1917 Far Eastern Championship Games
1917 Philippine Islands (P.I.) football team,
Runners-up at the Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, Japan
[The Philippine National Football Team with Paulino Alcántara]
Players:
F. Evangelista, (Goalie/GK) (Aurora)
Joaquín Loyzaga, (Right Full Back/FR), (Bohemian)
Manuel Nieto, (Left Full Back/FL), (Bohemian)
Luis Moreno, (Right Half Back/HR), (Bohemian)
Joaquin "Chacho" Lopez, (Center Half Back/HC), (Bohemian)
Federico García, (Left Half Back/HL), (Bohemian)
José Llamas, (Outside Right), (Bohemian)
Jose Vicente Genato, (Inside Right), (Aurora)
Paulino Alcántara (Center/C-F), (Bohemian)
F. Altonaga, (Inside Left), (Aurora)
Ramon Marco, (Outside Left), (Bohemian)
Ricardo Garcia, (Bohemian)
Eduardo Yrezabal, (Bohemian)
Eduardo Rodriguez, (Aurora)
Results
Philippines 15-2 Japan (May 7, 1917)
Philippines 0-3 China (May 8, 1917)
The football sporting event at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games was contested by three nations; the Philippines, China and football debutant and hosts Japan.
By 1917, association football was still in the development stage in Japan. The first Japanese football club have just been founded that year, while their best football competition at that time was still an amateur league played by mostly Tokyo-based university teams. Both the Japan Football Association and the prestigious Emperor's Cup were only established four years later. That year Japan hosted the 3rd Far Eastern Championship Games, and in football they were represented by a selection from the Tōkyō Kōtō Shihan Gakkō or Tokyo Higher Normal School (now known as University of Tsukuba), which could be one of Japan's best team that year.
Coming into the 3rd Far Eastern Championship Games, the Chinese were the defending champions. And they were further strengthened when the Kong Shenghui and Lin Lang/Lin Lam players united to reform the South China Athletic Association (Nan Hua), a Hong Kong based football club which grew to become an icon of Asian football.
The Philippine team were mostly composed of players from Bohemian SC, the best team in prewar Philippines, which were already five-time Philippine champions during that time. The other players were from the Aurora Athletic Club, one of the strong contenders for the national title during that era, which have battled the Bohemians in the finals several times.
Paulino Alcantara, who was part of the Philippine team that year, led the Philippines to its biggest recorded victory in an international football match, by a scoreline of 15–2. That match also resulted to Japan's biggest defeat, and this was done in front of the stunned home crown in Tokyo. The historic win remains one of the Philippines’s greatest international football victories.
The Philippines later faced the Republic of China in a de facto final match held at the Shibaura football grounds in Tokyo (which is now a high-rise residential district). The Filipino players reportedly suffered from the cold temperature in Tokyo at that time. They started strong but the Chinese defence held out and Yip Kwan of China opened the scoring on a quick counter-attack, while Tong Fuk Cheong added the second goal for China in the 10th minute.
However the match was abandoned in the 55th minute after Tong Fuk Cheong converted a penalty, following a foul on Kwok Po Kan making the score 3-0, after which the Filipino goalkeeper (named F. Evangelista) ran over to the Chinese scorer and punched him in the face, sparking a brawl.
After the brawl was broken up, the Philippines (who had several players and the goalkeeper sent off) withdrew from the tournament. They left the field, but were persuaded to return and finish the match as the crowd were becoming increasingly agitated. China eventually won the match, and were awarded the gold medal, while the Philippines settled for the silver medal.
Photos (above) [in horizontal order]:
(1st photo) The 1916 Bohemian Sporting Club with Paulino Alcántara as member of the team.
(2nd photo) Paulino Alcantara’s (Insular Government of the Philippine Islands) passport photo.
(3rd photo) one of the Gold Medals awarded during Third Far Eastern Championship Games, in Tokyo 1917 (the one which the Philippines lost to China).
(4th photo) The Filipino athletes were still carrying the U.S. Flag during the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo.
(5th photo) Scenes from the football tournament at the 3rd (1917) Far Eastern Games, held at the Shibaura football grounds in Tokyo, Japan.
