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Post by narko on Jun 8, 2011 23:54:53 GMT 8
I'd also like to add that aside from the technical skills, what is important is the development of the child as a person. Coaches & parents sometimes become slaves of the scoreboard that they forget that kids are just kids and the pressure of winning is too much. Moral development of the child is important and the concept of discipline, teamwork, honesty and sportsmanship should be stressed. That's right, moral development just as important too.
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 9, 2011 8:12:53 GMT 8
www.interaksyon.com/article/5195/five-things-we-learned-after-the-azkals-loss-to-the-ufl-all-starsFive things we learned after the Azkals loss to the UFL All-Stars 08-Jun-11, 1:01 PM | Ryan Fenix, special to InterAksyon.com “You learn more by losing than winning,” the old axiom goes. So when the Philippine national men’s football team lost, 3-4, in an exhibition match to a selection from the United Football League, it showed that the Azkals could still learn some new tricks. We list down the five things we can take away from the loss: 1. The United Football League has quality among its ranks. The casual Filipino football fan would be forgiven for expecting the Azkals to have a walk in the park against the UFL All-Stars last Sunday. Instead, the Azkals were faced with a strong and motivated opposition, albeit one without the benefit of a single training session. Belying his small physical stature, former Azkal Anto Gonzales was a warrior in midfield. Fil-Brit Mark Hartmann, who was never asked to try out for the Azkals, was the man of the match and scored a beauty of a free kick. The victory validates the league’s quality, and the Azkals coaching staff would be wise to take a closer look at players from the UFL in its next recruitment phase. 2. Neil Etheridge may be a Barclays Premier League third choice goalkeeper, but he is not impenetrable. UFL All Stars coach Rudy del Rosario motivated his strikers before the game with this question: “Wouldn’t it feel great to score against Neil?” The UFL strike force of Izo El-Habbib, Mark Hartmann and Eric Dagroh duly delivered by putting four goals past the Fulham keeper. The Azkals cannot rely solely on Neil to keep clean sheets; thus the back four has to do its share of proper defending. It can be argued that Neil was not at fault for all four UFL goals. 3. The Jason Sabio and Aly Borromeo defensive partnership needs to be looked into. Again. All four UFL goals were the result of sloppy defending by Sabio and Borromeo, the two central defenders. In the 40th minute, Borromeo miscontrolled a routine Greatwich back pass, allowing the UFL squad to win the ball cheaply. UFL winger Floriano Pasilan, Jr. then completely wrong-footed Sabio and passed the ball to striker Eric Dagroh, who turned the Azkals captain with ease for the opening goal. In the build-up to the second goal, Sabio should’ve been given a yellow card for manhandling Mark Hartmann just outside the box. The Loyola Meralco Sparks striker got the last laugh though with a sublime curling free kick to the top right corner, beyond the reach of any keeper. The third UFL goal came out of nowhere. From a routine UFL throw in, Sabio managed to mis-hit a header back to his own goal into the waiting feet of Eric Dagroh who made no mistake with his right-footed shot. These are very costly errors and they will be punished by players of this level. 4. James Younghusband is not a holding midfielder. When the Azkals go forward foraging for a goal, it is the job of the defensive midfielder -- Younghusband in last Sunday's game -- to track back and anticipate opposing counterattacks. In the case of the UFL’s fourth goal, Borromeo was stranded in midfield, leaving Sabio as the lone central defender. Once the Azkals lost possession, Izo was able to exploit the space left by Borromeo to fire an unstoppable shot for the lead. Younghusband is naturally an attack-minded player and his natural movement is going for goal. His delivery of the ball is impeccable, especially coming from set pieces. He should be slotted back to right midfield or played higher up the pitch. Putting him as a midfield shield does not play to his strengths. 5. The Azkals are still dependent on the old reliables. In the face of massive recruitment for young blood, it is still the old guard who carried the Azkals in Sunday's game. Chieffy Caligdong was a threat all game long and was a constant menace with the ball at his feet. His cool finish in the 11th minute opened the floodgates, and he capped off a good game with a superb cross to Ian Araneta for the Azkals’ third goal. James Younghusband’s exquisite passes and crosses created chance after chance for the Azkals. His header was spilled by the UFL goalkeeper, allowing Simon Greatwich to score the second Azkal goal. Ian Araneta proved that there is more to come from him after coming off the bench and almost rescuing the Azkals from defeat. With the expected inclusion of Angel Guirado in the starting lineup, his contribution off the bench may prove crucial for the Azkals’ quest for World Cup glory. Utilityman Roel Gener was the only member of the back four who acquitted himself in the game. He would probably give way for Ray Jonsson in the starting lineup, but being able to play on the left or on the right, he will be an important squad player for the team.
