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Post by buddha on Jun 12, 2013 16:10:45 GMT 8
Maybe having a "B" team isn't such a bad idea. I've drawn up a list of possible matches for our national TEAM B:
Philippines Team B vs Greenland Philippines Team B vs The Republic of Niue Philippines Team B vs The Principality of Sealand Philippines Team B vs Zanzibar Philippines Team B vs Tibet Philippines Team B vs The Republic of Vanuatu
These states have national teams that could give our TEAM B some quality matches. In fact, the goalkeeper of Sealand used to represent Scotland's U21!
Too bad we can't play against Gibraltar as they've just been given UEFA membership. (It would have been great to play against Gibraltar as we could test our "homegrown" team against a bona fide UEFA member country!)
Our TEAM B should aim to play at the highest level and try to qualify for the FIFI Wild Cup or the VIVA World Cup (look them up, these competitions really do exist). Who knows, we might witness another Hanoi miracle!
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Post by buddha on Jun 11, 2013 15:25:29 GMT 8
WHAT A STEAMING PILE OF BOVINE FECAL MATTER!
1. We barely have enough money to fund our senior team, the U23s, the U21s, the U18s, the U16s, the U14s, the Malditas, the grassroots, a pro league, and you're asking FOR ANOTHER ONE?! 2. Isn't the role of a "B Team" exactly the same as that of the U23 (or U21) teams? Do you know why England no longer has a "B" team? 3. If you look at the current U23 team lineup would you say that these are not homegrown players? Would you not say this is exactly the same idea as having a "B" team?
If you've been following the national team for a while you'll learn that as the summer solstice approaches Senior Cutillas will surface to have his day in the sun. He'll relive former glories and spew words of wisdom.
1. He said, "They are established in Southeast Asia already." Absinthe. I think that's what he's been drinking. Otherwise I'm the only one who missed the memo that we're already an established team.
2. He also said, “Teams like Thailand and Singapore, they’re not crazy to organize games all the time." He must be thinking of the 1970's. That's the only reason I can come up with for him missing the fact that Thailand & Singapore have strong professional leagues. Doesn't he know that Thailand regularly hosts big clubs as practice for their national team? Between July and August this year they will be entertaining Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Barcelona. In. That. Exact. Order. As an authority in Asian football Senior Cutillas should know this - otherwise he should just refrain from passing wind.
Haaaaaay. Can you not smell it - the scent of fresh manure wafting in the breeze?
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Post by buddha on Jun 6, 2013 7:32:36 GMT 8
You said, "There's no greater unifying force in football in our whole country than the Azkals right now. And their successes bring money in one way or another into the further development of the sport."
I think you're spot on, mate.
I just feel, you know, that the meager resources available should be plowed into the development of a professional league and that the national team and the grassroots program should be built around the growth & development of a professional league. This is in contrast to what seems to be the standard linear thinking which is to prioritize the grassroots programs and the national team first. This seems logical because, after all, shouldn't our national team be the end result of a grassroots program?
I see it differently. If I was to structure it as a pyramid I'd put the professional league at the base of the pyramid, coaches training & development at the next level, then the grassroots program follows, and finally at the apex would be the national team. In order for the sport to be attractive it has to be a lucrative career option here in the Philippines hence the professionalization of the league. Being a professional footballer becomes the driving force for football development, the motivation behind every child enrolled in a grassroots program. The professional league becomes the breeding ground for the national team and the carrier of our footballing culture.
I see the professionalization of football as the base on which everything else is built.
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Post by buddha on Jun 5, 2013 13:34:30 GMT 8
I beg to differ, johnmarki, on two things you mentioned: 1. "...possession is key to winning." 2. "european football always taught 'possession' to their players"
Possession is NOT the key to winning because statistics are heavy on goals scored via direct play (long ball, if you will) and there are actual studies on this. Neither does European football always teach possession as is obvious by the variety of football styles across a broad sample of European clubs.
In the end, football tactics is simply making use of the resources available to you and the environment you're in. Meaning, it could be that the Philippine national team has to play that way because they don't train on a regular basis, the kind of players they have available to them, the short preparation time, and other myriad factors.
Footballing styles is cultural and culture takes a lot of time to develop. If we stop to consider the fact that "tiki-taka" has been decades in the making then how much longer do you think it will take us when we don't even have a professional league!
