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Post by dingodile5 on Jul 17, 2012 22:13:03 GMT 8
Meet Sandro Reyes Milestone for PH football. Sandro Reyes, 9, could be the first homegrown Filipino to be accepted FC Barcelona academy FCB Escola in Spain.
Reyes underwent camp in Singapore, where he was MVP, got invite to another camp in barcelona before getting accepted. Good start.- Cedelf Tupas via twitter
Hope he'll be accepted Good Luck hope you'll continue Alcantara's legacy there
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Post by cjeagle on Jul 17, 2012 22:46:41 GMT 8
First homegrown player in the modern era that is. There have been a couple before WWII who played for FC Barcelona although they had a different setup for developing their youths back then. Pretty impressive nonetheless.
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Post by dingodile5 on Jul 17, 2012 23:56:46 GMT 8
Some background Sandro has been training with The Younghusband Football Academy since January 2010. He was training with Loyola Meralco Sparks Youth Elite in Feb 2012. Before all of that, he started training football with Coach Jojo Durian of Alabang United. FYI. -TYFA FB
We'll yeah, this is for new generation
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Post by xyz1000 on Jul 18, 2012 0:41:55 GMT 8
Just to give you guys an idea of the kind of kids who go to this academy and how hard it is to get in, see the link below. Maybe our Sandro Reyes will play alongside this Irish kid? www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishsunnews/4431094/Zak-of-the-net-for-young-Irish-Messi.html THIS talented Irish player is set to take the football world by storm — after signing for Barcelona FC. comment on this story 8 comments
Zak Gilsenan, nine, from Castleknock, Dublin, has been snapped up by the Spanish giants after wowing scouts when he scored SEVEN goals in a trial.
The schoolboy saw off 400 other starlets to seal a place at the FCBEscola football academy — which has produced such famous stars as Xavi, Iniesta and Zak’s favourite player Lionel Messi. .....
“We came home with the intention of letting Zak go to Spurs, but in the meantime we had a call from Barcelona. One of their former players saw him playing in Oz and recommended him to Barca.
“They offered Zak a trial in May and it was a great experience. It consisted of over 400 boys from all over the world. He was asked back in June when it was cut down to 90.
“Then in a match between the top 16 players, Zak just ran riot and scored seven goals. He was phenomenal. Then we heard back two weeks ago and they offered him a spot.”
.....
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Post by dingodile5 on Jul 18, 2012 7:57:29 GMT 8
Reyes, 9, joins FC Barcelona football academyBy Cedelf P. Tupas Philippine Daily Inquirer 10:40 pm | Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 A 9-YEAR-OLD Filipino football standout has been accepted to FCB Escola, the academy of one of the world’s biggest clubs, FC Barcelona, in Spain. Sandro Reyes, a fourth grader from Southridge, got the nod of FCB Escola coaches after undergoing a rigid screening process that started when he joined a football camp in Singapore early this year. Reyes is the only homegrown Filipino who is part of the academy. The Escola is the lower level school of Barcelona, serving as feeder into the La Masia, the fabled academy that has produced some of the finest players in the world, including World Cup winners Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi. More recently, several Escola graduates have made the Barcelona first team like Cristian Tello and Isaac Cuenca. “It’s mind-blowing,” Reyes’ father, Edmund told the Inquirer. “We are happy. It’s the first step for Sandro to achieve his dream as a world-class player.” The younger Reyes has been a standout in local football camps and festivals before he joined the FCB Escola camps. Edmund Reyes, a former Marinduque congressman, said Sandro is guaranteed a slot in the academy until he graduates at 12 years old. “He has three years to prove himself and move up to La Masia,” said the older Reyes. sports.inquirer.net/53176/reyes-9-joins-fc-barcelona-football-academy
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Post by dingodile5 on Jul 18, 2012 23:54:32 GMT 8
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Post by cjeagle on Jul 19, 2012 1:25:14 GMT 8
The only drawback, with having a 9 y/o Filipino kid playing in FC Barcelona is that if he lives up to his potential and becomes a world class player, he could very well play for Spain instead. It is much easier for a national from a former Spanish colony to obtain Spanish citizenship and just like it is for Alphonse Areola who plays for the French youth teams but considers the Philippines an option, the lure of playing in the World Cup is something that would be very hard to resist.
