BY BONG PEDRALVEZ
SPEAKING no English but armed with dreams of playing for the Philippine Azkals, Filipino-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer flew all the way from Malaga, Spain virtually nonstop and arrived in Manila last Tuesday to try out for the national men’s football team.
With his cousin, Rafael Garcia, serving as his interpreter, the 6-foot-3 shaggy-haired Aldeguer was interviewed by head coach Hans Michael Weiss shortly before the squad’s practice at the International School Manila in Taguig City.
The coaching staff will get to size up the 26-year-old forward, whose mother hails from Isabela, during four days of workouts at the ISM’s artificial pitch, which school management reportedly has kept off limits to media.
Weiss said Aldeguer is being eyed as reinforcement for the Asian Challenge Cup group stage kicking off in Myanmar on March 21, assuming the Azkals hurdle Mongolia when they tangle in the return match of their AFC Challenge Cup series at the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator on March 15.
The Azkals blanked the Blue Wolves 2-0 in the first leg of the series last Feb. 9 at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.
Aldeguer, who has been playing football since he was six, is a forward for Spanish third division Club Deportivo Ronda, Garcia said, adding his cousin earlier tried out for powerhouses Atletico Madrid and La Deportivo de Coruna.
"Actually it was I who urged my first cousin to try out for the Azkals and told him to send his resume and videos of his performance," Garcia said. "Apparently, the coaching staff liked what they saw and invited him to try out for the team. So now he’s here."
Aldeguer would be a welcome addition to the Azkal where he can use his experience, size and height for headers.
Although still battling jet lag after his 13-hour flight from Spain, Aldeguer was eager to show off his skills to Weiss, who advised the player not to force himself too much.
"He (Aldeguer) is coming from a cool climate in Europe while it is warmer over here," Weiss said. "We will give him time to adjust. Anyway he has four days to show us what he has got."
National team liaison officer Ace Bright said they have started processing Aldeguer’s passport in the event he is tapped for the Myanmar tournament.
Assistant coach Edsel Bracamonte said there would no problems in including the Fil-Spanish player into the official lineup "since he was part of the original 53-man list we submitted to the AFC."
"We are allowed to make changes in the roster after our away match against Myanmar," Bracamonte said.
Malaya
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This is great news. I was wondering when they would find players from Spain. Of all the European countries, Spain is the one closest to us culturally as well as by blood. He would be perfect for Coach Weiss possession oriented attacking system. We really need to find more of this kind of players in the Iberian peninsula as well as latin american countries as even lower division players in this countries tend to be very sound technically.
ReplyDeleteArticle above says he is a striker but acc. to his bio he plays right midfield.
Fantabulousso!
ReplyDeleteBienvenido!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I cant say iam unhappy we found another fil foreigner. I just hope he has the right attitude as the rest of the guys. They should all learn from the original batch of guys from abroad. Regardless of the current superstar status of the Younghusbands, we all should remember that they have been here for a few years and just kept plugging away even when the chips were down.
ReplyDeleteTrue that, mr jay. Amazing how they stay grounded. Good parents, very sound upbringing. Credit goes to their folks.
ReplyDeleteNice! Still at a very good age at 26. But it still me makes me wonder why they (the PFF) couldn't have discover him a little earlier. I mean he's 6'3 and plays upfront. A proper center forward... and he's also playing regular club football. He would've been very useful earlier, especially under McMenemy
ReplyDeleteHe is described in his bio as a mediocampista interior derecho which means right midfielder. He is a starter for his team and has scored 3 goals out of 27 games from the midfielder position so it remains to be seen if he can score consistently if played as a center forward. Most Spanish players like to keep the ball on the ground so their height is not always as big an advantage as it would be in the English longball system which relies on crosses.
ReplyDeleteThis is how he is described in Spanish in his bio:
# OTRAS OBSERVACIONES: Jugador fuerte,corpulento con muchisima calidad y capacidad para el desborde.Bastante experiencia en categoría superior, habiendo militado en equipos como Atletico de Madrid B,Levante B,Vecindario,Cordoba habiendo jugado un gran número de partidos en Segunda A, Lugo, Santa Eulalia, Mataró o Estepona.
From what I remember from Spanish class, he is described as being a strong player, big with plenty of quality and capacity to erupt. Plenty of experience in superior levels which goes on to list his previous teams.
If Aldeguer were to be played as a center forward, why wouldn't he be capable of scoring goals? Look at Denis Wolf. He's a right midfielder that can play upfront, yet he's scored his fair share of goals.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree it is possible that he can be effective in that position at the Asian regional level so he should be tried there as well. In fact I already prefer him over
ReplyDeleteAraneta at that position. (-:
If you look at the way Germany played in the last World Cup they made great use of their strikers speed in the counter attack. Height is not necessarily an advantage in a strategy where you want your strikers to control the ball and utilize short bursts of speed and agility to create a scoring oppurtunity in the attacking zone. Height in the midfield can be a big advantage in winning control on goal kicks and clearances as well as winning 50/50 battles on the ground. Midfielders are expected to score. If he has strength to go with his size the strikers can lay the ball off to him to take a shot from distance or he can take a run into the penalty area to receive a cross if we gain control in the corners, or on corner kicks. An attacking strategy of relying on a target man to try to win the cross into the box is not the way top teams play these days. They concentrate on winning and maintaining possession. Having a physically dominant midfielder to win possession is part of that strategy in addition to having midfielders who can control and distribute the ball. One reason foreign players are being discovered is that they are learning about the azkals. For years people have been surprised when I tell them about the MNT and WNT. They didn't know we had a team. The PFF website has been an ongoing bad joke. I have heard many stories of players who have tried to contact the PFF and have never been answered. Dan Palami has brought a degree of professionalism to the MNT and we are getting the results. We are no longer hearing stories about how the PFF is not paying the bills or living up to its promises to the players. I hope that we can start hearing some good news about the WNT as well.
ReplyDelete"...cross into the box is not the way top teams play these days."
ReplyDeleteYou're telling us that the Philippines is a top team in world football?? A top team that can play a technical and possession based game?? Get real!
Make no mistake, the national team's size advantage over some other countries, specifically in the ASEAN region is still one of it's main assets. Playing a more direct style (long balls, crosses into the box for headed goals, etc.) is and will still be a significant part of the national team's game.
So if Aldeguer were to play upfront, it would be a massive improvement already. Also, Phil Younghusband needs a better strike partner than Araneta. I'm sure a 6'3 Aldeguer could be a better option as well.