By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino-British Neil Etheridge has been sent on a month-long loan by English Premiere League side Fulham FC to Charlton Athletic in the third-tier League One, a move that could prevent the Azkals goalkeeper from seeing action for the national booters in several key matches.
The 21-year-old Etheridge, who has already ruled himself out of the second leg of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying duel with Mongolia on March 15, will also miss the group stage qualifying in Myanmar if the Azkals progress.
Although the loan move is only for a month, Etheridge believes he could finish the season with Charlton in League One, which ends May 7. League One doesn’t take a break for international matches unlike the EPL.
That means Etheridge won’t be available for the Azkals until the first round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in June.
The goalkeeper played eight games for the Azkals in 2010 and was instrumental in their run to the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup in Vietnam and Indonesia.
“It kills me (to miss the Myanmar games) but I have to take this chance,” Etheridge told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an e-mail Tuesday night. “It’s massive at my age. This is the kind of move that I have been waiting for.”
Etheridge believes he will have more playing opportunities at Charlton, which is in the midst of a defensive crisis with its two goalkeepers out with injuries.
Meanwhile, former Azkals coach Simon McMenemy has signed a two-year deal to handle Dong Tam Long An FC in the Vietnamese League.
McMenemy coached the Philippine Team for four months in 2010, and steered Azkals to a maiden semifinal finish in the AFF Suzuki Cup.
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It kills me too that Etheridge won't be playing with the Azkals in Myanmar. He is irreplaceable and makes the next best keeper we have (Sacapano?) look like an amateur. On the other hand, I'm happy that he's making great strides for his career.
ReplyDeleteThis is also a learning experience for the Azkals...they have to get more good keepers. Also, the team can't rely too much on certain players because we get in deep trouble when prized players suddenly become unavailable.
"...makes the next best keeper we have (Sacapano?) look like an amateur."
ReplyDeleteThat's because Sacapano and the other backups ARE AMATEURS! lol!
"It kills me too that Etheridge won't be playing with the Azkals in Myanmar."
They haven't even reached that stage yet. They still need to hold off Mongolia in the second leg and that in itself is a big task! Therefore they might not reach Myanmar at all!
This will always be an issue if we cant develop players locally. Once we have players who will be good enough to play in other leagues (and these are normally the fil-foreigners), it will be difficult for them to show up for the NT. Some of the foreign based players are not even playing professionally there and cant get away from their day jobs to make the trip here. Thats how competitive our local players are. The better the league here is (hopefully the PFF can get something set up that would be season long format), the better the level of our local players will be. Obviously then we do not have to rely too much on the guys from abroad, as in this situation. Its a good thing the Younghusbands are still in the Philippines and can earn a living here (one way or the other). Your only as good as the training and experience you have. Lets not berate the level of our players locally as its not their fault. Etheridge has probably played more competitive games against higher caliber players in his young age than any of our keepers who are in their late 20's and early 30's. Its just not Sacapano but every local player in the Azkal line up. Lets think about that before letting loose about the playing level of our players.
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