Double Take: Marvin and Marwin AngelesBy J.Anne Gonzales and Miji Gonzales 2012-02-06 15:22:29
Seeing double? Get used to it! Filipino–Italian Marvin and Marwin, otherwise known as the Angeles twins, are out to double the excitement and power of the Under-21 Philippine National Football Team for the upcoming Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy. Their signature greeting “Ciao!” may scream pizza and gondola, but their Pinoy spirit barks stronger, as they amaze us with their fluent Tagalog, expert knowledge of the Philippine geography and local favorites. But before anything else, we ought to tell them apart first. Capisce?The Power of TwoBorn on January 9 in Venice, Italy, it’s difficult enough that Marvin and Marwin Angeles came out as identical twins. Their parents had to name them Marwin Janver and Marvin Janwer, a play of letters, a twist of words and a lifetime of bewilderment for first-time acquaintances. Of course, parents never have problems telling their kids apart, but what about friends and relatives?
“The close ones could actually differentiate us,” they impart matter-of-factly. The hunt for the twin’s distinguishing mark may prove to be more difficult than finding Waldo, and don’t bother straining your ears, trying to detect whose voice is higher. Been there, done that.
Twins EffectOn the field, it can be rather tough to tell them apart. Despite different jersey numbers, even a referee with self-proclaimed 20-20 eyesight can be afflicted with double vision.
“There were times in Italy when I would be booked for Marvin’s foul,” narrates Marwin, as the twins exchange a look that seems to say, “Just another day for us twins.” Sounds like fun!
As much as we would love to hear pranks and misadventures on twinhood, there weren’t much to share, as the twins live up to their name of being more of “angels” than pranksters. Maybe Kuya Carlie (Martínez de Murga) can teach them a thing or two on this department.
Spot the DifferenceSeeing the twins for the first time can be a rather unnerving—as they look alike, talk alike and seem to have the penchant for the same casual attire. No physical marks or height differences could tell them apart, and even a keen observer will have to pull his hair in disdain.
“Marwin is older by 2 minutes,” informs Marvin. This makes Marwin the “Kuya” though the twins do not consider this much of an age gap trumpet-worthy.
Having nearly the same set of friends and interests, it’s natural for them to be best friends. Mistaken identities come and go, and they confess that they are already “sanay na” with these episodes.
Looking closely though—Hallelujah—there is that slight difference. “Marwin’s face is thinner,” admits Marvin. Indeed, Marwin’s cheekbones are more prominent—but that became apparent after staring at them for about 5 seconds, each. Good luck to Coach Weiss and Coach Zoran for telling them apart. They’re too young for wedding rings (da Silvas differentiator) or too nice to spawn an evil twin.
Los Angeles, ItalyBorn to Filipino parents, despite being surrounded by canals and risotto, Marvin and Marwin grew up speaking Tagalog and English.
“It was only in elementary school that we were forced to learn Italian,” explains Marvin. Ah yes, how else would they be the next Dante Alighieri or Marco Polo if they didn’t learn their national language?
Despite the alluring lifestyle we had imagined in Venice, the boys lived a rather simple routine. They went to school, practiced football and if time permitted, helped with their mom’s store. It was a food store, likened to the local sari-sari store, that they helped run when they weren’t running around the football field.
Still on the topic of food, their dad happens to be an excellent cook, which is why the boys are well versed (and well fed) when it comes to Italian and Filipino dishes. Don’t mess with their menudo or with the sacred al dente though, or it’s “Mamma mia!” for you.
Growing up in the City of Canals did not mean that as little boys in Italy, they were forced to take up painting or vocal training. Close, though, as music lessons were queued in their list of hobbies. Marvin learned to play the violin and Marwin went for the bigger instrument, the piano. Perhaps Mama Angeles dreamt of having musicians in the family or added entertainment for her food store. A couple more instruments and voice lessons and they’re on their way to forming a family band, Los Angeles.
Mula Italya Hanggang CDOWith the twins remarkably eloquent in our salitang banyaga, so are they highly familiar with the local geography and topography. Any crazy cab driver who brings them to Mendiola instead of Makati is sure to get a back-breaking argument in Filipino, English and maybe a bit of Italian.
Their knowledge of everything Pinoy is heartwarming; if I could, I would nominate them to author Fili-pedia in between tweeting, enjoying their PlayStation and sprinting.
Their mom hails from Lian, Batangas, while their dad from Gapan, Nueva Ecija. If this North-meets-South heritage isn’t enough proof to being Pinoys, here’s a list of places they’ve been to, exhausting enough we might as well call them the jet-setting twins: Cebu, Iloilo, Baguio, Isabela, Ormoc, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod and Boracay. That’s not counting Tagaytay where they have a house (and considered their residence for some time before moving to Makati), and other places they might have visited when they were too young to remember. Seems like they’ve been vacationing in the Philippines every two years or so, making them our constant tourists and if they get tired in the future, potential migrants.
Not content with our 7,107 islands, the twins also have had their share of exploring their birth continent: France, England, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Malta and Austria. Once in Japan, they met a former Arsenal player and in France, they represented Venice for a football team. With so much tourist excitement and sightseeing, we can be glad that they have found a second home in the Philippines, where it’s always warm and sunny. Come retirement, they’ve got more options to choose from: navigator, coach and even tour guide! Translator would come in handy as well.
Venetian FindsThe brothers describe Venice as more “artsy” compared to other cities that have a more pronounced dedication to football, such as Milan. Having the same birthplace as Antonio Vivaldi and Casanova and growing up alongside the Grand Canal and Piazza San Marco may have helped hone their right-brained artistic skills. However the passion for football has already stemmed since birth, and coupled with the skill that Jupiter has blessed them with, enabled them to pursue their chosen track as footballers.
