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Post by cheeze on Apr 6, 2012 11:29:13 GMT 8
Yay! (But really, even though I voted for Phil, my mind says that Shinji Kagawa deserves the award)
Go Philippines!
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Post by stellarboy on Apr 6, 2012 18:17:10 GMT 8
In my point of view, this recognition for Phil Younghusband vindicates Philippine football as a whole. Although the team has taken little steps, these are little steps towards the right direction.
Not only is this a good "pat on the shoulder" for Phil, but it is a pat on the shoulder for the team as well. To be a top scorer, you can't do it yourself - in most cases someone else need to pass or cross the ball to you, someone else need to intercept or tackle to get the ball and pass it, and so much more. So the team is indeed progressing.
I'd still wanted to credit the likes of Shinji Kagawa who did a very good job in the 1.Bundesliga for instance, but I'd still credit the undying support of Filipinos around the world to help recognize Filipino talent. As we all know, almost a large percentage of Filipinos (living in the country or abroad), have Internet access, be on the PC, tablets or cell phones, constantly on Facebook and Twitter, and speak or write in English in one way or the other. However, not all people in Asia (i.e. Myanmar, Korea, Nepal, Bangladesh, or even Japan) can read or write in English, in the case of Myanmar or North Korea, most of their citizens don't even know that something called a "computer" exists or there is such a thing called the "Internet," voting on Goal.com can be biased (or an advantage for us). Example: the Goal.com prediction on PHI vs PRK, leaned towards a PHI win (2-1 and 2-0). Obviously, there were no Korean voters.
But nonetheless, for anyone reading below the age of 35, like me, it's good to note that for those who have followed the sport before its prominence in the country in late 2010, this is refreshing to see and hear these great stories surrounding the Philippines team.
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Post by cheeze on Apr 6, 2012 20:12:05 GMT 8
Agreed, PYH winning the award shows how much our national team has steadily improved in less than 2 years, and how the dedication of the fans, both new and old has paid off. Who knows? maybe in 20 years or so, we could see the Philippines appear regularly in the Asian cup and possibly be in the World Cup. Heck, I won't be surprised if i'll be cheering for Kaya FC and other UFL teams in the AFC Champions league. (But that's just wishful thinking... for now.)
But I still think Shinji Kagawa is pretty dang good.
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Post by stellarboy on Apr 6, 2012 23:34:31 GMT 8
Commenters outside Asia at Goal.com (mainly from England and the US) keep insisting that Phil deserves this recognition, although they still manage to cite Kagawa. A few are also concerned about the bashings between Asian fans in relation to the poll.
Karl from the US says: "the Philippines is not a footballing country... They had to qualify for the tournament and they almost made it to the finals of the challenge cup. So interms of contribution to his side success then he should get the nod."
ronny from Sussex says: "scoring wise i think younghusband is better. he is more clinical in my opinion than kagawa. as a player i think kagawa is better"
FreedomguyUK from Leeds: "No opinions are wrong. Let the people vote for whomever they want. Don't try to squeeze your beliefs on their faces. You Asians pull each other down, instead of help each other up. I guess this is why your brand of football is lagging behind. Didn't vote, I'm not Asian."
ken from Oxford: "phil younghusband formerly from chelsea deserves honour and recognition. he sacrificed a stellar career at stamford bridge to help rise up the ranks of the "azkals" philippines team. truly a success story in the making for philippines football."
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Post by GerardoDCA on Apr 7, 2012 1:16:32 GMT 8
Let's hope that big Asian clubs saw this. Maybe Phil will be playing in the J-League next year which would be very interesting to see how he does.