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Post by cjeagle on Jul 19, 2012 21:59:58 GMT 8
Sandro Reyes highlights when he was 7 or 8 y/o. . It looks like he can dribble and pass better through traffic than some of our players on the men's team. Outstanding ball control and vision for one so young. A potential # 10. His favorite player is Messi and he likes to play like him.
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Post by cjeagle on Jul 19, 2012 23:10:48 GMT 8
SOCCER CAN UNITE THE COUNTRY July 19, 2012, 6:51pm MY favorite soccer commentator is Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune (IHT). He never limits himself to the technical aspects of the beautiful game. He always has some insights into human values and virtues (or vices as in the case of arrogant coaches or dishonest players). He started his commentary on the most beautiful game I have ever seen, the Spain-Italy final match in the last Euro Cup with: "The reign of Spain is not in question now. The world and European champion's 4 - 0 destruction of Italy in Kiev on Sunday leaves no scintilla of doubt. This was the best spanking the best of the rest. David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata scored. But it could have been any Spaniard, because, as the media critics kept insisting, Spain lacks a central striker. Spain, they said, is boring." He ends his commentary with well-deserved sarcasm against the critics: "There is, as they say, no central striker, which is possibly why Spain only won the day by a four-goal margin." Now, that the cheering is over and people are already looking forward to the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the Euro Cup in France in 2016, I would like to get the most mileage from this "scintillating" Spanish victory for my advocacy of more soccer in the Philippines. I maintain that soccer, if played the Spanish or Barca way, can contribute significantly to an increase in the spirit of teamwork and cooperation that is sorely lacking in Philippine society. It is often observed that Filipinos excel as individuals in many professions or occupations abroad. When they are in the Philippines, however, there is a very noticeable lack of cooperation. Training from kindergarten in playing soccer may address part of this problem. That is an important lesson we can learn from the stunning victory of the Spanish team. The very style that some critics were lamenting as "boring" — the tiki-taka technique perfected by the best football club in the world, FC Barcelona (Barca)— enabled the Rojas to win three consecutive world class titles. The essence of the style is constant passing: Pass and move. As Hughes commented: "It was hard work, but far from boring, Spain has been doing this since Luis Aragones, the coach before Del Bosque, urged it in Spanish youth teams. Habits have to be inculcated early. F.C. Barcelona does it almost from kindergarten level, when its La Masia academy recruits boys who are brainwashed in two absolute virtues: to share the ball and to remain modest, whatever they achieve." Seven out of the 23 members of the Spanish team are from FC Barcelona. Fellows like Xavi, Iniesta, and Fabregas were "brainwashed" from their youth to share the ball and to be modest. Xavi is especially valuable to the team. As Hughes observes: "The on-field controller of Barcelona's current side, and of Spain's, is Xavi. His eye and his mind's eye can move the ball more quickly than most men think." Xavi, like Lionel Messi — the Argentinian player for Barca and considered the most valuable soccer player in the world — is the quintessential product of the La Masia training academy. God willing, we may have a Filipino nine-year-old who can follow in the footsteps of these soccer greats. Sandro Reyes, a grade school student of the Southridge school for boys, has been accepted into the academy that is preparatory to La Masia. Sandro tried out and, among 2,400 handpicked players from all over the world, was one of the less than 5 accepted to the FC Barcelona Escola academy, a feeder school to La Masia. The Escola selects and trains players as early as when they are 6 years old and graduates them when they are 12 years old. Yearly, around 10 of its 60 graduates move into La Masia. Even if Sandro does not immediately get into La Masia, he can join other Barcelona area clubs before he can try out again for the Barca team. Sandro is the son of Edmund Reyes, Jr., former Congressman from Marinduque and grandson of the present Governor of the same province, Carmencita O. Reyes. If Sandro finally gets into La Masia, he will be following in the footsteps of Paulino Alcantara. a Spanish mestizo whose mother was from Iloilo and is considered one of the best football players to ever have played for Barca. That was one century ago. Let us pray that Sandro will be given the chance to prove that Filipinos can be world class in the beautiful game even today. Winning Euro Cup 2012 showed that Spain is number one in soccer in the world. There is, however, another cause for celebration that I observed after the game was over. I was happy for Spain when the children of the football players of the winning team came cavorting around the field pursued by their doting fathers. Especially heartening was the sight of Fernando Torres, one of the scorers, carrying a daughter on one hand and a son on the other. The sight of these macho players affectionately fondling their toddlers must have sent a strong message to many Spaniards couples that children can be the greatest source of happiness on earth. I am saying this because it is pitiful to see a country I have come to love condemning itself to extinction by having one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. The Spanish football players did another great service to their country by bringing their little children all the way to Ukraine to be with them to celebrate their victory. More than any marketing campaign to raise fertility rates, the scene of the players and their children on the football field delivered a most cogent message. www.mb.com.ph/articles/366627/soccer-can-unite-the-country