(6th photo) the 1917 Philippines (P.I.) football team played using the now obsolete "Pyramid" (2–3–5) formation, which was still the standard formation during that era. This formation was popularly used by the Uruguay national football team, which dominated the world of football in the 1920s and early 1930s, winning two Olympic Gold medals (the de facto World Championship of football in 1924, and 1928), and won the first-ever World Cup in 1930.
Notes:
The Filipino athletes at the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, still played under the banner of the United States (as well as during the 1913, 1915, and 1919 editions of the games).
During the early American colonial rule, the Flag Law of 1907, also known as “An Act to Prohibit the Display of Flags, Banners, Emblems, or Devices Used in the Philippine Islands for the Purpose of Rebellion or Insurrection Against the Authority of the United States” prohibited the Filipinos from using or displaying the Philippine flag, the Katipunan flag, banners, and emblems. This same law also prohibited the playing of the Philippine national anthem.
However, as the Philippines gained more autonomy from the United States since the Philippine Autonomy Act, or the Jones Law which was enacted in 1916, the ban on the Philippine flag was eventually lifted in 1919. And on March 26, 1920, the Philippine Legislature passed Act. No 2928, which legally adopted the Philippine flag as the official flag of the Philippine Islands. Since then the Filipino athletes have been carrying the Philippine flag in the games, from the 1921 Far Eastern Championship Games in Shanghai, and the succeeding games.
Paulino Alcántara, move back to Manila with his family in May 1916, around eleven years after they left for Barcelona, Spain. He was 20 years old when he came back, and was already a Barça hero, who already scored 103 goals and by that time he already lead Barcelona to win two Pyrenees Cup, one Copa del Rey and two Campionat de Catalunya titles. However, despite his success as a footballer, Alcántara’s father envisaged a more traditional career for his son, and he wanted him to become a doctor. And so Paulino continued with his studies here (probably the UP or the UST) to become a doctor. While here Paulino managed to find a happy equilibrium between his studies and his football career, and he played for local side Bohemian Sporting Club, playing for the Club from 1916 to 1918. He spend two seasons with the legendary club, scoring 24 goals in 23 matches, helping the club win two consecutive Philippine Championships from 1917 to 1918. While here he also played for the Philippine national football team. On the pitch, Alcántara was unstoppable. He played a key role in the Philippines' 15-2 win over Japan, the nation's highest win in the history of international football. Eventually this was the only time that the great Paulino Alcántara played for his home country, and they finished second during that tournament. Coincidentally FC Barcelona had failed to win a major trophy during Alcántara's absence and the club send telegrams to him in the Philippines, begging his parents to allow him to return to Spain. At that point a tug of war had ensued between the Catalan club and Alcántara’s parents. Barça officials wanted him back while his parents preferred him to stay and finish his studies. However as Paulino also contracted malaria in 1917, he refused to take the prescribed medicine unless he was allowed to go back to Spain. It was clear that he wanted to play for Barcelona again, and so the following year, he was finally allowed by his parents to go back to Spain. From there he would be lost to Philippine football, but with Alcántara back with Barça, the club began to dominate both the Copa del Rey and the Chapionat de Catalunya, winning 12 trophies between 1919 and 1927, which became the club's first golden era. A decade later (in 1927), Alcántara ended his football career (at the age of 31) as one of Barcelona's all-time greats, and was the club's record goalscorer, having scored 395 goals in 399 official and friendly matches, a club record that stood for 87 years. He eventually became a doctor, and focused on that profession after hanging up his boots.
Joaquin "Chacho" Lopez, a Letran Football Hall of Famer, who was a member of the national team seven times playing in the FE Games from 1913 to 1925, which was also the longest stint on the National Team during the prewar era. Chaco Lopez was part of the Philippine team that won the first ever Far East Championship in 1913, and was team captain of the 1915 P.I. team. In 1919, he scored the first goal in the finals against China, but the Chinese made a comeback in the second half, and so once again the Philippines settled for the silver medal that year. Chaco Lopez is also a long-time member of Bohemian Sporting Club, and he have been part of the historic club's title runs from their first ever title, to atleast their early 1920s championships. He is regarded as one of the prewar era Philippine football legends, along with the likes of Paulino Alcántara, Virgilio Lobregat, and Joaquin Loyzaga, just to name a few.
