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Post by Wiking on Aug 7, 2012 23:12:56 GMT 8
Jonny, Gier was injured on the 29th(not sure of severity) and as it looks currently, he does not look like he's going to the US, but you never know.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 8, 2012 0:55:00 GMT 8
To those going to the game, I have set up a tentative meetup point at highly rated Muldoon's Pub and Restaurant in Downtown Wheaton, where you can grab something to eat or drink prior to the game. I will try to be there around 6:15 PM before heading out to the game maybe 25 minutes prior to the start which is at 7:30 PM. It is a 5 minute drive or 15 minute walk to the stadium. The address is 133 West Front St. Wheaton IL and their phone no. is (630) 668 8866.
I think it would be the most convenient place to meet as the nearest Filipino restaurant to the stadium that I have been able to find is in Naperville. I think it would also be a way of keeping to the tradition among soccer fans of meeting up in a pub prior to a football match.
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Post by stellarboy on Aug 8, 2012 5:27:03 GMT 8
cj, Won't you mind if I share this on our social media pages? Thanks for the info anyway.
I hope we could also find a meetup place for those watching the PHI vs. USVI game in Indianapolis. That'll be great.
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markilizer
UF Scout
Official Women's Football Scout
Posts: 290
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Post by markilizer on Aug 8, 2012 5:46:35 GMT 8
Nice! I'll see you guys there.
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Post by paulino19 on Aug 8, 2012 6:39:18 GMT 8
I apologize to the forum members for not having participated in these forums since my initial introduction, but I have a question: are the training sessions closed to the public?
I don't live very far from Wheaton College, and they are not sure if we are allowed to watch the team train. I called their athletic department ... Does this also include the Oak Brook Polo Fields?
I don't think I can make the match on Saturday, so watching the boys train compensates for it.
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Post by locotes on Aug 8, 2012 7:02:32 GMT 8
roster update: Matthew Uy is in New York City at this time, doesn't seem to be headed to Chicago, same with Demit Omphroy. No Angel Guirado either but Carli is arriving in a few hours.
There is a player based in the US and he was suppose to play for the team the last time but missed his plane, was that Demit Omphroy? If they are few hour from Chicago, why are they not going? are they invited?
The first game is a good test for our team. I always believe US soccer has good quality. People just dont realize it or dont give credit coz there are a lot of other sport where they can compare it to. Im looking foward to that game. BTW result is not important, I just want our team to look like a "team".
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 8, 2012 7:02:35 GMT 8
paulino,
If I were you I would just go there and see if you can watch them train. You have nothing to lose except being denied entry.
If you can't make the game, there is also the after party at the Capitol nightclub in Chicago at 4244 N. Milwaukee Ave. from 9 PM onwards where you can get to meet the players for $30.
BTW, since you are familiar with the area, is Muldoon's the best place to meetup. I was looking for a closer venue but I like their reviews a lot better. They apparently serve good food and the Irish pub setting provides a more authentic football experience for soccer fans, like I was used to when I was still part of the Chicago Fire supporters groups.
All we need now to simulate a real supporters group is team jerseys, scarves, face paint, pyrotechnics, noise makers like drums, etc. and some ready made chants, none of which we have at the moment. That is okay. This is a new experience for us Filipino football fans. I am sure we will eventually learn to behave like other football fan supporters groups around the world in the future. Fans in America weren't as organized either in the beginning of MLS.
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Post by kuo24 on Aug 8, 2012 9:00:07 GMT 8
Without Gier, Omphroy and Uy, the backline looks really thin. We're left with Borromeo, Sabio, Carli and Gener/Margarse.
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 8, 2012 9:25:19 GMT 8
Indeed I am not as optimistic in our chances in this game as I would like. We are playing a team currently in midseason form that will play cohesively as they are familiar with each others play while we not only will be missing our big guns but the Azkals basically have just started training after a long layoff. Remember under similar circumstances, the Azkals got clobbered in Germany by lower division teams last year. I just hope that they can find some gems among the new triallists in camp so they will at least get something out of the US trip.
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Post by paulino19 on Aug 8, 2012 10:35:56 GMT 8
cjeagle,
Thanks for the info. I might as well give it a shot and go over to training and see what they say. It was funny... I called the athletic department, and they didn't know what I was talking about. So, I got transferred to Conference Services (I assume they are responsible for scheduling events on campus). After saying Philippine National Team and Azkals 2x, they put me on hold to find their training schedule. They had no clue either. They finally got back on the phone and actually gave me their training schedule for the rest of the week.
Capitol nightclub? That's a Polish nightclub in the Polish community! How did they end up there? That's not even in the Loop. That's a real Chicago neighborhood, not a tourist trap. Well, I hope there will be a lot of Filipinos there because that club is pretty much surrounded by the largest Polish community outside of Poland ... and that is the truth.
