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Post by cjeagle on May 19, 2012 2:28:30 GMT 8
On Aug. 10 to 25, the Azkals will have a training camp in Chicago, as part of their preparation for the Suzuki Cup, and they will have a series of friendly, one against Chicago’s MLS team and a national team—which, at the moment could be Puerto Rico, Belize or the US Virgin Islands. The players based in Europe will all be there as it’s easier for them to fly to the US than to the Philippines and as it is, it’s part of the Suzuki Cup preparation so for sure, they’ll try their best to avoid any ahem, prior commitments? cebufootball.blogspot.com/2012/05/fair-play-prior-commitemtns-lol.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FMdMPT+%28Cebu+Football%29Woo Hoo. I will finally get to see the team live. I will be there to cover the games for you guys if this is true. Personally if they get the full team together, they should aim a little higher, teams like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica or Canada, teams who make the World Cup qualifying Hexagonal and the Gold Cup(Concacaf championship) regularly. The Azkals might not win it but it will be a good experience for them to play teams who have had or were close to making the World Cup in the past. Costa Rica especially have played in both the World Cup and Copa America numerous times. Of those 3 mentioned above in that article, I wouldn't even consider the US Virgin Islands. They are worse than a lot of teams in ASEAN and at the same level as Guam. On the other hand, if majority of the European based players won't be able to participate, if for example, it is scheduled outside of FIFA mandated match dates, they should try for less stronger teams if they don't want to get overwhelmed.
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Post by stellarboy on May 19, 2012 6:43:40 GMT 8
YOU ARE SO LUCKY, cjeagle!
I bet you are ecstatic to see the Azkals play Chicago Fire and whatever CONCACAF team would it be at that time.
Just so you know, August 15 is a FIFA match date, so I will be looking forward to see the Euro-based players to join the team in Illinois, which I bet will be a great thing to watch. I do hope the friendly with Chicago Fire would gain more attention after that hype surrounding the team after playing David Beckham and the LA Galaxy.
Exciting days ahead for their preparation in the upcoming Suzuki Cup.
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Post by dingodile5 on May 19, 2012 9:04:39 GMT 8
This is a good preparation for AFF Suzuki Cup. Yes Aug 15 is a FIFA match date so expect a full team for PHI. USA is nearer to Europe than PHI. So this is what Bob G is talking about in their podcast. This is a great training for PHI. They will face strong teams there to gain more experience. Goodluck cjeagle You're lucky they'll be in Chicago. By the way, a lot of team will go to US this mid-year for their friendlies and for the clubs will also be there for their US tour.
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Post by stellarboy on May 19, 2012 9:23:13 GMT 8
cjeagle, If the friendly with Chicago Fire pushes through, I do think the overseas Filipinos based there would be very excited to see the national team play this MLS team in the US, following the game with the LA Galaxy back in the PI. And if it's going to be played in Toyota Park, the home ground of the Fire, I expect a large Filipino audience watching live, yourself included. We might be a little envious that European teams like Arsenal and Inter Milan will drop by at our neighbouring nations in the middle of the year, but I think our run has been great so far playing US teams (with the Beckham factor) and having a CONCACAF team playing ours will be a milestone in itself.
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Post by mrbiik on Jun 1, 2012 9:05:30 GMT 8
ohh please please sana matuloy sila sa chicago..kahit weekday ang aug 15 i guess i have to use my precious days off...
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Post by jkmarf on Jun 2, 2012 3:12:37 GMT 8
Azkals set US training camp, friendly vs Fire By Cedelf P. Tupas Philippine Daily Inquirer SHAH ALAM, Malaysia—A 15-day training camp in the United States in August highlighted by two international friendlies and a match against Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire is close to being finalized for the Philippine Azkals. Azkals manager Dan Palami Thursday night said the proposed camp, which will run from August 10 to 25, forms part of the team’s preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup late this year in Thailand and Malaysia. Palami is looking at the US Virgin Islands as a possible opponent for the Azkals on Aug. 15, before a duel with the Fire five days later. Another international friendly is slated Aug. 20. A group of Chicago-based Filipinos from Palami’s hometown of Tacloban City is making representations with the Chicago Fire and arranging the matches for the Azkals, who were scheduled to face Malaysia in an international friendly at the Shah Alam Stadium here. “It will be a good experience for the team,” said Palami. “We will try to make sure that we get the best possible preparation for the Suzuki Cup.” Meanwhile, Philippine Azkals skipper Chieffy Caligdong sees no problem in the growing number of Filipino players raised abroad getting picked for national team duty, even if it meant that homegrown players can no longer hold down a place in the lineup. “I don’t see it as a negative thing,” said Caligdong, the proud son of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, who is one of only four homegrown players in the current lineup. “What’s important is the level of football (in the team) is getting higher.” The squad for the Malaysia match, which includes Ian Araneta, Ed Sacapano and OJ Clarino, has probably one of the fewest homegrown talents as coach Michael Weiss was able to bring in the likes of Europe-based Stephan Schrock, Paul Mulders, Manny Ott, Roland Muller and Denis Wolf. Omitted for the first time since the 2010 Suzuki Cup were veteran Army players Roel Gener and Nestorio Margarse. Caligdong could be the lone homegrown player to start for the national side in the match last night. “It’s a challenge for our local players. They have to show up and prove they deserve the spot,” said Caligdong. “The foreign players are bringing up the level of play and we’re learning from them.” Weiss believes there is still plenty of homegrown talent in the country with 31-year-old Anto Gonzales impressing him in the weeklong camp in Bacolod and San Carlos City last week. “Gonzales is more than an option,” Weiss said of the Loyola Meralco Sparks midfielder. But with so much depth in the squad at his position, Gonzales wasn’t included in the roster for the Malaysia match. sports.inquirer.net/45799/azkals-set-us-training-camp-friendly-vs-fire
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Post by stellarboy on Jun 2, 2012 6:17:14 GMT 8
Woo hoo, cjeagle! You'll definitely watch this one!