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Post by cjeagle on Apr 7, 2012 1:17:39 GMT 8
In case anyone would like to know the impact the Younghusband brothers have made in making football a major sport in the country, here is an article last year in Readers Digest Asia entitled "The Posterboys of Philippine Football" www.rdasia.com/posterboys-of-...pine-football/You can read from their comments how dedicated they are in promoting football in the Philippines, traveling all over the country to teach and sell the sport, willingly playing the part as role models, and finally establishing the Younghusband Football Academy and initiating ties with Chelsea FC in order to open up the Chelsea School, to ensure that their students will get the best training down the line. Their impact on Philippine football, will resonate long after they decide to hang up their boots and retire. Even while growing up in England, they have always had close links to their mother's country as is mentioned in their responses and might explain to some degree, why Phil Younghusband decided to move to the Philippines instead of staying on in Europe and continue his playing career: Was it hard to accept the Philippine Football Federation’s invitation to play for the Philippine Azkals? James: Our Dad passed away in 2003 when I was 17 but our mother, Susan, comes from a close knit family in the Philippines. We would visit every year. We grew up loving the Philippines. I moved here permanently a year after Phil did but we were very comfortable with the culture and people long before that. Phil: We were playing for Chelsea Football Club in London, one of the biggest football clubs in the world when the Philippine Football Federation invited us to play for the national team in the 2005 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. We’re proud to have Filipino blood and didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. When my contract ended with Chelsea in 2008, I decided to move to the Philippines and play for the country. My family had planned to move to my mother’s homeland and it was just a matter of when we would actually do it. We all moved sooner than expected but we’re very happy we did. In an article on gulf news.com entitled "I feel more Filipino than English", Phil explained his decision to move to the Philippines: Could you have played on at an English club? My brother was released from Chelsea the year before me and I saw what he went through trying to find a club and I didn't want to go through that. Before my contract ended I had already played for the Philippines and once it ended I felt more comfortable staying in Manila. I could have looked for clubs in Europe or America, but I'm glad I made this decision. gulfnews.com/sport/football/p...glish-1.976997I used to think that it would have been better for the Philippine national team if Phil had decided to continue his playing career abroad, but considering how influential the brothers were in making football a major sport in the Philippines, I now believe that his choice to move to the Philippines instead, would end up being the better decision for Philippine football, when all is said and done.
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Post by dingodile5 on Apr 11, 2012 17:03:45 GMT 8
Philippine Star Lifestyle: Playing for Kicks (Rj Ledesma)
I've got a Miss Universe-level question for you: What makes you feel you're a Filipino?
-How do you define anyone here as Filipino? We have someone in the team, who grew up over in the States, who can't speak Tagalog but who is full Filipino. I know people who grew up over here, speak Tagalog fluently but who aren't -- by blood -- Filipino. We have Filipino blood, we have Philippine Passport, we are proud to represent the country, we want to play for the flag, we are proud to be Filipino and we are proud to call ourselves Filipino. For me, that is Filipino. - Phil Younghusband
-posted by an Azkal fan on Azkals FB
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Post by stellarboy on Apr 11, 2012 17:18:31 GMT 8
^^ Full article follows: (It's full of humour FTW! ;D ) Playing for kicks[/color] POGI FROM A PARALLEL UNIVERSE By RJ Ledesma (The Philippine Star) Updated April 11, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments Phil Younghusband kicks balls for a living. And fresh from kicking the Philippines into a historic third place finish at the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup where Phil took home the Golden Boot trophy for scoring the most number of goals in the tournament, The Philippine STAR had the opportunity to dribble it with the Loyola Meralco Sparks and Philippine National Team forward at the FIFA-standard community football field Turf BGC at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig where we found out how he was discovered in a video game, how he tweeted his way into the heart of an Angel, what keeps him going during a game and what makes him Filipino. RJ LEDESMA: So Phil, you’re endorsing sports apparel, shoes, cellular phones, vitamins, medicines, fast food, tuna, condiments, medicines and a school among other things. When