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Post by xclentoy on Oct 1, 2012 6:23:43 GMT 8
Hope sandro being there opens up the player recruiting like the one in england and germany. More spanish tikitaka!
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Post by cjeagle on Oct 1, 2012 7:50:32 GMT 8
sandrosdad comment on meeting Alcantara's grandniece, Ana
"Mrs. Ana Maria was so engaging. According to her Paulino always dreamed of being a doctor. He saved his money from playing professional football and used it to study medicine when he retired from the club. I will not do justice to her stories. If our local media can make documentaries about killers and hoodlums, they can and should make one about the one of our greatest athletes ever. While his relatives are still alive and know these stories, media should interview them already! Besides, if all goes according to plans, we may have another Alcantara family member joining a Philippine team soon. That member may have a strong chance to bring home that elusive Olympic gold medal for us. I will elaborate more when I confirm final details of their plans. The sport is not football, boxing or cycling but one where we have reaped gold from in past Asian competitions!!!"
____ I guess one of Alcantara's descendants wants to play for us but in a different sport. I wonder what sport he is referring to, maybe tennis, basketball, swimming, or track and field, all sports where Spain have a reputation for producing world class athletes. Anyways hopefully the Philippine journalistic community should pick up on these and do a documentary on Paulino while his closest descendants who knew about him are still alive and can still be interviewed.
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Post by stellarboy on Oct 1, 2012 9:29:32 GMT 8
Glad to hear this story about Sandro meeting one of Alcántara's descendants. Like you, I would like Philippine news media to come up with feature stories or a full documentary series retelling the Barça legend. I know it will be costly to produce them, but I believe that this will incite more interest to Pinoys that there was football before the Azkals team we know existed, and how it went down until the entry of Sandro to the Escola.
While the closest descendants of Paulino and other Filipino legends are still alive, the media must be aware of them. Strike while the iron is hot, so to speak.
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Post by gapobanana on Oct 1, 2012 13:09:56 GMT 8
Apparently FC Barcelona players drop in occasionally to watch the Escola kids play in order to inspire them. Adriano was present for today's practice. Nothing like a world class player watching you to make you work harder. gave me the chills after reading this. what more if his idol, lionel messi came to practice to watch him? woah.
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Post by veryfatchocobo on Oct 1, 2012 13:54:59 GMT 8
Great to see Sandro (indirectly) being the ambassador between Barca, Fil-Catalonians, and the Philippines. Also, good to hear the Alcantaras didn't lose their Filipino identity lol. Like you said cjeagle and stellarboy, PFF and the media should take advantage of this and make sure the Paulino legend doesn't die, as it is one of the most important achievements for Barcelona and the Philippines sportswise. I find it awkward that the Alcantaras have been fairly silent until now though.........
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Post by kluverbucy on Oct 1, 2012 13:56:41 GMT 8
Apparently FC Barcelona players drop in occasionally to watch the Escola kids play in order to inspire them. Adriano was present for today's practice. Nothing like a world class player watching you to make you work harder. gave me the chills after reading this. what more if his idol, lionel messi came to practice to watch him? woah. Maybe if that happens.. Sandro will show Messi how to take a free kick perfectly.. ;D This Kid is deadly on FK's ayt?.. I saw him took some FK at his age no wonder why He's in Escola now.
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Post by cjeagle on Oct 1, 2012 14:10:06 GMT 8
As for his performance so far in the team, in the 2 games he has participated in so far, out of the 5 goals his team has scored he was involved in 4 of them scoring 1 goal and assisting in 3 of them which is a normal ratio for his position at attacking midfielder. Not bad for a newcomer who came in amongst kids who have been in the Escola for up to 3 years already.
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Post by veryfatchocobo on Oct 1, 2012 14:46:08 GMT 8
Aren't those considered "standout" stats <_<, because if he's assisting almost every goal, that should be well more than average already. In contrast, how's the "Irish Messi" doing?
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Post by cjeagle on Oct 1, 2012 14:51:46 GMT 8
How's the "Irish Messi" doing? I have read the Irish Messi Zak Gilsenan is playing on a different Escola team but that they will eventually meet each other in competition on Nov. 10. They play 7 a side per team with 2 reserves as this format allows for more touches per player which is better for their development. I have no idea how the other kid is doing. As for why the Alcantaras have been silent, maybe the PFF haven't contacted them. Now that a new Filipino player has shown up, it must have reminded them of their own grandfather who came under similar circumstances nearly a century ago and wanted to meet Sandro.
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Post by gapobanana on Oct 1, 2012 15:00:01 GMT 8
gave me the chills after reading this. what more if his idol, lionel messi came to practice to watch him? woah. Maybe if that happens.. Sandro will show Messi how to take a free kick perfectly.. ;D This Kid is deadly on FK's ayt?.. I saw him took some FK at his age no wonder why He's in Escola now. his football IQ is pretty high. having said that he is performing very well(assists and goals) eventhough he is not that acquainted with his teammates haha i hope more sandros will go to these premier kinds of football academies. think of the possibilities!
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Post by veryfatchocobo on Oct 1, 2012 15:54:58 GMT 8
Well, Barcelona's really grabbing up true Asian talents. They have 2 Korean kids in their Infantil divisions, and one of them (Seung Woo Lee) is a consistent MVP in everything he plays. They say his touch and IQ is way above his age level. Their Cameroonians are also amazing, too. I wonder if Barcelona'll do the same with Korea and grab another Pinoy.
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Post by cjeagle on Oct 2, 2012 6:23:43 GMT 8
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Post by strikerbon on Oct 2, 2012 7:17:31 GMT 8
he is our future Xavi or Kagawa. can't wait for him to reach 15 so that we can cap him right away. haha ;D
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Post by veryfatchocobo on Oct 2, 2012 7:47:27 GMT 8
Wow, that's great. However, gotta watch out for the English press though <_<. They tend to overrate players to the max.... Not saying he's bad (in fact he's probably going to be world class), it's just they word thigns where it sounds like the Irish nation is on Zak's shoulders lol
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Post by cjeagle on Oct 4, 2012 11:29:30 GMT 8
This is what I found out about Escola which differentiates it from La Masia the Academy:
"The Escola is aimed at players from 6-12 years old and serves primarily as a mechanism to spread the FC Barcelona philosophy in a broader perspective. Player’s must try out to gain entrance and pay a nominal monthly fee. In addition, all games are in house. However, while these players are of some pedigree they are not the cream of the crop.
The Academy or La Masia is composed of the top players Barcelona can find across each age group. These players are being groomed to play in the first team. The players are treated as professionals and everything in their daily lives is carefully scheduled and monitored.
Escola players can, of course, gain entrance to the Academy should they prove good enough, but the coaches were very explicit that the methodologies used by each program, while holding to the same core tenants, were completely different.
At the Academy what is taught and how it is taught is much closer to the first team. Their soccer age is so far advanced that they are taught team concepts at the youngest ages. Tactical periodization is the methodology that most resembles what they are doing, and teams are very specifically taught the tactics and system that the first team is playing. Technique is, of course, a key component but more importantly for them is soccer intelligence.
The Escola acts as a feeder system for the Academy and if Barcelona see potential in a player who may not be good enough for the academy, instead of letting him go they will get him to spend some time learning at the Escola and try and develop him the Barca way, the great thing about the Escola is that kids have a chance from 6-11 to develop, before they are progressed to the Academy or not!"
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