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 9, 2011 8:28:31 GMT 8
Reaction to Azkals vs UFL All Stars by Ryan Fenix on pinoyfootball
The exhibition match between the Azkals and the UFL All-Stars could very well have been a testimonial match for veteran Azkals striker Yanti Barsales, who is retiring from international football. Instead, this game highlighted two things:
First, the United Football League, represented by its All Stars, has quality in its ranks. With the whole Philippines tuned in, this game was surely not just going to be another friendly game for the UFL All-Stars. They played as if it was a referendum for the league, and the result will be a ringing endorsement for its teams and players.
And with the Azkals coaching staff looking on, it would certainly do no harm for some of its players to show the scouts their skills. FIl-British striker Mark Hartmann and Kaya Cignal (and former Azkals) midfielder Anto Gonzales certainly impressed on the field and should be seriously reconsidered for the Azkals again.
Secondly, the Azkals, specifically their defence, need to improve substantially for us to do well against Sri Lanka in less than a month’s time.
The game started on an emotional note, as the Azkals made Air Force Rider striker Yanti Barsales captain for this match. Seemingly inspired by their captain for the day, the Azkals was the livelier side in the first half hour. Their collective efforts were rewarded by a cool finish from winger Chieffy Caligdong in the 11th minute from a lofted James Younghusband pass.
Clad in an all-red kit, the Azkals clearly controlled the game at this point, with the UFL All Stars relying on long range shots which hardly troubled Neil Etheridge. However, against the run of play, the UFL All Stars equalized through an error by the Azkals central defence. From there, it was a see-saw battle punctuated by horrendous defending by the Azkals and some superb finishing by both sets of strikers. The game would end at 4-3 in favour of the UFL All-Stars.
Coach Weiss used a 4-4-2 diamond formation for the game. With the absence of Rob Gier and Ray Jonsson, it was Jason Sabio and utilityman Roel Gener respectively, who filled the gaps in the back four.
Azkals formation during their game against the UFL All-Stars
James Younghusband sat just in front of the back four, at the base of diamond formation. It seems safe to say that once all the players become available (Lucena, for instance), we will not see James in this position again. His crossing is impeccable and his distribution of the ball is brilliant. But this position also demands he not neglect his defensive duties as well. For all his brilliance, he is not a defensive midfield shield.
Naturally an attack-minded player, he pushed forward in the last 20 minutes of play as the Azkals searched for the equalizing goal. This left gaps in the midfield which made for some entertaining end to end stuff at the end of the match. It would probably be best if he is lined up on the right side of midfield or pushed further in the middle near the strikers.
Fil-American striker Nate Burkey came on for Barsales in the 14th minute to make his debut for the Azkals, and this was his chance to show the team what he has to offer. He did not particularly impress and his link-up with Phil Younghusband obviously needs to be worked on. Coach Weiss admitted after the game that he “isn’t the fastest out there’, but his role obviously is to serve as a target man for the crosses and the long balls coming into the box. His height will be an advantage for us, but he had some half-chances which he was slow to get react.
Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran had some good runs on the right midfield, and his dribbling caused some problems for the UFL All Stars. But it was really in the left that the Azkals built up their attacks. Chieffy Caligdong continued his fine UFL form by being a constant menace down the left flank. His surging runs set up good chances for the strikers, and he capped off by a well taken goal.
It was also good to see Phil Younghusband back in action after missing out on the AFC Challenge Cup in Myanmar. His neat flicks and touches will only add more creativity in the attacking third.
We could be forgiven if we did not even notice the performance of Roel Gener at right back. Solid and dependable as always, he was the only defender who acquitted himself on the pitch.
The defensive partnership of Jason Sabio and Aly Borromeo evoked painful memories of the game against Mongolia in Ulan Bator. Shaky and tentative, they themselves would be the first to admit that this was not a classic defensive performance by either player. Shambolic defending by the central defenders led to at least two of the UFL All-Stars goals, and it was a foul in a dangerous area that led to Mark Hartmann’s free kick for the second goal.
It will be the understatement of the year to say that letting in four goals will not win us any games. Conceding a late winner, deep in injury time, also does not speak well for the players’ mental and physical fitness, nor enhance the fitness trainer’s reputation.
That said, putting the blame on Neil Etheridge for the goals is complete and utter nonsense. I do hope the critics of Neil’s performance for this game stand in front of goal and see for themselves just how big the goal is. The goal is eight feet tall by 24 feet wide. No keeper in the Milky Way could cover its entire width and height. Hence the most important thing for any defence is to protect the goal even before the keeper gets involved in the action.
Unstoppable free kicks are another exception. David Beckham has made a career out of these bending free kicks, and on Sunday we were witness to a Mark Hartmann special. Bend it like Hartmann, and you get a goal for the UFL All-Stars.
With the emergence of Angel Guirado in attack, we might see Ian Araneta in the bench more and more often. This, however, may not necessarily be a bad thing for the Azkals, as shown in Sunday’s game. Super-sub Ian made an immediate impact off the bench, as Coach Weiss was looking to beef up the Azkals attack. His first touch was a shot on target, and the Air Force Rider striker almost rescued the Azkals with his goal, levelling the score at 3-3. A fresh Ian Araneta off the bench will certainly give opposing defences something to think about, with his aerial ability and finishing skill. Certainly, after breaking his international scoring duck in Myanmar, he is not done yet.
Coach Weiss said that ‘Azkals should never have lost, we controlled the game. They get four chances, they score four goals.’ That, in a nutshell, is football. It is not how many chances you create; it is how many chances you turn into goals. It is also fair to add, you commit mistakes often enough, and you will be punished sooner or later.
To be fair to Weiss, this is still a friendly match, albeit the first ‘friendly’ shown on live and free TV. The important games are over three weeks away and there is of course the issue of new players coming in. More than anything, this is still an experimental side. A work in progress, if you must. He has hinted that only five or six of the players today will make it to the starting eleven against Sri Lanka. Manager Dan Palami even said afterwards that one of their objectives was that no one gets injured in this match, which shows you how they treat this game.
That said, this is still the National Team, and any defeat will have repercussions, more so against a hastily formed team which had no time for even one practice session. Fans have the right to demand a winning performance every time the Azkals step on the pitch.
Special mention must be made for the Azkals Booster Group, the Kaholeros. The atmosphere was terrific at the stadium, and as Ebong Joson, aka ‘The Blue-Haired Fan’ said: “Players feed from the fans and we have to let them hear our support” If we could keep up this effort, Rizal Memorial Stadium will be rocking by July 3.
Personally, it is best not to look too much into Sunday’s 4-3 defeat. Let us put things in perspective and reserve our judgment. It was an entertaining game of football and fans were treated to a seven goal thriller. The Azkals have a notorious history of not doing well in games before big tournaments anyway. Let us cut them some slack and wait for June 29.