do you have time to play football?PHIL YOUNGHUSBAND: (Laughs) Obviously it’s a busy schedule. But we have people to help schedule things so there’s always time for everything. Why don’t you just admit that you have a clone? When you came to the Philippines, you turned into a de facto sex symbol. Did you think, as a young lad growing up in England, that you would eventually become a sex symbol in your mother’s homeland? Or did you just discover your inner sex symbol when you got here?Growing up, I never thought about becoming a sex symbol. As a kid it was always about football and having fun and doing something that I enjoyed. I didn’t know how I was going to look when I got older or what sort of physique I would have. I guess being athletic helps and being in the (football) profession helps with being a “sex symbol.” It think it’s an association thing with being a sex symbol more than anything else, like David Beckham. So I can also be a sex symbol by just being associated with you? No need to work on those six-pack abs then. Speaking of symbols, is there any way that we can became as pogi as you? Does it work through osmosis? Reconstructive surgery? A brain transplant into one of your clones?I think the first thing is genes. Genes. Can I buy them at an ukay-ukay? And the environment that I grew up in — the football training, having to be athletic all the time, hanging around athletic people, making sure my diet was correct — they have had a great influence on me. I have never been fat. But can playing football make me pogi?(Laughs) I think it will, if you play more regularly. You’re a great liar, Phil. In your opinion, what makes you irresistibly attractive to the opposite sex? Is it the piercing eyes? Is it the six-pack abs? Is it the English accent? I wouldn’t say I’m the best-looking guy around, I wouldn’t say I’m the best football player and I wouldn’t say that I have the best English accent. But I would say that I have a balance and a combination of these different things, which sort of has an appeal for everyone. Some women like athletic people and some women like the accent. (No Girlfriends Since Birth representative: Perfect! I’ve been practicing my English accent by watching old episodes of Mr. Bean.)You also seem to have a boyish charm about you. Can we buy this at Marks & Spencer?I think the boyish charm comes from the way our parents brought us up. They made sure that we had the proper manners, we were always polite, we showed respect, and that we spoke well. They made sure we did things correctly. But I think the charm comes from my mum. Ah, great! I might be able to find that charm in SM! Now Phil, let’s get to what my legions of NGSB and DOM fans want to know: how did you win the heart of a woman — Angel Locsin — who has been certified as the sexiest female in the Philippines (and the National Statistics Office has the measurements to prove it).I agree. (Laughs) Did you employ Filipino courtship tactics, which require manual labor? Or did you employ English courtship tactics, which require an English accent?I was just being myself. And she liked that. But it really has more to do with the type of person that Angel is. I have a million words or praise for her. I feel I’m very lucky that she liked who I am. If any of my NGSB or DOM readers tried to be themselves and met up with Angel, they would have probably been arrested. But was there a step-by-step process of how you romanced Angel? Please document it very clearly so that we can sell the book at National Bookstore. I’ll just take half the commission.Well, it started with a tweet. You mean you introduced yourself to the sexiest women in the country through a tweet!?Yes, we hadn’t met before the tweet. (NGSB representative: You mean all I had to do was tweet!? Why didn’t I try that out!?) (To NGSB): Please ask yourself that question again after you’ve taken your medication.You need the guts to actually ask (her out), you need to break that barrier of awkwardness, of being scared of having fear. I am sure any man could easily break that barrier if he had piercing eyes, an athletic physique, an English accent and several million-peso endorsements.Once you break the barrier, once they get to know you, just be yourself. So there was no need to present an NBI clearance?And if someone doesn’t like you, then… It’s time to try gayuma?It doesn’t happen. But I think with I connected with Angel and everything slowly fell into place. Was this a prepaid or a postpaid connection?(The courtship process) is different for everyone. With Angel, we didn’t rush things. We got to know each other slowly. Sometimes people rush it and then it blows up in their face because they’re going too far. But with us, we took it slowly and everything has fallen into place. So no explosions until things have fallen into place — got it. Didn’t realize you were a bomb expert as well. How does it feel to be dating one of the sexiest women in the Philippines? Do you still get regular death threats from DOMs?Obviously she’s very beautiful, she has a beautiful body and she’s sexy. But I think that one of the most beautiful and sexy things about her is who she is. She’s a very down-to-earth individual, she’s very caring, she really wants to help and she is a genuine person. You had us all at “beautiful body.”KICKING IT OFF Apparently, you were recruited to play football by the Chelsea football club at the age of nine. Isn’t that like child labor? You didn’t even have armpit hair at the time.