I suppose we should be a bit more tolerant when looking at the Philippine team's playing style.
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Post by buddha on Jun 5, 2013 10:38:17 GMT 8
THE WEATHER. Yes it is an issue but NOT that big of an issue if you consider the football Hong Kong played despite the rain. I'm sure glad it rained because if it didn't I can't see us winning against Hong Kong's brilliant football!
FITNESS. I think, Caz, that's arguable. I think we were reasonably fit not "woefully unfit" and we can credit the UFL for maintaining our fitness levels. But it wasn't a battle of fitness more than a game of strategy and playing styles because if you take away the scoreline Hong Kong would win. They had the right tactics and their playing style was spot on for the occasion.
Our national team, on the other hand, is still fitting round pegs into square holes.
Cheers, mate.
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Post by buddha on Jun 5, 2013 10:00:50 GMT 8
Welcome, hongkongfootball! To the rest of the regulars, let's be classy in here and show hongkongfootball we're civilized and recognize the futility of arguing with somebody over the internet.
Let's not start another pointless exercise on this forum. Let the PFF, Hong Kong football, the AFC, and FIFA deal with it. I'm sure the issue has already been brought to their attention.
Let's move on, shall we?
-------- IT'S NOT THE WEATHER.
We were terrible. Our inability to string coherent passes in final third stood out in stark contrast to Hong Kong's crisp and fluid passing. True Hong Kong played many long balls but those long balls were deliberate, thought-through, and accurate as there was a pattern and a rhythm to their passing - small zippy passes to break down the middle, followed by runs into space, and then those long balls. Over and over and over.
I don't think the Philippine team has ever shown CONSISTENT passing patterns in an international match. (It's something that is worked out again and again on the training pitch, something Hong Kong has obviously been doing. Our team, always with just a few days to train together, has to depend on organization in defense and individual brilliance on attack. And given the nature of our national squad, I suppose we'll never be able to do passing patterns like Hong Kong is able to.)
So again we can't make the weather that big of an issue. If Hong Kong were able to zip passes like that despite the rain and wet surface then we've got to factor the weather out.
-------- SCHROCK was a nuisance. Not just to the opponents but also to me. His playing style soon got tiresome.
I suppose the coach gave him a lot of creative license but come on my dear man, on key occasions he decided to go for it on his own when he had better options.
Irritating.
--------- MULDERS was disappointing. I suspect he doesn't fit into the formation and would fare better directly in the hole behind strikers but then again, we're not the coach are we? We're armchair analysts and our opinions won't change things.
--------- THE REFEREEING was hideous. But the match is over. The most we could hope for is for the ref to get negative ratings when the AFF reviews his performance.
---------- ETHERIDGE is worth his weight in Yamaa's gold. Aside from one horrendous clearance, he sure put on a masterclass.
----------- So aside from our GK's performance and the entertaining scuffles on (and apparently off) the pitch, it's not a match we can look back with pride.
But then again, a win is a win and you and I will take that anytime.
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Post by buddha on May 29, 2013 9:46:38 GMT 8
Caz, i don't think we need more "Hanoi miracles" to jump start public interest. Times and contexts have changed.
National team performances should be the icing on the cake. Like icing it's sweet and makes the cake look good but it's not the cake itself.
I think the "cake" should be our domestic league and player production. This is where our energies and resources should be focused. It should be pretty straightforward: professionalize the league and produce players good enough to play at even better leagues outside our own.
With a strong domestic league you won't need more "Hanoi miracles" to defibrillate Philippine football. We cannot keep depending on a national frenzy to sustain interest in football.
The "Hanoi miracle" can be recreated everyday in a domestic league as the fans experience the highs and lows of club football.
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As a social scientist I think we need to see some numbers. I think we need to have actual statistics to be able to make an informed opinion on the progress of Philippine football.
Otherwise it's everybody's guess.
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Post by buddha on May 28, 2013 16:38:55 GMT 8
Let me argue a bit more on why getting homegrown players to Europe is a better goal than qualifying for the World Cup.
The following countries have much to tell:
1. North Korea, Honduras, New Zealand, and El Salvador. All share the honor (or, in my opinion, the misfortune) of qualifying for the WC twice. A good number of these countries players are based in domestic leagues (with a few exceptions of course). Has playing in the WC turned them into world class footballing nations? Far from it.