The twins started their career in football as early as 7 years old, having joined the Alvisiana Team in hometown Venice. Football clubs were not common in local schools, so kids had to participate in extra-curricular teams to gain experience and training. When the twins reached 14 years old, they moved to the professional team AC Venezia, where their footballing skills were groomed further, under the guidance of two professional coaches.
As incoming seniors in Sanudo College back in 2010, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the twins were taking up the same course. What jolted us was the field: Electronic Engineering. Marvin mentioned “computers and solar panels” as areas of interest. Don’t go teasing them around as dumb jocks or suffer the pains of a short circuit, all the way from Europe.
Studies put to an interim halt, there can only be one reason: the Philippine National Football Team. And who can say no to that?
From family connections in Ormoc to Azkals Team Manager Dan Palami, news of the tryout flew to as far as Venice in late 2010. The twins tried out for the Azkals in May–June of 2011 and successfully made it. They joined Laos FC in August 2011 and now remain integral members of the under-23, under-22 and under-21 teams.
This is the longest they’ve been in the country, and they never saw it coming.
“About 8 months now,” they answered in chorus. It’s been an arduous 8 months as well, as they’ve been expanding their training scope around Asia and competing alongside the Azkals.
Had they known that they’d be in the country this long, the twins would’ve packed along their PS3. Too bad, but at least they get to be roommates.
Ciao TimeMarvin and Marwin describe their “Kuyas” in the Seniors Azkals team as, “Really good.”
If they were to emulate the playing style of certain players, they name Angel Guirado, Ian Araneta, Chieffy Caligdong, Roel Gener, Nestorio Margarse and others as their top picks. “Gusto naming maging parang sila. We want to teach the young players the way they taught us and be an inspiration to others as well.”
As for their first friends, Jerry Barbaso, David Basa, Paolo Pascual, Christopher Camcam and Yannick Tuason were some of the names mentioned. Guess age does matter. That, or one of them’s got a PS3 at home.
In Italy, football focuses more on the technique and tactics, where players have to read the game well in order to make strategic moves and accurate passes. In the country though, here’s what the twins have to say, “It’s all about takbuhan, and so you gotta stay fit.” I guess all those childhood games of tag and monkey-monkey have finally paid off in local training. Next training suggestion for the Philippine team: Sudoku and chess!
Twin it to Win itIn the 2011 SEA Games, Marwin already represented the country for the under-23 team and had quite the field exposure.
“2nd half vs Laos, vs Brunei and Myanmar. That’s a total of 2.5 on the field,” he recounts his field time. As one of his first games representing the country, he describes his feeling as malungkot (“sad”).
“Alam kong kaya naming manalo, to beat the other team, but we still lost. I cried in anger. Maybe it’s because the other teams have been together for 2 years, and they’ve already bonded quite well,” he explains. Will pizza night cure this case of disconnect? Maybe new under-21 coach Zoran Dordevic can come up with something more creative.
Speaking of the new coach, Marvin describes the Serbian as “Funny and strict, but tama yung ginagawa nya.”
Marvin and Marwin share their admiration for Coach Zoran and agree with his coaching style that focuses on keeping the ball on the ground, similar to Barcelona’s style of play. Being Barcelona fans, now they have more reason to look forward to training days.
It’s not all tears as far as first matches go, as the SEA Games’ sad moments have been drowned by a recent triumph.
In the charity match versus Icheon Citizen FC last January 21, 2012, Marwin scored the only goal for the Azkals. It was his first time to play with the Senior Azkals and to score a goal in the same game as well, this series of “firsts” must attest to his being “buona fortuna” to the Senior team.
“Ang saya ng feeling,” Marwin cherishes his elation. “I was really nervous at the start because it was my first time to play with the senior team.”
“Misagh (Bahadoran) passed the ball and then I scored the goal,” narrates Marwin. Congratulazioni! Maybe with this new feat, you can finally come up with a special handshake or dance to commemorate every winning moment! Do not request us to bring a piano to the field, though.
Republic of the Phili-TwinsWhat better way to contribute to the football-sibling trend (the Younghusbands, Greatwiches, Hartmanns and soon to be Guirados) than by bringing in new players by the twofold—bellissima! With Filipinos having a soft spot for everything family, the twins are sure to make that instant connection—no interpreter or dubbing required. Even with their recent exposure on the field, fans already recognize Marvin and Marwin and ask for their autograph and photos. Whether they can tell the two apart or not they won’t reveal, of course. Good thing the boys enjoy this newfound attention and deem it “Masaya,” a good enough Benvenuto (“welcome”) to the country’s new breed of young and promising players.
What’s endearing is that their Mom set up the Gemelli Foundation (Twin Foundation) to promote the education of the less privileged children. The Angeles Family has ventured to this socially responsible organization that seeks to address poverty, one of our nation’s common problems. The twins have shown concern over the distressful situation of the street children, in particular. Guess they don’t get much knock-on-car-window beggars in Italy. If they could probably organize a charity game for the poor and unschooled, they would—with free gelato!
It’s not just Pinoy pride that emanates from these Angeles twins. Living up to their family name, they’ve got talent, spirit and heart—characteristic of real and up-and-coming Philippine footballers. Their passion for the game and the country are heartfelt, and their “puso” speaks louder than their words.
Being young and idealistic, they may have a lot to learn from their Kuyas and coaches, but we could pick up a thing or two from them as well. And it starts with solar panels.
Which is whichMarvin or Marwin, Janver or Janwer? Don’t let the confusion prevent you from getting to know the Angeles twins. Don’t let the Italian or English faze you either. Bellowing “Kambal!” will probably do the trick, but we should be more refined than that. After all, the Mafia never forgets, and so shouldn’t we.
www.azkalsfootballteam.com/news.php?id=29