Again, this camp falls through a FIFA match date so expect some of the Euro-players coming in. It will greatly depend, though, on the scheduling of their pre-season or their first few matches of the regular season.
As for the local-based players, I am not keen on fielding Gener or Margarse anymore; give it to younger homegrown players, if possible. Weiss was good in choosing those local players fielded in Dubai in February like the Stallions players Doctora, Clariño and Simpron. However with so much depth in their positions (midfielders), it has been quite troubling. For me, at this point in time, they have to field better homegrown defenders and maybe another goalkeeper (Patrick Deyto?) for this training camp.
As for our opponents, I am not sold if they'll just play US VI or other "minnow" CONCACAF teams for the FIFA international matches, but maybe for the sake of experience playing a team outside the AFC and to lower cost of bringing them to Chicago, I'd be happy whatever team will it be. And as for Chicago Fire, I will look forward to an entertaining match, plus a showcase on how passionate the supporters at the Section 8 of Toyota Park are, which I admire well following the MLS.
Will be looking forward for more developments.
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Post by cypher210 on Jun 2, 2012 6:55:18 GMT 8
oh nice! i would definitely go if they have training camp in Carson and play the Galaxy again or Chivas USA.
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 2, 2012 7:12:45 GMT 8
C'mon guys. I hope the Filipino fans from other states can fly or drive to Chicago to watch this match. After all, the Mexicans, Hondurans, El Salvadoran, and Panamanian fans do the same. We have to show MLS teams and the USSF, that it will be profitable for them to host our national team in the US as well as demonstrate how competitive our team is. If we can fill the stadium and make a profit, the Azkals can even demand an appearance fee, like some of the other teams do and help defray their expenses in the future. Next time, if we do well and have a higher ranking, we might even be invited to have friendlies here with stronger nations. So to all the Fil Ams, invite your relatives from other states as well as your friends in the Chicago area to watch the games. Get the word out folks to all the Filipinos you know. The US has the largest concentration of Filipinos outside the country itself, let us get together to support our team.
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Post by mrbiik on Jun 2, 2012 7:15:47 GMT 8
one excited azkal fan here....if this happens and you guys will organize tailgates(parang american football) let me know
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Post by utakbarok on Jun 2, 2012 8:08:59 GMT 8
Wonder why Chicago? California,Virginia,New York & Lousiana have more filipino population, or even Hawaii. But this is a good move for the NT, they will get valuable experience playing teams outside of the asian region. They should play more friendly matches in the US to boost funds for PFF. Why do you think Mexico play most of their friendlies in the US? b/c the Dollar > Peso. Ticket sales & Merchandising are big money makers too. But they better have a good marketing plan set up for these matches, filipinos can't come out & support if they don't know about it.
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 2, 2012 8:17:33 GMT 8
Well for one thing Chicago is in the Midwest right in the middle of the US, so it will be more convenient for fans from the East Coast as well as the West Coast to travel here to watch the game. Besides there are plenty of Filipinos here too, second only to those in the California area I believe.
However, I do think it will be easier for them to sell tickets if they hold it in California esp. San Francisco, where the majority of Filipinos live and where there are a lot of soccer knowledgeable fans.
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Post by dingodile5 on Jun 2, 2012 9:22:04 GMT 8
How many games do they have there? aside from Fire. How many countries will they have friendlies there?
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Post by stellarboy on Jun 2, 2012 9:33:18 GMT 8
How many games do they have there? aside from Fire. How many countries will they have friendlies there? There will be a match against a senior national team in the FIFA-designated match date on the 15th, then the friendly with the Fire, then another friendly with another national team after that. I'm not sure if the last friendly match will be against a senior team as it's outside FIFA match dates, so I would presume this will be against a youth team. We don't really know the nations that will hold training camps in the US at that time as of the moment. But it will be mostly CONCACAF nations, I presume.
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Post by djaime21 on Jun 2, 2012 11:56:11 GMT 8
i wonder if chicago fire will let spectators watch the game. i'm going to be in chicago for my girlfriend's cousin's wedding. i hope i get to see those games and possibly talk to dan palami or the other coaches.
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