(Laughs) We were playing for our school and then we were playing for our city. That was when we were spotted by the scouts of Chelsea football club. Each club has scouts and they are always looking for players even as young as nine because they want to develop their youth. We would train after school three times a week and we would have games on Sundays. I presume that playing football that often at such a young age will prematurely give you armpit hair. I also understand that you were discovered by somebody who was playing a video game? In what video game did they find you? Halo? Plants versus Zombies? Angry Birds? (Laughs) One time we were in the Chelsea changing room and the other players said “Why don’t you play for the Philippines?” Then two weeks later, the Chelsea manager called us into his office and said the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) had contacted them and they were wondering if we wanted to play for the National Team. The PFF only found out about us through someone who was playing a computer game called “Football Manager” that had details about each player. Both James and I were on the Chelsea lineup and aside from showing our statistics on shooting and passing, it also showed that we had Filipino blood. So the gamer contacted the Federation, then they contacted Chelsea and Chelsea told us. We actually met the gamer after we won a football game in Bacolod during the SEA games, but I can’t remember his name. Bravo, anonymous gamer! Keep on gaming! We may eventually discover that Super Mario has Filipino blood as well! Help me better understand what happened after your contract with the Chelsea expired? Wasn’t there a possibility for contract renewal?In football clubs, there is the starting level, followed by the substitutes and then the reserves. We were in the reserves. It’s difficult as a youngster to progress in a Chelsea team because they hire world-class football players from abroad that they pay millions to acquire. So when our contract ended, Chelsea would help us find another club lower down where you can get the opportunity to play. But instead of going that route, we decided to stay in the Philippines. From my perspective, that must have been a difficult decision for you to make given that you were going to play football in a basketball-obsessed country where David Beckham is arguably better known as a commercial model who married a former Spice Girl. We feel more comfortable in the Philippines. It’s nice to wake up to the sun instead of the gloomy weather in England. We’ve got family and friends over here. We just felt it was home. And home is where you can date the sexiest woman in the Philippines. Aside from some bailiwicks in Negros, the football culture isn’t as ingrained here as it is in other countries. Given this, what do you think are the prospects for the growth of football in the Philippines?Since my brother (James) and I are coaching now, we see that the level of play at the ages of eight to 10 are similar to that of England. However, it is when the players reach high school and college that their level of play drops because they aren’t exposed to play against better players abroad. At the same age group in England, football players play 60 to 70 games a year, and go abroad to compete against better players. Look at Chieffy (Caligdong — homegrown football player and vice captain of the National Football team), he excels in football because he has played in games abroad against better players than himself which, in turn, made him a better player. For me, our players have the potential. If the country provided more support, invested more money in the football facilities and brought in better opposition for our players, we could become better players. But aren’t there already enough of these players in the Philippines? I see them hanging around bars with their skintight outfits spouting pickup lines and — Oh, wait, I don’t think those are the “players” you’re looking for. Do you have any plans in the future to go back and play in the European leagues? I’m happy where I am. The nature of your answer tells me that you’ve learned a lot from local showbiz. Being a footballer for more than half your life, I’m sure you’ve had your share of battle scars. Have you had any debilitating injuries that have kept you from playing?I’m very thankful to the Lord that we haven’t had any serious career-threatening injuries. My worst was when I was 14 and I fractured my ankle. I couldn’t play for nine months. But aside from that, I always get niggling injuries such as knocks, aches, bumps and bruises. I need a pain reliever that’s proven effective in relieving both pain and inflammation, like Cataflam 25mg. Cataflam’s great because it is not only trusted in the Philippines, but it is also trusted by doctors who