By RYAN FENIX
There was a time in the not so distant past where a trip to downtown Manila to catch the Philippines play football matches was filled with a sense of dread and foreboding.
dingy M.H. del Pilar Street fronting the Rizal Memorial Stadium was dimly lit and sometimes stank of human waste, and food options were limited to an overcrowded McDonald's or restaurants in the old Harrison Plaza which has seen better days.
Thankfully, all of these seem to be in the past, as the PFF put in place a Fan Zone and Mess Hall that not only gave fans a multitude of activities and food options, it also provided what the English may call a 'proper game day atmosphere'.
Football merchandise was available, as are football booths from well-known brands. One can take your pick on the food you wish to eat, and have I mentioned that liquor is available?
The fans repaid this effort by coming in droves, breaching the 10k strong target set by the PFF, even if entrance to the bleachers remain painfully slow.
Now, if only we could similarly give the same rave reviews for the football on display.
Fans were hopeful that the former Azkals (more on the moniker later) would continue the defensive solidarity shown in Basra, Iraq a few days prior, where they held the much higher ranked Iraq scoreless for 83 minutes before eventually succumbing to a 1-0 defeat.
Instead, the match in Manila was effectively over as a contest after 38 minutes as Iraq pounced on a multitude of errors to cruise to a 3-0 lead at that point.
Iraq continued to put on the pressure and eventually ended the game 5-0 winners, leaving the Philippines winless in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and leading new coach Tom Saintfiet to apologize to the fans post match.
"I am very sorry and apologies for the big defeat,” said the Philippines coach, adding that his team "tried to play more football than in Iraq,” but "we lost because of individual mistakes, which will be addressed in closed doors."
Santi Rublico once again showed tremendous promise and Coach Tom has hinted at a number of potential new names for the team in the June international window, including winger Raphael Obermair, who plays for SC Paderborn in 2.Bundesliga in Germany.
The Philippines is a team in transition, and the new PFF administration led by President John Gutierrez will be keen to get a good run of results to kick-start their term.
Off the pitch, they have made great strides. The big clock at the Rizal Memorial Stadium is finally working after 100 years and the locker rooms have reportedly been renovated and refurbished.
They have also done away with the Azkals moniker, wanting a fresh start for the men's team under their watch.
But the old Azkals nickname, whether they like it or not, has resonated with the fans and has stuck, with members of those in attendance joining in an "Azkaaaals" chant midway through the first half.
It remains to be the easiest and most recognizable way to bring in the masses to the game with the invite of 'Tara, nuod tayo ng Azkals mamaya' (Let's go watch the Azkals later) self-explanatory and in no need further expounding.
But whatever they will be called in the future, the Philippine Men's National Football Team, even after an embarrassingly heavy home defeat, can count on their fans, led by the Ultras Filipinas, for support.
That last game at RMS was painful to watch, but there should be more than enough time to improve for the June matches
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