Azkals news Saturday

Philippines is playing UAE Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

Jerry Lucena was last player that arrived Abu Dhabi Friday night.

Misagh Bahadoran is injured and will not play in the friendlies.

Javier Patino that is not in UAE squad will not be availalble for India friendly also because he is injured.

Stephan Schrock and Roland Müller is expected to join the team for India friendly on November 15

UFL Cup knockout stage set to kick off

From Karlo Sacamos

THE United Football League Cup shifts into higher gear as the knockout stage kicks off starting Tuesday at the Emperador Stadium in Mckinley Hill.
Sixteen out of the 23 teams have advanced from the group stage, each of which faces a win-or-go-home scenario.
“You can’t have a bad game,” Stallion coach Ernie Nierras, whose team – the defending champion -- finished second place in Group C and is seeded 10^th, said on Friday during the press launch of the event.
High-scoring Loyola Meralco emerged the top seed, followed by Global, Kaya, Green Archers United, Ceres-La Salle, Union Internacionale Manila, Cebu Queen City United, and Forza.
The top eight teams battle one squad in the bottom half of the field, comprised of, in order, ninth seed Pachanga Diliman, Stallion, Agila, Manila Jeepney, Philippine Air Force, General Trias International, Philippine Navy, and Cimarron.
The respective seeding of (third) Kaya and (sixth) Union Internacionale Manila, though, can still be adjusted pending the outcome of their Group B match on Saturday.
It’s a consensus among coaches though, that it’s going to be a wide-open race.
“It’s anybody’s game,” said Nierras, whose team's title defense will be an uphill climb following the departure of several foreign standouts.
“It doesn’t seem that one team has more chance than the other,” Kaya coach David Perkovic, for his part, said.
The top-seeded Sparks, though, have had a chip on their shoulders after coming up short in previous competitions.
“We’re one of the hungriest teams,” Loyola ‘keeper Ref Cuaresma said.
The Round of 16 will have playdates each, with two games per day, at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively, and will be aired live on primetime on AksyonTV (on free TV: Channel 41 in Metro Manila, Channel 29 in Cebu and Davao; on cable: Channel 59 on SkyCable, Channel 78 on Destiny Cable, and Channel 1 on Cignal Digital TV).

spin

UFL to start selling tickets for live games

From Karlo Sacamos

THE United Football League is set to sell tickets to fans who will watch the games live at the Emperador Stadium starting in the UFL Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday.
The Philippines’ premier football competition has partnered with Ticketworld in selling the tickets, each pegged at P100 for the grandstand and P50 for the bleachers.
“We feel that’s an important milestone for the league,” UFL president Randy Roxas said on Friday during the press launch of the knockout stage. “If you see real value in your product, you have to put commensurate price.”
Tickets are available at all Ticketworld outlets, at the Emperador Stadium during game days, and through Ticketworld website, www.ticketworld.com.ph.
Roxas believes the development, instead of having a negative effect, will even drive more people to watch the games live.
But the games can still be watched live on TV through AksyonTV (on UHF free TV: Channel 41 in Metro Manila, Channel 29 in Cebu and Davao; on cable: Channel 59 on SkyCable, Channel 78 on Destiny Cable, and Channel 1 on Cignal Digital TV).
The league will be aired twice a week, two games per day, at 5 and 7 p.m.

spin

Azkals tangle with tough UAE

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Turning their preparations for the AFC Challenge Cup a notch, the Philippine Azkals are bracing for a couple of tough friendlies next week, starting with a showdown with Asian powerhouse United Arab Emirates on Saturday at Zayed City Sports Center in Abu Dhabi.
The Azkals arrived in the Middle East Wednesday with only 11 players as the rest of the members of the squad are still tied up with club commitments.
After the match in Abu Dhabi, the Azkals are flying to India to face the national side in Chennai on Nov. 15.
Five players from Global—Jerry Barbaso, Jason de Jong, Amani Aguinaldo, Jeff Christiaens and Marwin Angeles—will only join the camp tomorrow, following the Singapore Cup third place playoff that was scheduled last night, while Jerry Lucena, Rob Gier, Ray Jonsson and Juani Guirado will be flying in from Europe.
“It’s just important for the players to have more playing time together because we haven’t had a lot of matches this year,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami.

BALESTIER MARCH TO THIRD PLACE IN SINGAPORE CUP

Balestier Khalsa wrapped up their best season ever with a 1-0 win over Global FC of the Philippines to take third place in the 2013 RHB Singapore Cup at Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday night.

