A Saturday Special. Filipinos are a really proud race, don't you agree? We Filipinos easily associate our country and race whenever we see successful kababayans. This is a bit of a long story, but you need to know about these boys that are trading blood, sweat and tears for your nation. Give them a chance. After reading through this, I hope you can appreciate them more. Because they bring us PINOY PRIDE.
Let me paint you a picture: Hanoi, Vietnam, 2010. It was football night for the Vietnamese. And as a very passionate football nation, you can imagine the nation getting behind their very own Vietnam National Football team. Tonight would just be another night for the team as the jam-packed stadium was expecting a rout.
They were the defending champions of Southeast Asia. And their opponent that night: A small Philippine team.
The Filipino football team was called the 'Whipping boys of Southeast Asia'. I don't know about you, but I feel this nickname is like a slap to my face.
I AM A FILIPINO for crying out loud!
And Vietnam, for sure, would like to humiliate us again. They always did. These boys were in very hostile territory, surrounded by thousands cheering against them. And the sad part is, most of the Filipinos didn't even know they were there.
But lo and behold, they took on all the odds. They pulled one of the biggest upsets in the history of Asian football. A powerhouse, a defending champion, a strong Vietnam team, was beaten at home in front of thousands of their supporters. A shock that woke Southeast Asian Football: Vietnam 0, Philippines 2. The Miracle in Hanoi, forever immortalized.
YES! Let me tell you, I couldn't be a more prouder Filipino at the time. Even more prouder than when Pacquiao wins.
This sent shockwaves across the nation, sending the country football crazy. Or at least it did for a few years. After the football trend died down, football is back on the rocks.
Papogi lang ba? Football is boring? I'd rather watch PBA.
You've heard these before, right?
Well let me tell you that these 'papogi' players aren't just reaping the benefits of their foreign looks. They gave up a lot to represent YOU. They passed up on playing for foreign nations that saw their value by playing for YOUR flag. They travel here, they play while only getting meager allowances. For YOU. FOR US.
It isn't their fault that we, as a nation, have largely ignored football. Not their fault that our local talents didn't have any way to sharpen their skills. Not their fault that they have been exposed to the highest standards of football overseas because they couldn't get that here.
Sorry about that. Rant over. That felt good.
There is hope in football yet. And every Filipino is important in making this happen. I'm talking to you, casual readers.
So how can we support our boys?
We really need to be more realistic with our expectations, and remember that we've only just begun our ascent.
Azkals Team Manager Mr. Dan Palami, in an interview with our very own Tito Jay at #EatSleepBreatheFootball, said that ever since the miracle, the Philippines was put on the football world map. But we're still not quite there yet. We'll get there, I'm sure.
Once we get behind our team in great numbers, I'm sure that public and private institutions would start backing us up, too.
Right now, our infrastructure isn't something we can really boast. We've recently been considered a regional powerhouse, yet we're not at par with our regional neighbors in terms of fields, equipment, and training centers. We need all the help we can get.
We'll need their support if we want these built. We'll need the infra if we want our Azkals to stand up against world-class opponents.
Pero Pinoy tayo! While all of these are setbacks, us Filipinos are known for our resiliency and industriousness.
Don't worry, there is always good news.
Dan Palami has made some very noteworthy revelations about their plans that I think would really impact our progress.
With the incoming talents to add to our strength, it looks like we're really poised to achieve more as we move along. And this attracts even more talented names who'd like to join the Azkal ranks. So I can see that more names would definitely be added in the coming future.
Aside from injecting fresh talent into our pool, he and Coach Scott Cooper have already been working with the PFF in implementing a system. This system, from my understanding, would include grooming the team from the grassroots on their way up to the senior team. This system would also enable mentorship, something that can take advantage of the knowledge and talent that our senior players have honed overseas.
On top of this, the PFL is about to kick off. It will feature the very best and brightest of our local talents. This alone would ensure that our homegrowns have an option to pursue a footballing career. But with the addition of the Azkals Development Team, our young guns can also get a chance to test their mettle and hone their skills.
Don't wait for them to succeed before you support them. It's not how it works.
We're almost there, and I'm sure that there's a bright future ahead of the Azkals. As optimistic as it is, I also dream of seeing us in the World Cup in the next 5 years. And I'm putting my faith in them.
Para sa bayan.
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