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Post by dingodile5 on Jul 19, 2012 23:21:15 GMT 8
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Post by strikerbon on Jul 22, 2012 10:37:23 GMT 8
Filipino kid kicks his way into football greatness By Cedelf P. Tupas Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:49 am | Sunday, July 22nd, 2012 Starting September, when most kids his age are in school, 9-year-old Sandro Reyes will be leaving the comforts of home in Manila to pursue his dream of football greatness in the school run by one of the biggest—and most successful—clubs in the world, FC Barcelona in Spain. It will be a long journey for him to become the player he dreams to be, but at the rate things have gone for the fourth grader at Southridge, the possibilities seem endless. “I’m excited,” Sandro told the Inquirer after news broke of him going to FCB Escola—the Barcelona football school. “I want to play for FC Barcelona someday.” Known for producing Spain’s finest talents, Barcelona, popularly known as “Barca,” is one of the most accomplished teams in club football history. The members of the club currently form the core of Spain’s World Cup and European Cup winning squad. The long list of greats include Paulino Alcantara, a player born in Iloilo to Spanish parents, who is still the club’s all-time leading scorer, Dutch master Johan Cruyff, Brazilian sensations Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, and currently, Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar whom Sandro aims to emulate. Road less traveled Sandro, standing 4 feet tall, is taking a road less traveled by homegrown Filipino players, and although a significant amount of money was needed to open the opportunity for him, there was little doubt of his immense potential. Until two years ago, when its national team reached the semifinals of the Asean Football Championship, the Philippines barely created a ripple in international football and it is still ranked in the lower quarter of the International Football Federation (Fifa) rankings at 152. And the fact that Sandro will be getting top football education in the world’s top footballing nation makes his move to Spain even more compelling. Described by a coach as a “complete player,” Sandro has been dominating football festivals in Manila since he was 7. Observers took notice of the boy in a youth tournament in the football hotbed of Barotac Nuevo in Iloilo a year ago and created a stir in tournaments in Singapore and Portland, Oregon. But the turning point came in March when he attended a Barcelona camp in Singapore, where he emerged as the most outstanding player. The performance in the camp led to an invitation for a trial in Spain. “We wanted to gauge his skill with the rest of the world,” said Sandro’s father, Edmundo Reyes. “It was a one-day trial and whatever happened, it’s one day he would never forget for the rest of his life. Never mind being accepted. Getting invited is already a big achievement.” Like American Idol audition Although he had been with his son for most of the tournaments, none could have prepared the elder Reyes for what he would see in Cataluña—the world-class facilities as well as the hordes of players and their parents hoping to see their sons get a slot in Escola. “It was like an American Idol audition,” said Edmundo, a former three-term Marinduque congressman, referring to the long lines and the frenzy that usually attend auditions to the popular television talent show. There were 400 kids trying out in Sandro’s age-category and although he was just three weeks removed from an ankle injury, he did well enough to get an invitation to another trial in June. “We had zero expectations because he was injured,” said the father. “But they (Escola coaches) were not only assessing the skills, but also the height, trainability and even the muscles. They were scoring the kids while they were just standing up. They were looking for a player to fit their philosophy.” Barcelona is known for its tiki-taka style of play predicated on one-touch passing and movement. Most of their players are not known for their physical strength but more for their technical ability on the ball and their reading of the game. Down to 32 When Sandro returned to Barcelona, there was none of the frenzy that marked their April visit. Only 32 players were recalled for a trial and the kids were divided into two groups of 16. From his own count, Sandro— true to form—scored four goals and dished out five assists in a scrimmage of his group. A five-minute video of highlights from Sandro’s stints in tournaments in Manila and overseas was proof of his