11 January 2012
Teams beef up roster for UFL tourney
MANILA, Philippines - Stalwarts of the top clubs foresee a highly competitive, tight battle ahead when the United Football League ushers in its new season with the League competitions beginning Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Air Force Phoenix, fresh from its title romp in the Cup play, will have its hands full against rival sides that beefed up their rosters to make a run at the coveted League diadem, led by Loyola Meralco Sparks, Kaya FC, and Global FC.
“The rest of the field strengthened their lineups so Air Force is practicing twice as hard. We’ll do our best to win and give them all a good fight,” PAF forward Ian Araneta said in Filipino during yesterday’s media launch organized by UFL’s broadcast partner AKTV.
Araneta will again join forces with fellow Azkal Chieffy Caligdong, and veterans Yanti Barsales and Edmundo Mercado, who played key roles in the Airmen’s triumph over a Meralco side bannered by Phil and James Younghusband and Mark and Matt Hartmann in the UFL Cup championship game last month.
“Our main advantage is experience and long years of playing together,” said Araneta.
Phil Younghusband, the top scorer (25 goals) in the last tourney, feels it’s a wide-open race.
“If you look at the field, all the teams in the top four (in the UFL Cup) are capable of beating one another. We know that on any day, anything can happen,” said Younghusband, looking forward to avenge the Sparks’ setback the last time.
Younghusband, along with Loyola teammate Hartmann, and Global FC stalwarts Misagh Bahadoran, Angel Guirado and new recruit Carli de Murga, formerly of Spanish third division club Portuensa, made a visit to The STAR office, gamely posing for pictures, as they promote the upcoming League play.
“More players from Europe are coming in and this makes the league stronger; the competition will become more exciting,” Younghusband said.
Kaya, which is bannered by Azkals Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario and Nate Burkey and handled by former national coach Juan Cutillas, underwent massive roster buildup in a bid to bounce back from fourth place finish in the Cup.
The competition is expected to be tight as the top 10 teams have been bunched in the first division and 12 teams are in the second division. The teams with the best records after the round-robin competition will be crowned champions in their respective divisions.
Likewise, a relegation formula has been set with the bottom team in the first division being dropped to the second division next time and the second division champ getting promoted to the top tier, according to to Football Alliance’s Santi Araneta.
philstar
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WTF!?! Calri signed for Global FC?! What a waste!
ReplyDeleteWaste of what? Jeff Christaens also signed. Palamis shopping spree continues. Its like seeing Manchester City or Real Madrid on a smaller scale. LOL
ReplyDeleteWaste of a career that's what! It doesn't have anything to do with how much Palami is spending to bring in players. Carli is only 23 and now decides to play his football in the Philippines?! Ya.... waste!!
ReplyDeleteChristiaens hasn't signed.... or has he? He only made a single appearance for Global in November. That's about it. If he also decides to play in the Philippines, then its also gonna be anther waste especially since he's younger and is quite promising!
It wont be a waste, since they will surely help increase the level of play in the league. It would be more beneficial if you look at it since, it will have a ripple effect on all the players in the UFL. Don wont worry to much man. I hope de Jong will also join as well as Hinrechen, OJ Porteria. This might be really it, UFL growing as the premier league in the country.
DeleteThat's the problem. You're only looking it at it from the league's point of view. Obviously it's gonna make the league a bit better but what about from the player's point of view? Especially since they're young (Carli & Christiaens) and still have a lot to learn and gain. They're barely gonna learn and gain much (if anything at all) by playing in the Philippines. They're gonna stagnate and this move would be considered as a step backwards in the their career!
DeleteIf they were say at least 29 years old, fine. But when they're only 20 like Christiaens who is already getting regular minutes for a Belgian club even if its only in the third division. That's where he should be. Same thing for Carli who is a regular for Portuense. And quite frankly is pisses me off. Talent like the Younghusband brothers who seems to be content pissing about only playing for a local club instead of pursuing a proper pro career, there's Guirado who decides to only play in the Philippines after declaring he wants to improve and play in a competitive league, now there's Carli and Christiaens who pretty much has the same mentality. Hell, even Simon Greatwich is now part of that list!
With regards to Carli, Guirado and Christiaens.... if Palami was a proper team manager of the national team, and genuinely has the interests of the players at heart, then he wouldn't have signed those players for his club. I've said this before and I'll it again, it's a case of conflict of interest! He's using the national team for his gain and it's BS to say the least!
Country's & League's gain is more than just a single player's gain. It's like hitting 3 birds with one stone. They are helping the country, the league and themselves grow(football).
DeleteIt's the players choice to sign to any club they want. If they think it wont be beneficial in their part then don't sign in. Don't blame Dan Palami.
Don't blame Palami?!? BS!!! As said, it's a case of conflict of interest. Clearly you're not familiar with that.
DeleteAnd can you not read properly?!? I've been saying that they barely have anything to gain, if anything at all by playing domestically. But there you are saying that the country's and league's gain is more than the player's gain.... basically you're saying that the players should put the country and league's interest ahead of their own careers. Brilliant! Just shows where your head is at!!
Ya sure it's the player's choice, but again, if Palami was even half sensible, he wouldn't even have approached them in the first place to play domestically and just let them be in Europe where its more beneficial to their careers/development. Mind you, I think this is as much the player's idiocy as it is Palami's!
Don't blame Palami?!? BS!!! As said, it's a case of conflict of interest. Clearly you're not familiar with that.
DeleteAnd can you not read properly?!? I've been saying that they barely have anything to gain, if anything at all by playing domestically. But there you are saying that the country's and league's gain is more than the player's gain.... basically you're saying that the players should put the country and league's interest ahead of their own careers. Brilliant! Just shows where your head is at!!
Ya sure it's the player's choice, but again, if Palami was even half sensible, he wouldn't even have approached them in the first place to play domestically and just let them be in Europe where its more beneficial to their careers/development. Mind you, I think this is as much the player's idiocy as it is Palami's!
You got problems man! What's wrong with Palami approaching these players, in the end of the day it's their decision. That's how the football and the world works. Grow up will you!
DeleteSpare me the lecture! FFS! What's wrong? Why don't you read properly whats been posted!!! Clearly you got problems!
Delete