By Olmin Leyba
MALE’ – Looking forward to bigger forays in the future, the Philippine Azkals will continue scouting for talents all over the world and widening the pool for the national team.
“We’ll have to expand even further our scouting activities just to check whether there are still Filipinos out there,” said team manager Dan Palami.
The Azkals were gunning for a finals berth in the AFC Challenge Cup against host Maldives at presstime. Their ultimate objective is to win the Challenge Cup and make a historic qualification to the prestigious AFC Asian Cup next year.
The Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup later in the year is also in the Azkals’ slate.
Palami, though, declined to name the prospective recruits from overseas yet.
Although the big guns from Europe play key roles in the team, Palami noted that they are gradually achieving balance between local-based mainstays and their counterparts from abroad.
“It’s getting there,” Palami said, noting that seven Phl-based players had actually seen action in the crucial group match against Turkmenistan last Saturday.
“Of course we need to find balance between local-based and whoever’s coming over. It’s always been a difficult process and everybody knows that eveything we’re doing will always be geared towards being a successful team,” he said.
According to Palami, the broad plan is to put up a strong pool in Phl and bring in the Fil-Europeans or hold more overseas training with the latter.
“That’s what the coach and I will have to talk about. Do we try to create a strong team based in Manila and just see who among the players outside can reinforce it or do we send them most of the time outside doing camps, getting everybody together? Those are the things we’ll decide upon after the Challenge Cup,” he said.
philstar
I'd say bring them all together for a camp, have them battle for positions, look for players that play well together, or compliment each other or make each other better, and that makes the team better over all...
ReplyDeleteMore armed forces players please. They are the best!
ReplyDeleteMore armed forces players please. They are the best!
ReplyDeleteyes put them in a camp and not an automatic show ins...
ReplyDeleteLooks like Palami's plan is this: Find fil-fors, bring them to the Philippines/UFL. Way to completely neglect the grassroots programm! I can accept this if they would put the same amount of energy into developing the youth systems of the clubs but they clearly aren't!
ReplyDeleteBarking up the wrong tree there. Send your grievances to Araneta and Caslib. Ask them if they have a plan. Caslib is too busy commenting in forums rather than putting his words into actions.
DeleteGrassroots program here is not Palami's concern.. it's PFFs... He is the Manager of the National team so he focuses only on the Azkals growth which is after all very critical than to the growth oft he Sports in the country.. we can have the best grassroots plan but it will remain a plan without funding from the sponsors. Sponsors will be greatly dependent on the appeal of the sport which at this point strongly hinges on the performance of the National Team
ReplyDelete