The Tigers had to survive some tense moments near the end after goal-scorer Qiu Li was sent off for receiving a second caution in the 82nd minute to add to his first in the 52nd.

But the forward’s winning goal in the 53rd minute proved enough to separate the two sides, after some good build-up by Park Kang Jin and Zulkiffli Hassim down the left.

Zulkiffli squared the ball for Qiu, who was able to smash the ball just inside the right-hand upright, beating Global keeper Roland Sadia as he dived to his left in vain.

There had been chances for the visiting side as well, but a poor first touch when in sight of goal by Global captain Ben Starosta and wayward finishing from the industrious Jeffrey Christiaens prevented them from breaking the deadlock.

The Philippines side defended solidly for the most part and did what they could to penetrate a notoriously stubborn Balestier backline.

But the Tigers were on the offensive from the off and had Global looking to their exuberant goalkeeper to keep them in the game.

In the ninth minute, Kim Min Ho saw his shot stopped on the line by the agile Sadia, but when the ball bobbed up in front of the lurking Obadin Aikhena, another defender blocked the second attempt on goal and the ball was hastily bundled away for a corner.

In the 22nd minute, Global had their first real chance when Christiaens’s free-kick was cleared to Starosta, whose close-range effort bounced back off the right-hand upright as Balestier goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam looked on gratefully.

Zulkiffli and Qiu both kept the Global goalkeeper busy for much of the remainder of the first half, shots from the eventual winning goal-scorer being dealt with skilfully by Sadia as he climbed high to effect good saves each time.

After Qiu had scored in the 53rd minute, Global tried hard to make up on lost ground with Christiaens causing the most problems, but a well-drilled Balestier defence held firm.

Some drama came in the 82nd minute when Qiu was given a second caution after an apparently off-the-ball altercation with a Global player, while Global’s 17-year-old starlet Amani Aguinado was also dismissed three minutes later after being cautioned twice in the game.

However, that was all the drama that ensued as Balestier did enough to earn the third prize in the Singapore Cup to go with their StarHub League Cup win and a creditable fourth place in the Great Eastern-YEO’s S.League.

S-League website

UFL Cup Thursday - Results

UFL Cup Thursday at Emperador Stadium


7 pm Navy 2-1 Dolphins

FT- Phil.Navy FC 2-1 Dolphins United FC Goal scorers: Abdou Moussa Obono 16' - DUFC Friday Okoro 20' 83'(pk) -PNFC

9 pm Green Archers United 0-3 Loyola

FT- Green Archers United FC 0-3 Loyola FC Goal scorers: Matthew Hartmann 50' Chad Gould 83' Arnel Amita 89'

PFF Smart National Club Championship

PFF SMART NAT'L CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP - FINAL ROUND

Date: Dec 9-13, 2013, Final Qualifying Round 
Dec 15-18, 2013, Semi Finals (Home and Away format)
Dec 19-21, 2013, Finals (Home and Away format)

Venue: Panaad Sports Complex and North Football Field , Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

10 Teams Qualified for the next round :

1. BSU FC - Baguio City-Benguet FA
2. CBSUA FC - Naga City-Cam Sur FA
3. Ceres FC - Negros Occidental FA
4. Manolo Fortich (Del Monte) FC - Bukidnon FA
5. Columbia FC - Davao FA
6. M'lang FC - North Cotabato FA
7. Alia FC - Zamboanga FA
8. Palawan FC - Palawan FA
9. Flame United Cherifer FC - Cavite FA
10. Global FC - Leyte FA (to be determined)

Cebu Queen City United FC - Cebu FA (to be determined)

Thanks to Ryn Ka (Facebook)

UFL to review possible sanctions for Air Force Fc

The United Football League is studying the possibility of slapping further sanctions to Philippine Air Force after walking out of its Cup match against Stallion Sta.Lucia last Tuesday.
“We are reviewing the incident. We have received the match reports as well as the positions presented by both teams,” UFL General Manager Cesar de Larrazabal told InterAKTV.
“Notwithstanding the various angles in this unfortunate incident, we are working towards its speedy resolution.”
Players from both squads figured in a scuffle at the 21st minute which resulted to five ejections due to red cards— four from Air Force and one from Stallion.
After the incident, Air Force walked out of the match at the 36th minute, handing Stallion a default victory.
UFL Head of Football Operations Ritchie Gannaban also said that apart from the possible additional sanctions, players who received red cards will be fined.

interaksyon