have prescribed it for many years. In fact, Cataflam is manufactured by Novartis, one of the world’s most admired pharmaceutical companies headquartered in Switzerland. Have there been any recent injuries on the pitch that have kept you from playing?Sometimes, I really need to play but you have these really bothersome and aching injuries that affect your game. Cataflam allows me to get back into the game while it takes care of the pain. It works in as fast as 15 minutes. So what is next for you in your career? Movie actor? Singer? Preaching the good news?My plan is to keep on playing for the Philippines and to help develop football locally. After I’ve stopped playing, I would want to do coaching and to invest my money to further develop football in the Philippines. But right now I want to stay in my comfort zone, I don’t want to do something where I’m going to feel awkward. I want to do things that make me happy and things I know where I can succeed. Does that mean we won’t see you doing a song and dance number with Angel and the rest of the Azkals on ASAP? My three female readers were so looking forward to it. I’ve got a Miss Universe-level question for you, Phil: What makes you feel you’re a Filipino?How do you define anyone here as Filipino? We have someone on the team who grew up in the States, who can’t speak Tagalog, but who is full Filipino. I know people who grew up over here, speak Tagalog fluently but who aren’t — by blood — Filipino. We have Filipino blood, we have Philippine passports, we are proud to represent the country, we want to play for the flag, we are proud to be Filipino and we are proud to call ourselves Filipino. For me, that is Filipino. What a major, major answer, Phil.www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=795749&publicationSubCategoryId=446
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Post by dingodile5 on Apr 12, 2012 23:51:07 GMT 8
PhilYoung proud of Goal awardThu. Apr. 12, 2012 By David Pallasigue / Publisher Chicago, USA -- AZKALS top striker Phil Younghusband is proud of being named as Asian player of the month for March. Internationally known footie website Goal.com recently named Phil as it's top footballer for the past month after the Meralco Sparks striker got massive online votes from fans. He out voted Japan's Shinji Kagawa and Thailand's Suchao Nuchnum. ''I feel very proud and honoured to be named amongst the best and very talented players in Asia,'' Phil said in an exclusive online interview with Pinoyfootball.com. He added that it gives him great satisfaction to be recognised for the hard work and for something he had trained all his life. ''I am very thankful for the opportunity to represent the Philippine and I thank my team mates and everyone who has helped me follow my dreams, '' he said. The Azkals prolific striker recently scored a tournament best of six goals in the AFC Challenge Cup in Nepal. He scored a brace in their 2-0 victory against India and contributed another one in the Azkal's 2-1 win against Tajikistan to lead The Philippines pass the group stage. In the knockout stage, he opened the scoring against Turkmenistan but this wasn't enough as the Azkals failed to hold on to their lead and went down 2-1 in a heartbreaking loss. Phil then continued his goal scoring prowess when he scored two goals in the Azkals' 4-3 victory against Palestine to claim third place. That was the highest finish for the Philippines in international football competition. Younghusband, who plays for the Meralco Sparks in the United football League in the Philippines, also bagged the Golden Shoe award for scoring the most goals in the tournament. He was also included in the mythical first eleven. DP pinoyfootball.com/articles/11100741/PhilYoung-proud-of-Goal-award
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Post by dingodile5 on Apr 14, 2012 8:53:56 GMT 8
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Post by stellarboy on Apr 14, 2012 19:31:19 GMT 8
Phil Younghusband hungry to do more for footballBy ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ April 14, 2012, 1:05pm MANILA, Philippines - In spite of scoring a handful of goals at the recently concluded AFC Challenge Cup, Azkals striker Phil Younghusband would rather share the credit with his team mates than take it all for himself. The six goals he collectively scored from the Azkals' matches against five other countries have merited Phil the Golden Boot award. He also ranked third in the International Football Federation of History and Statistics' World Top Scorer list for March, and joined the roster of Goal.com's Asian Best XI for March. "Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng team mates ko kasi kung wala sila then imposible to win the award," he told Bulletin Entertainment and other members of the press at the launch of Snickers' newest campaign on April 13. The Azkals clinched third place at the Challenge Cup, held last month in Nepal, following the team's victories against Palestine, Tajikistan, and India. It is not surprising then that the Azkals climbed from 156 to 148 in the FIFA World Ranking. "I think it's great because if