Bottom line, the big winner for the day was the fans of Philippine Football. With the good turnout and the interest this game generated, it would not be difficult to foresee another Azkals friendly game in the near future. __________________________
I just want to commend Ryan Fenix on some excellent sports writing on this last 2 articles. Good analysis, nice play by play, colorful descriptions of the game and the events surrounding it makes for some interesting reading especially for us folks who live halfway around the world and don't go to see the match.
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Post by vimjonk on Jun 9, 2011 19:25:18 GMT 8
You should watch out for Ryan Fenix, don't get lulled by his somewhat intelligent football articles. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This wannabe basketball player is a part of the football destruction machinery of the PBA. Just watch out for his future articles
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Post by sheajane80 on Jun 9, 2011 19:29:32 GMT 8
You should watch out for Ryan Fenix, don't get lulled by his somewhat intelligent football articles. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This wannabe basketball player is a part of the football destruction machinery of the PBA. Just watch out for his future articles bigyan mo nga kami ng links to his articles that shows his true colors nga po? akala siguro ng pba na ang mentality ng pinoy ngayon ay tulad noon na "matalo lang ang lahat(other sports) wag lang ang basketball." at akala siguro nila na they will be able to destroy phl football like what they did to phl baseball in the past.
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Post by Usapang Football on Jun 9, 2011 20:14:32 GMT 8
You should watch out for Ryan Fenix, don't get lulled by his somewhat intelligent football articles. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This wannabe basketball player is a part of the football destruction machinery of the PBA. Just watch out for his future articles Guys, please do not start a football-vs-basketball debate. That is a violation of the forum rules.
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Post by vimjonk on Jun 9, 2011 21:03:50 GMT 8
Usapang FootballRyan Fenix is the partner and guest blogger of that white albino guy who is an author of a basketball book. Just go to Interbasket forum and look at the Asia OT section. There's a very long thread there about Phil Football with all the links that you want showing Ryan Fenix colors. There's also a guy there who has the same handle as me. They are ganging up on him in the past ;D poor dumb guy entering that hostile rabid territory.
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Post by xyz1000 on Jun 9, 2011 21:17:43 GMT 8
Reaction to Azkals vs UFL All Stars by Ryan Fenix on pinoyfootball The exhibition match between the Azkals and the UFL All-Stars could ... Hmmm, this article reads very much like this article: roymondous.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/payatas-and-kasiglahan-kids-watch-the-azkals-for-the-first-time/which is strange seeing that they're both columnists for PinoyFootball. Maybe they were talking to each other while watching the game? For whatever reason, not much originality in Fenix's match report and seems organized in the same way as Roy Moore's.
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Post by cjeagle on Jun 9, 2011 22:04:46 GMT 8
I first encountered Ryan Fenix on Bleacher's Brew last December when Rick Olivares allowed him the rare privilege of writing an article on his website Bleacher's Brew. I believe he is a young aspiring sportswriter who was given a chance by Rick by introducing him on his website. His articles elicited positive reviews on the comment section at that time as this few examples attest: bleachersbrew.blogspot.com/2010/12/philippine-football-our-home-team-comes.html bleachersbrew.blogspot.com/2011/01/galactic-azkals.htmlbleachersbrew.blogspot.com/2011/02/great-expectations.htmlAs most of you know, Rick Olivares is well respected in the journalistic community and was named the official spokesperson for the PFF back in December during the Suzuki cup run, inspite of some very critical articles and exposes he wrote about the previous administration at the PFF. The fact that he allowed this young writer to showcase his talent on his website, showed his regard for his potential as a journalist. Since then he has opened up his own blogs, at theprawnsandwichbrigade.blogspot.com/ and rampagingfullback.blogspot.com/ and has written articles for different football related websites. I see no evidence in any of his articles of this so called anti football conspiracy vimjonk. He seems to be a genuine Azkals fan that has been following the team for some time now unlike for instance Quinito Henson who never followed the sport before and has a negative bias when writing about football. He might not be writing for a mainstream newspaper but his articles seem to be well researched and does not contain as many football inaccuracies as you find in a lot of our dailies.
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