As for the Wheaton bar, I don't know. I don't hang around the pubs here because of the lack of diversity in this part of the Chicago suburbs. I always go to the city. Honestly, if you go to hang out at a club in downtown Wheaton, you will receive some very hard stares. Wheaton is not very diverse and is very conservative and church-oriented ... a lot of American flag-waving there. If you want to feel a little more comfortable, find a bar in downtown Naperville because the demographics have changed plenty over the years, and it's much more tolerant than Wheaton because everyone in the immediate area goes to Naperville to hang out. Plus, there is a decent Filipino community there, as well. Way more Chinese and Indians than Filipinos, but a sizeable Asian community nonetheless. How the Azkals ended up in Wheaton is beyond me.
Plus, I'm not even sure how this tour was being marketed because none of the Filipinos who live in this part of the Chicago area even know they are here ... or even care that they are here. Filipinos in the American Midwest are bogus, man. They worship American culture like it is the Holy Grail, and they don't even acknowledge their own when they see them walk down the street here. It's really a weak community here. They are not too proud and seem almost embarrassed to be Filipino. Trust me, i have been living here since the 1970s. The Azkals should have picked the West Coast instead ... very proud and supportive Filipinos out there.
Okay, I'm off my soap box. I hope you and your friends enjoy the match Saturday. I don't think there will be too many Filipinos, but I hope I am proven wrong. Go Azkals! I'll see if I can go to the game or nightclub. I am a footballer and fan.
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Post by Wiking on Aug 8, 2012 10:41:45 GMT 8
paulino19, with regards to attending practice, yes you can. Jeffrey Christiaens has been an avid twitter and takes a lot of photos, he has posted a few with some Filipino-American fans sitting with him on the bleachers. I chided him on one because it seemed like she was getting very "friendly" and he laughingly agreed. I'm sure the info you posted could be used by the fans attending the game! locotes, Yes, that was Demit O, but he didn't miss the plane, it was under repair at the time if I remember correctly. I agree with you about American soccer, the country is a lot different than other countries in that it has immigrants instantly improving teams(my high school and college team were boosted by Mexican, Central American and even one or two Euro players) and with a population of 303 million and with America's love affair with sports they can indeed be among the top 12 teams in less than 2 decades(my humble opinion)! Why? Europe's population is contracting while the US has steady growth driven by soccercentric hispanics, latinos and asians. I remember in the 90's when soccer was "the European" sport disdained by many, but not anymore. At this time still no sight of Demit or Matt, though Ace Bright and Matt are currently communicating, about what, I do not know.
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Post by Wiking on Aug 8, 2012 13:31:47 GMT 8
Matt Uy is finally going to Illinois! He should be in Chicago in about 24hrs. Defensive side looking a little better... A young Matthew Uy playing for Fairfield University in New York
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Post by cjeagle on Aug 8, 2012 14:57:59 GMT 8
paulino,
I think the organizers were looking for a place to set up the meet and greet part of the Azkals stay in Chicago and probably knew the owners of Capitol nightclub. I was surprised myself when they chose that part of Chicago as I never hang around there either. I actually have plans later anyways so I don't think I can make the club.
As for the meetup point, I think it might be too late to change venues now as the info it seems has now been disseminated widely. Besides we plan only to stay a short while before heading to the game. I was trying to find a venue closer to the stadium and Naperville is even further away. As for your experiences in Wheaton, you should have stared back man. No need to back down to anyone. You sound a little like you live in the middle of redneck country when you describe Wheaton. Isn't that a little further south? The Midwest in general from my experience is a little more tolerant especially to Asians.
As for marketing the game, if they had played the Chicago Fire, the game would have been more high profile, as the Fire are usually good at advertising the game via print and other media, concerning their friendlies. But the Inferno is a new professional lower division soccer club here in the Chicago area with a limited budget, so not many soccer fans know about it even among the general population so I am not surprised that a lot of Filipinos have not heard about this game. All I know is I tried to spread the word to as many Filipinos as possible even those who only know the game of basketball. The capacity for the stadium btw is quite small though relative to Toyota Park, so filling the stadium shouldn't be as much of a problem. If they don't, the Azkals might decide to play elsewhere next time despite the fact that the organizers live in the area. We will see on game day.
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Post by paulino19 on Aug 8, 2012 21:41:30 GMT 8
cjeagle,
It's great that you are spreading the word about the team. They really do deserve the support. And it also sounds like the team are having a great time so far. Good for them.
As for my opinions about the Midwest, and Chicago's far Western Suburbs, they are all based on my personal experiences having been raised in this area. On the positive note, many communities have changed since my youth, but that type of attitude I wrote about earlier among the locals still lingers. It wasn't meant to dampen moods, and I do hope the Wheaton pub is an enjoyable time for you guys.
Anyways, I do hope you guys have a wonderful time at the match and for the Azkals to show some good fight and possibly win Saturday and next week ... and I hope Denis Wolf doesn't miss too many chances this time around ... lol ... Have fun!
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Post by paulino19 on Aug 9, 2012 6:05:43 GMT 8
Wiking,
You were right. Some girls are all over Jeffrey ... LOL ... Hopefully, they tone it down a bit. He has a game Saturday ... LOL
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