nimble feet. There was a penalty kick that found the top corner, countless through balls for teammates for a score and dribbling skills to beat defenders in small-sided games. Neco Lambey, who got on board as Sandro’s coach before the Barcelona tryouts, sees big things for the 9-year-old. “I see him more as a conductor on the field—a creative midfielder who can distribute the ball and feed the strikers. He’s equally deadly with both feet,” said Lambey, a Belize national who has coached in different international schools in Thailand and Indonesia, said Sandro also stood out for his passion for the game. Hunger for the game “He would watch Barcelona games on television live at 2 a.m. and would discuss the game with you in the morning,” said Lambey. “He’s a fan of the game and he studies the game.” Lambey added: “I see the hunger, I see the fight to be one of the best that he could be. He’s a hard worker and so everything that you teach him, he takes it home and he studies it.” The e-mail from FCB Escola about Sandro’s entry to the school came on Monday night. Sandro’s mother, Camille, relayed the news to him. “We told him that he got in and asked if he was ready to move to Spain. He just said OK,” said the father. “I would have been celebrating.” Not Sandro, though. He was sitting at the backseat of the car. “It’s seems he’s focused on something bigger,” said Edmundo, whose three other children are also into sports. “It’s an easier decision to move to Spain because he knows where he’s going.” Next step Sandro will be accompanied by Camille when he starts studying in Escola, where his education is subsidized by the club. “We can always come back if he doesn’t want to be there, but right now we want to help him achieve his dream,” said Edmundo. “He is guaranteed a slot in Escola for the next three years.” After Escola, the next step for Sandro would be getting a slot at La Masia, the fabled academy of the club, which has produced World Cup winners Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique of Spain. sports.inquirer.net/53849/filipi ... -greatness
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Post by veryfatchocobo on Jul 23, 2012 14:41:05 GMT 8
The only drawback, with having a 9 y/o Filipino kid playing in FC Barcelona is that if he lives up to his potential and becomes a world class player, he could very well play for Spain instead. It is much easier for a national from a former Spanish colony to obtain Spanish citizenship and just like it is for Alphonse Areola who plays for the French youth teams but considers the Philippines an option, the lure of playing in the World Cup is something that would be very hard to resist. Well, he has the blood to become a world great. We Filipinos are made for the Barcelona philosophy. He's going to be an outlet for our nation to become a true competitor to AFC and hopefully to all of FIFA. Plus the fact that the academy brought in a player with currently little football passion means he could become special. Hopefully, by the time he theoretically gets invited to play for Spain, Palami's project becomes successful to the point where there is an incentive for the Filipino players to play for their country. There is still ~12 years to make this happen. Also, although Areola is becoming world class, France still has 10 years on Lloris as well as their U23 keepers that they would theoretically choose over Areola. Then again, Areola is playing for the biggest cash club atm (PSG) at 3rd choice and is fighting for a spot vs. Etheridge. It's also equally possible that he could take a spot on the French team just like Casillas did down the road (but Casillas did start for Madrid when he was like 17 and Cañizares's butterfingers OLOLOLOL...)
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Post by cjeagle on Jul 23, 2012 22:27:08 GMT 8
Long term, it is not Dan Palami's project that will ensure that we will eventually become a World Cup contender. It is how the PFF develops the grassroots football development in the Philippines that will make that possible.
If as you say we Filipinos are tailor made to play the Barcelona way, then they need to lay the foundations for all Filipino kids to play that way early on, maybe by hiring a technical director who can impose this style in all the academies and schools that will open up in the future. Add those kids developed within this system to the players that arises from the Pinoy diaspora and we will have the makings of a regular World Cup contender similar to those we see in South America.
As for Sandro, I suggest that the Azkals cap the kid at a very young age, maybe even at 15 or earlier if he is that talented, similar to what the Austrians did to David Alaba, when they made him the youngest player to play for the Austrian men's national team in an official match, in order to ensure that Germany, Nigeria or the Philippines didn't call him up first.
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Post by stellarboy on Jul 24, 2012 15:09:13 GMT 8
Well, good observations, guys! This interesting development about Sandro Reyes will sure be a good thing to see in the coming years. When he turns at an appropriate age (maybe at 15), and he's still doing well with his football, we will have to transfer him in the "Scouting" board so we could track his progress until he enters the older youth teams (U19, U21, U23) or even the senior team.
