Fil-Dutch pro booter tries out for Azkals

FILIPINO-Dutch Paul Mulders, a 30-year old football pro, planed in recently to try out for the Philippine National Azkals.

But national coach Michael Weiss said Mulers came in too late and will not be picked when he announces the final composition of the team seeing action against Sri Lanka in their two-game home-and-away series on June 29 and July 3 for the he World Cup qualifying matches.

“There will be no more new players for the team. He (Mulders) will not play for Sri Lanka, but later on,” said Weiss last Friday during the Azkals’ workouts at the pitch of the Rizal Memorial football stadium in Vito Cruz.

The 5’9” Amsterdam-based Mulder has been playing professional soccer for the last 10 years and is currently under contract with Ado Den Haag.

Mulder, whose father is Dutch and mother is from Isabela in the Philippines, is an attacking midfielder.

Weiss said the Azkals will have a complete team when they leave for a two-week training in Durren, Germany starting on June 12.

Weiss will choose from seven aspirants, namely former national player and Fil-Australian Leigh Gunn, Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran, Fil-Americans James Rochiletes, OJ Porteria, Neil Ignacio and Nathan Burkey and London-based Alvin Sarmiento.

Meanwhile, organizers said tickets for the Philippines’ 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Sri Lanka on 3 July 2011 in Manila are almost sold out.

The game, which serves as the second leg of the first round World Cup qualifiers will be played at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Around 28,000 seats of tickets worth P200 to P3,000 have been put on sale last week. But Philippine Football Federation officials said they were surprised upon learning that most of the tickets were gone within two hours.

Peter Atencio
Manila Standard Today