Azkals have success then football in the Philippines has success. Hopefully it continues and hopefully we can sustain because we want it to be long-term," said Phil. He is apparently extra inspired to play football because of his ladylove, actress Angel Locsin, has continued to express her happiness for him and that she is proud of him and his accomplishments. "I think we've been very lucky and very blessed. She won an award (Best Actress at this year's PMPC Star Awards for Movies for 'In The Name Of Love'), I won an award, so I think we're good for each other. She offered her congratulations… She's been there all the way," the star player added. Phil took a well-deserved break during the Holy Week, bonding with his brother-team mate James and their younger sister in La Union. "Nag-surf ako… It was fun. It was my first time… And I was with my family, because I haven't spent much time with my family because we were in Nepal for three weeks. We went to La Union before for a trainers program, and we decided to go back because it was nice, we stayed at a nice resort," he enthused. Although he didn't get to spend Holy Week with Angel as she was in Hong Kong, Phil assured that "we're in touch. We're always in touch." His darling Angel The Filipino-British footballer appreciates how Angel stood up for him amid the criticisms that the team got at the height of the sexual harassment issue involving two other members of the Azkals and match commissioner Cristy Ramos. "Angel's amazing. She'll fight for everyone she loves and that's the sort of person she is. I feel very happy and very blessed and privileged that I have someone like Angel to defend not just me, she defended the team, she defended everyone involved. She's so supportive of me and the team. It's great to have her around," Phil said at length. On a lighter note, Phil will work with Angel on the boob tube in his first mainstream acting assignment, a guest appearance on the latter's sitcom, "Toda Max." "Mas kumportable ako sa loob ng field. It's more difficult to act. I admire the talent of actors. I admired Angel's before, but to see the things she goes through… I'm really proud of her," he related. No amount of prodding will apparently make Phil define the true status of his relationship with Angel, as he maintained, "Right now, why change something when it's not broken? We're happy, everything's going well… Everyday I fall more and more in love with her." Phil, along with James and Azkals captain Aly Borromeo, graced the launch of Snickers' latest campaign, "You're not you when you're hungry." The three are self-confessed fans of the brand. "Sports is an excellent way to show that when you're hungry, you can't really perform at your best. As we know, football is a universal sport, it has become very popular especially in the Philippines with these guys," said Lizette de Guzman, national sales manager of Mars Philippines, Inc., the makers of Snickers. www.mb.com.ph/articles/357033/phil-younghusband-hungry-do-more-football
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Post by opn on Apr 16, 2012 10:18:31 GMT 8
The RJ Ledesma interview cracked me up. LMAO! Congrats to Phil on the recognition he's been getting. Although yong sa goal.com the fans helped also but for all that he has done for Phil football, I too think he totally deserves the nod. His and YH bros popularity contributes to the exposure of football to the masses and for sustaining interest to the sport. Wow ang dami na nyang endorsements ha? Its good that playing footie is slowly becoming lucractive. BTW, he was one of the judges of BB. Pilipinas last night. I got a bit verklempt when the introductions were made about him being a "star striker" and the hosts mentions our NT's recent achievements at the AFC challenge cup. IDK why but t'was another moment of "football has arrived".
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Post by stellarboy on Apr 16, 2012 10:53:31 GMT 8
Great to hear that, opn. It's definitely a sign of "football has arrived" here in the Philippines. It's actually a rare feat to see a football player judge a beauty pageant. (I remember Landon Donovan was invited to be a judge for Miss America around 2007, but declined.) And it's great to see that the organisers made mention of the PHI team's recent achievements.
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Post by stellarboy on May 7, 2012 19:45:44 GMT 8
What would you do if your nephew whose endured 3 brain surgeries, a month-long radiation therapy, few weeks of chemo and loads more to follow has said to you, 'I want a picture with Phil Younghusband.'? Well, do your darndest to get him a picture with Mr.Phil Younghusband! To Mr Younghusband, just to let to u know that it is very much appreciated! You made a very special boy very happy!
-Matthew Dave Bacus
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Post by kulaspero15 on May 8, 2012 15:38:23 GMT 8
He removed his face mask just to show that smile. Just an incredible moment. I hope Phil can do more than just a picture together for this kid. Did he give the jersey to him?
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