Post by Usapang Football on Sept 24, 2010 18:07:38 GMT 8
No Holy Week break for football team
By FRANCIS SANTIAGO
April 1, 2009, 6:35pm
The RP men’s football team will not take a break this coming Holy Week as it gears up for the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup Qualifiers set April 14-18 in Maldives.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mari Martinez said members of the squad will forego vacation trips and time with their families to focus on training for the team’s first international meet this year.
“Maybe even during the Holy Week the team will practice. We might just set aside at least one day for the break but will practice for the rest of the week,” Martinez said Wednesday.
Aris Caslib, a multi-titled San Beda College mentor, has been tapped to replace Norman Figedero as coach of the RP team.
Some quarters have criticized the team saying it was unprepared since it was formed only last month and therefore may lack cohesion and teamwork.
But Martinez, who survived an ouster move during the federation’s Congress last month, denied the allegations and said: “The team is ready.”
The team includes several foreigners with Filipino blood. Among them are Neil Etheridge, a goalkeeper from Fulham FC, and fellow Fil-Britons Chris Greatwich, Simon Greatwich, Chad Gould and newcomer Robert Gier, a defender of Grays Athletic in the Conference National, a fifth-tier league in England.
“Simon and Chris (Greatwich) are already in town and we are expecting the others to hit town on April 4 and 5,” Martinez said.
Veteran campaigner Fil-American Anton Del Rosario and Fil-Dutch teenager Jason De Jong will also backstop the locals led by national team mainstays Aly Borromeo, Emelio Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Joebel Bermejo, Ricardo Becite III, Jason Cordova, Ruben Doctora, Arnie Pasinabo and Roxy Dorlas and collegiate stars Francis Gustilo, Jose Andoni Santos and June Antonio Abiera.
The RP team will face off with Turkmenistan, Bhutan and the host Maldives in the four-day affair.
The Philippines has a decent record in the Challenge Cup, chalking up three victories and holding 2006 champion Tajikistan to a draw last year when the country hosted the event in Iloilo.
By FRANCIS SANTIAGO
April 1, 2009, 6:35pm
The RP men’s football team will not take a break this coming Holy Week as it gears up for the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup Qualifiers set April 14-18 in Maldives.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mari Martinez said members of the squad will forego vacation trips and time with their families to focus on training for the team’s first international meet this year.
“Maybe even during the Holy Week the team will practice. We might just set aside at least one day for the break but will practice for the rest of the week,” Martinez said Wednesday.
Aris Caslib, a multi-titled San Beda College mentor, has been tapped to replace Norman Figedero as coach of the RP team.
Some quarters have criticized the team saying it was unprepared since it was formed only last month and therefore may lack cohesion and teamwork.
But Martinez, who survived an ouster move during the federation’s Congress last month, denied the allegations and said: “The team is ready.”
The team includes several foreigners with Filipino blood. Among them are Neil Etheridge, a goalkeeper from Fulham FC, and fellow Fil-Britons Chris Greatwich, Simon Greatwich, Chad Gould and newcomer Robert Gier, a defender of Grays Athletic in the Conference National, a fifth-tier league in England.
“Simon and Chris (Greatwich) are already in town and we are expecting the others to hit town on April 4 and 5,” Martinez said.
Veteran campaigner Fil-American Anton Del Rosario and Fil-Dutch teenager Jason De Jong will also backstop the locals led by national team mainstays Aly Borromeo, Emelio Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Joebel Bermejo, Ricardo Becite III, Jason Cordova, Ruben Doctora, Arnie Pasinabo and Roxy Dorlas and collegiate stars Francis Gustilo, Jose Andoni Santos and June Antonio Abiera.
The RP team will face off with Turkmenistan, Bhutan and the host Maldives in the four-day affair.
The Philippines has a decent record in the Challenge Cup, chalking up three victories and holding 2006 champion Tajikistan to a draw last year when the country hosted the event in Iloilo.