two stagings of the region’s most prestigious football tournament.

But the Azkals earned their ticket because of their semifinal appearance, which sparked renewed interest in the sport in the country.

Araneta said Thailand and Malaysia will host the tournament next year.

He said the Philippines will bid to host the tournament in 2014 and he has asked the tournament’s marketing arm, World Sport Group, to provide the logistical needs to host the biennial event.

inquirer sports

16 comments:

  1. Domo arigato gozaimasu!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. "He said the Philippines will bid to host the tournament in 2014 and he has asked the tournament’s marketing arm, World Sport Group, to provide the logistical needs to host the biennial event."

    So Araneta is trying to get the 2014 edition instead. That would entirely depend if the Philippines doesn't finish last their group for the 2012 edition. If they finish last, they have to go through qualifying for the 2014 edition. There's the possibility the Philippines doesn't qualify, in which case they wouldn't be awarded as hosts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope they get to play a tuneup match against a Japanese team during their stay in Japan. It would be a very good experience for the team, see what level the team is against good opposition and expose possible areas where they need to find improvements.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Clever but crazy idea cjeagle. Let the fans keep living in this lovely illusion of Azkal invincibility. Our Japanese friends would soon burst the bubble.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You only get better by playing good teams. Losses is part of football. The important thing is to learn from it and to keep improving.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We hear you cjeagle, I like the way you put "anonymous" comment in the right place. You are absolutely spot on re: "you only get better by playing good teams", and I'd like to add there is no two ways about the kind of experience you get from a good team like Japan's -- we can only get better because of it. So we take every opportunity we can get to mix it up with the big boys, wherever, whenever, it's good for the Azkals, it will help us know our weakeness against stronger teams and therefor allow for the kind of growth and improvement we need to be very competitive. And hey, if it's a high-caliber Japanese team to burst our bubble, we'll take it. But in football you'l never really know. There's this thing called element of surprise in each situation. If that doesn't work, it's all good, at the end of the day, we really have nothing to lose, do we?

    ReplyDelete
  7. On a coaching stand point , you would appreciate what a game against a stronger opposition will give you. Public perception is important but the fans should know who the real football powers are. If we give a good showing, i dont think it will have a bad effect on our current popularity. Eventually the coach has to decide on this if it is such a good idea in terms of how close and important the match is against Mongolia. Looking at the schedule, the team is suppose to go straight to Myanmar if we beat the Blue Wolves.

    ReplyDelete
  8. When I said that it would be a good idea to play a tuneup against a Japanese team, I meant I was looking more for a youth teams or a lower division Japanese teams as a sparring partner, a team somewhat closer, but not inferior, to our level.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Now you're talking CJ but 2 things to remember. Fil-fors with commitments to other clubs can't just turn up weeks before an international game. Any tune up would be with players who may not be in the team against Mongolia. Secondly most fans don't understand football technicalities like you guys do. ANY loss - be it against a J-league team or high school amateurs would be heartbreaking.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nah, When we scheduled a match against the PCU team in bacolod, there was a chance we could lose that game since we didn't know what level that team was compared to ours. A lot of our foreign based players haven't even arrived yet either. Same principle here. We needed a quality sparring partner and a Japanese youth team will do. I think most people would realize that Japan is the Asian champion and that we are nowhere close to their level. Besides we will eventually face some real strong teams in WC qualifying and most people will realize then where our level is in Asian football. You don't have to worry about most Filipinos fragile ego. It happens all the time in international football whether you are a strong team or not. When national teams disappoint, the whole nation can fall into depression. There would be a temporary drop in the stock market, etc. but eventually life goes back to normal. I am not sure our passion for football has reached that level yet but we should be resilient enough to cope.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Fair enough cj. We'll leave it up to coach Weiss - who knows Japan - but I'll guarantee any tune up will be played behind closed doors with no word of the result allowed to leak out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks like the PFA has requested the JFA for a tuneup match in Japan acc. to the inquirer. I would be interested in finding out how they did either way.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I thought censorship went out with the end of martial law. How can you guarantee that no news will leak out? Isn't freedom of the press guaranteed under our constitution? Somebody will eventually talk.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Imagine you're the coach. A youth team in Japan manages to embarrass the Azkals. Confidence dips while the Mongolians dance. Is it worth it?

    ReplyDelete
  15. All I can say is 'have a little faith'. I think they will keep it close. But I see what you mean esp. without the Fil Euros. I am sure Coach Weiss will choose the right team to practice against as he is familiar with the Japanese setup.

    ReplyDelete