Joaquin Loyzaga Sr played for the legendary Bohemian team in the 1910s and 1920s, and was part of four national teams in the Far Eastern Championship Games from 1915 to 1921. During the 1917 Games, he helped the national team won 15–2 over Japan. Joaquin Sr. is the father of The Great Difference Carlos "Caloy" Loyzaga, who is considered as the greatest Filipino basketball player of all time. Caloy was a two-time Olympian (1952, 1956), won 4 Asian Games titles (1951, 1954, 1958, 1962), led the RP team to win a bronze medal in the 1954 FIBA World Championship, and won gold medals in two FIBA Asia Championships (1954 and 1963). Caloy also led San Beda to NCAA championships (1951, 1952 and 1955) and a national title, and was later the star player for the legendary Yco Painters basketball team which achieved a 49-game winning streak from 1954 to 1956, won several MICAA titles and ten straight National Open titles. Caloy is also the father of PBA players Chito (born Joaquin Loyzaga) and Joey and actresses Bing and Teresa, and is grandfather of actor Diego Loyzaga.
Dr. Jose M. Genato Sr., is a prewar era Philippine football legend who played for Aurora AC, and was part of two national teams in the Far Eastern Championship Games from 1915 to 1917. His son the Philippine basketball legend Antonio "Tony" Genato, was a two-time Olympian (1952, 1956), won bronze in the 1954 FIBA World Championship and was star player for the famed Yco Painters team in the 1950s. Jose Genato Sr's other son Dr. Jose "Pepet" Genato Jr., was part of the unbeaten UST varsity basketball team that swept the UAAP title in 1946-47. With UST Pepet Genato played alongside three-time Olympian Ramoncito Campos, Pocholo Martinez, Col. Julian Malonso and Tito Eduque. Dr. Jose Genato Jr. is the father of Carmencita “Menchu” Genato-Henson and Jose "Pepito" Genato. Menchu Genato-Henson who was popularly known as “Tita Maggi”, was the brand icon of Maggi noodles, which was one of the longest running advertising campaigns in the industry. She is also the wife of Sportscaster and columnist Joaquin “Quinito” Henson. Menchu's brother Jose "Pepito" Genato, was a ‘70s football star for San Beda, who also played for the national team, and the multi-titled San Miguel football team. Pepito Genato was a PFF outstanding player awardee, and is regarded as one of the legends of Philippine football.
Eduardo Yrezábal, Sr., was a member of the legendary prewar era team Bohemian SC. Besides being part of the 1917 P.I. team, he was also a member of the national team in 1919 and 1925. In 1925, the veteran Yrezábal played alongside fellow Bohemian and prewar legend Virgilio Lobregat. He is the uncle of coach Ramon Echevarria, who was a prewar La Salle football legend and Hall of Famer, who also coached the Philippine National Football Team that defeated Japan during the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo. Eduardo Yrezábal Sr. is also related to Marcelino Gálatas Rentería, a notable Filipino-Spanish footballer during the pre-war era, who played football in Spain for clubs Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid.
Manuel Nieto, was one of star players of Bohemian SC, and later their captain/coach. Besides being part of the 1917 P.I. team, he was also part of the Philippine team that won the first ever Far East Championship in 1913.
Jose Llamas, played for Bohemian SC, and was regular member of the Philippine team during the 1910s era. He played for the national team in years; 1913, 1915, 1917, and 1919. He as a member of the first-ever Philippine team, which also won the first ever Far East Championship in 1913.
Ramon Marco played for Bohemian SC, and played for the national team in years; 1915, 1917, and 1919.
Federico García played for Bohemian SC for many years, and was a member of the national team in years; 1915, 1917, and 1921.
Ricardo Garcia played for Bohemian SC, and was also part of the Philippine team in 1915.
Luis Moreno, played for Bohemian SC, and was also part of the Philippine team in 1915.
Eduardo Rodriguez of Aurora AC, played for the national team in years; in 1915, 1917, and 1919.
F. Evangelista of Aurora AC, was also the goalkeeper of the Philippine team at the 1921 Far East Championship in Shanghai, China.
Taken from Philippine Football History Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/PhilippineFootballExpertHistorian