2. Iceland has no WC experience and yet in their national team roster only three players come from the domestic league. With the rest of their homegrown national team players plying their trade in decent clubs around Europe I think it's safe to say that Icelandic players are respected. Their highest FIFA ranking was a 37 and are currently in the top 100 in the ELO ratings. All this from a country with a population less than Angeles City.
So let me make a rash conclusion here: aiming for the WC isn't going to do us any good. It would just be a waste of energy and precious resources, resources that could be directed to better long term development.
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There is a concept in anthropology and sociology called cultural lag. This is what happens when cultural ideas cannot keep pace with real time change. I see something similar here. Football in the Philippines is progressing at a rate not in proportion with our expectations and demands.
Is the growth of Philippine football too fast or not fast enough? Somebody tell me.
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Post by buddha on May 28, 2013 9:15:35 GMT 8
Narko, what you said should be highlighted in gold.
I think everyone, myself most of all, have been trying to put their finger on what it is exactly that should be our gauge for player excellence and you're right. Abso-effing-lutely right: the answer lies in Europe. We have to produce players good enough for European clubs and in your post you've excellently pointed out why.
If we are able to consistently do that then I'd go so far as to say we've made it as a footballing nation. (Making the World Cup shouldn't be the standard. North Korea has played in two World Cups already and yet I don't think anybody admires them for their football. But I digress.)
So yes, narko, I'm with you all the way. Producing local players good enough for Europe should be our aim and from where I stand that's not going to happen anytime soon.
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Post by buddha on Apr 20, 2013 19:10:35 GMT 8
Here's a quick look at the forward line of the Italian team: Balotelli (Ghanaian), El Sharaawy (Egyptian), Osvaldo (Argentinian). Only Giovinco and Gilardino can claim a pure Italian ancestry.
Pause to consider that Italy's football DNA is world class and they have a problem with racism yet their FA is brave enough to include these players in the Azzurri.
So. IF YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH, YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH.
zannbu is right. This topic is a non-issue. Let's forget this and move on.
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Post by buddha on Apr 15, 2013 20:29:22 GMT 8
I coach teams and here's what I know: you always field your best team. Homegrown or not, it doesn't matter. Field your BEST team.
When we have a thriving, vibrant professional league fueled by a proven grassroots system THEN we can start talking about homegrown players.
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Post by buddha on Mar 25, 2013 20:31:01 GMT 8
My two centavos:
ON SUBSTITUTIONS (or the lack thereof) I do not buy into the argument that Herr Weiss "did not sub because Turkmenistan was watching." It was imperative that the Philippines try to match or better Turkmenistan's number of goals as there is a possibility of Turkmenistan & the Philippines cancelling each other out. By not making any substitutions Weiss was trying not to change the dynamics of the team. For the coach it was more than just a win. It was a show of strength.
The 8-0 scoreline has forced Turkmenistan's hand as a draw won't suffice. Turkmenistan will have to come out to attack and Weiss can now plan the next course of action with this in mind.
TURKMENISTAN MIGHT HAVE CAMBODIA TO THANK It was a game of two halves: wet & dry. Had the conditions remained ideal it could have been double digits. The long lull provided ample time for both teams to regroup. For the Philippines it meant proactively creating space in and around the box which was why Schrock jinxed and danced around more than he did during the first "dry" half. For Cambodia it was more of damage control.
But Turkmenistan may find it interesting how incisive Cambodia's counter-attacks were. Their patterned runs, diagonal passes, with a wide attacker cutting in made how centerbacks (including the impressive Juani) seem a tad slow.
If an early barrage from Turkmenistan fails to yield results then expect them to sit deep and hit back with patterned runs similar to that of Cambodia.
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Post by buddha on Nov 20, 2012 10:40:21 GMT 8
Hand Palami a kit and put him up front. He'll score more than you know who. Not to take anything away from Ed's brilliant performance, but I'm buzzing to know that Neil will be flying in!
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Post by buddha on Nov 20, 2012 10:27:05 GMT 8
Ah, Rajamangala... so many memories. *sigh*
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Post by buddha on Oct 30, 2012 14:13:20 GMT 8
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