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Post by stellarboy on Aug 1, 2012 18:07:24 GMT 8
For Pinoy football phenom’s FC Barcelona dream, parents’ sacrifice worth itKarl Decena, InterAKTV · Tuesday, July 31, 2012 · 3:20 pm For many parents, the thought of going a day without seeing their child can be heartbreaking. But for Edmund Reyes, the father of nine-year-old Filipino football phenom Sandro, the sacrifice of his son being away for months or even years to pursue a dream is worth it. The younger Reyes has been accepted to FCB Escola, the football school run by top La Liga club FC Barcelona. It means that Sandro will spend the next three years in Spain. “This chance may not come again,” said Edmund. “Dream talaga ng son ko na maglaro for FC Barcelona.” Sandro became the first and only Filipino accepted into the prestigious football school after two rounds of tryouts. He impressed coaches in an initial run in Singapore before shining in the final tryout in Spain, wherein he posted four goals and five assists. His feat comes just two years after football tapped the national consciousness of Filipinos, beginning with the surprise semifinal run of the Philippine national team in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup two years ago. With the sport enjoying unprecedented popularity courtesy of the Azkals, the spotlight is now cast on young Sandro, who has the opportunity to become the country’s best football player. No stranger to successDespite his tender age, Sandro is no stranger to football glory. He has been playing since he was four years old, and has starred in many football camps and festivals locally. In 2009, at age six, he led the Southridge football team to the title in the Alaska Cup, posting 23 goals in seven games to win Most Valuable Player honors. He also became part of the Younghusband Football Academy in 2010 and the Loyola Meralco Sparks youth elite team last February. Edmund is aware that for Sandro to maximize his gifts, the youngster has to get the best possible training at the earliest possible age. “For parents, they see the earliest time they consider their child to study abroad is high school. That was our mindset, maybe Sandro is a talented soccer player, maybe he can play there in high school,” Edmund said. “But we were rudely awakened that if we do so, that is too late. Because in high school, there are many habits that you cannot anymore correct and if you are seriously contemplating a life of a top-level professional player, the time for really giving him good training is from six to 11 years old.” In international football, clubs often fund youth academies to train children as young as six, with scouts keeping tabs on them as they grow older. FCB Escola serves as a feeder for La Masia, Barcelona’s youth football academy. La Masia has some of the world’s best football players such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, all of whom competed for the FIFA’s Ballon d’Or, the sports top individual award, in 2010. Playing through painEven though he’s just nine years old, Sandro is no stranger to the sacrifices required to be a top football player. During one of the preparations for his tryout, he injured his ankle, leaving him unable to train for two weeks. Despite the injury, he was still able to impress international coaches. “That was a challenge to put Sandro there with practically one leg and he still made it,” Edmund said. “He played through the pain.” Sandro’s coach, Belize national Neco Lambey, said his talent and fortitude is special. “It’s very rare that you find a talent like Sandro,” said Lambey, who also coached in football schools in Thailand and Indonesia. “He’ll work double time to get what he wants.” Come September, Sandro will fly to Spain to train in FCB Escola together with his mother. Apart from football prowess, education is still important for the academy as it requires students to submit grades every quarter. And if they are not doing well, their playing time would be in peril. “Their philosophy is that football is a dangerous contact sport, and one injury can change your life,” Edmund said. “They’re preparing you also for the real life in a sense that, let’s get out of this dream world.” Edmund is prepared for the fact that his son won’t be home until Christmas. “Mas mabuti na lang kung bumalik siya in the holidays. Para matikman naman lahat ang kanyang presensya. It’s more meaningful,” he said. Staying groundedWhile Sandro’s achievement has left him amazed, Edmund says the family is still trying to make sure that the football phenom’s feet remain firmly planted on the ground. “We are very careful to tell him to stay grounded, keep on improving himself,” he said. “If you become mayabang, that might be start of the time you’ll start improving.” Although Edmund is confident that Sandro will do well in Spain, he realizes that circumstances could easily derail the child’s dream; he could be injured, or he could simply get tired of playing. But for Edmund, all that matters is Sandro’s happiness. “If he tells me that he changes his mind anytime, I’ll say go ahead, as long as that is in your heart,” Edmund said. “No regrets. He’s had an incredible ride.” www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/for-pinoy-football-phenoms-fc-barcelona-dream-parents-sacrifice-worth-it
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