BY BONG PEDRALVEZ
THE scramble for slots on the Philippine men’s football team kicks off today as the Azkals open their training camp-cum tryouts at the Alabang Country Club inside the plush Ayala Alabang subdivision in Muntinlupa City.
At least two Filipino-Americans, who were scouted last April in the United States, a Fil-Swede and a Manila-based Fil-Iranian are among the hopefuls joining the national team regulars in the opening phase of preparations for their World Cup opening round qualifier against Sri Lanka.
The opening match is scheduled on June 29 in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo while the second leg is set on July 3 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila.
"We start I wouldn’t say from zero but we have to work very, very hard on the physical conditioning," national coach Hans Michael Weiss said. "But we are also starting with the ball right away to get back to back to our good level."
The German mentor, who arrived last Wednesday after holding tryouts in Germany, said most of his European-based mainstays won’t be available for the fitness camp.
"We will begin with the locals and some tryout players," Weiss said of the group he expects to show up at the camp that runs until May 21.
Among those that Weiss and his coaching staff will evaluate are Fil-Am striker James Rochilitz, 16, who used to be a place kicker for his varsity American football team, and defender Nathaniel Payos Burkey, 26.
Rochilitz and Burkey were invited to the camp after they were singled out during tryouts in Daly City last April 9 and 10 that were conducted by Azkal co-captain Aly Borromeo and key defender Anton del Rosario.
Also coming over to try his luck is 6-foot-4 Fil-Swede striker Gustav Cajayon Sjoberg, 29, who was born in Tondo and currently plays for Lindo FC in the seventh division of the Swedish League. Sjoberg has reportedly scored 38 goals in 58 matches for his club since 2009.
Malaya.com
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1 day ago
Manila based Fil-Iranian? Must be Misagh Bahadoran.
ReplyDeleteJames Rochlitz is in college. Surely he's older than 16 years old!
Gustav Sjoberg, according to his player profile on his club's website, is 28 yrs. old not 29. His listed height is also 198cm which is 6'6 not 6'4. His goalscoring record since 2009 isn't just being 'reported'. It's a fact as it's also listed on his profile.
Lastly, there's so many prospects for the national team abroad, yet the management keeps persisting with the likes of Araneta, the oldies such as Barsales, Gener, etc. It's frustrating as hell!
so what...why keep looking if we have local players...filipinos really love to have to win instantly in any sport and traded everything and even think that state side product are better than the locals...think why there still there....
ReplyDeleteAnother Fil Am invited at the trials in Daly city was Vincent Ocampo but he had to decline because of an injury to his knee. Two other Fil Ams, Jose Porteria and Neil Ignacio have also been invited and are attending camp.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why our team keeps scouting potential players living in other countries is because we're trying to put together the best team possible. We, fans, shouldn't be so over protective of local players because it really does not matter whether they're a local product or not as long as they're proudly willing to represent our country. If we are to accomplish a feat that no other Filipino football team has ever achieved, a spot in the World Cup, then by all means we should scout all four corners of the world for the best Filipino footballers. To compete against the world's best, we must assemble the finest footballers.
ReplyDeleteThemyth...question panu kung ang mga hired fil-foreign players was called by their mother clubs on the middle of Azkals campaign anu gagawin ng azkals???yes it is good, they have willingness...but to the fans especially mga bagong fans...think of the long term program...ok lang if this fil-foreign stay for good sa pinas then i agree with that, like the younghusband brothers which i admire sa dedication nila toward sa PHL football....admit it filipinos really like to have an easy way just to win....but yung long term program wala...example the gilas it is a long term program...imbes supurtahan anu kotya at comments ang mababasa at maririnig mo...it is not i dont like them but i am thinking of the wellfare of local football as they slowly grow....
ReplyDelete"filipinos really love to have to win instantly in any sport"
ReplyDeleteSo?!? What does that have to do with anything?? As TheMyth said, the best should be picked and played for the national team. Locals shouldn't be picked for the sake of having locals or any other reason such as "they love to win." That's just BS!
So?!? What does that have to do with anything?? As TheMyth said, the best should be picked and played for the national team. Locals shouldn't be picked for the sake of having locals or any other reason such as "they love to win." That's just BS!
ReplyDeleteit is not just winning but also how you maintain that drive to excellence...ok kumuha ng players abroad again tatanungin kita panu kung kinuha sila ng mother teams nila anu mangyayari???ok lang na walang local sa NT as long they are still included on the training program...example what happen to the team when the etheridge was not available???now if you really understand football please explain....a mentallity like yours is lesser than the BS...
local players suck... period
ReplyDeletedami pa ring gunggung na walang alam sa football. hoy!!! magbasketball nalang kayo.
long term football means having a strong local league which means having local players recruited and playing abroad.
so, in other words, ang mga magagaling ay naglalaro pa rin sa ibang bansa hinde sa local league.
VOVO nyo...
To Anonymous who wrote
ReplyDelete" Filipinos really love to have to win in any sport "
I think you really have no idea how a National Team functions in Europe, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and other football leading countries. A lot of their good players play in all parts of the world. They will be only called 2 or even sometimes a week before a big international game.
And with your fear that their mother club will call them during the preparation/tournament, only shows your ignorance. Before these players can fly out to their national teams they preferred to play, they have to get a written permission from their mother club. And these permission can only be granted when the mother club recieves a formal letter of request/invitation from the national team they have to play.
I am stationed here in Europe and I have never heard such kind of stupidity that the mother club will call the players in the middle of a prepartion for a big international tournamnet, specially if their country also participates in such tournamnet.
On top of that you should accept that the European players are better trained than our locals. The Philippines just got a German trainer a few months ago, I am very sure that he exactly knows that it is a very very long way to go, before Philippines can compete with the European national teams, the likes of Germany, France, Italy, Holland etc.
The Philippine national trainer and Mr. Palami is just doing exactly the right decision to get as much talented and skilled Fil-Foreigners to join in the Azkals.
"Love to win" alone cannot win a medal in football. Talent and skill should be combine to excel in this game. And our country is still very far compared to the European football. Be glad that there are Fil-Foreigners who are willing to contribute their skills and talent to bring the Philippine Footbal forward.
All what you are writting here are only BS and sign of ignorance.