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Post by cjeagle on Feb 23, 2018 14:45:42 GMT 8
Etheridge and Philippines dreaming of English Premier League Philippines goalkeeper Neil Etheridge has been in touching distance of the English Premier League before, without getting on the pitch. After so much frustration and repeated setbacks, the wait to become the first southeast Asian to play in the league could soon be ending for Etheridge with Cardiff. The south Wales team is second in the second-tier League Championship and is on course to gain promotion to the world’s richest and most popular league. “There are big clubs paying large amounts of money to try and get into the Premier League,” said Etheridge, who was born in London in 1990 to an English father and Filipino mother. “It would be a dream to play there.” Etheridge was with Fulham from 2008 to 2014 while the London club was in the Premier League but he never managed to make it into the lineup. Etheridge has revived his career at Cardiff, which is owned by Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan. In his first season since joining Cardiff from Walsall, the 28-year-old Etheridge has missed only one game in the push to clinch one of the two automatic promotion places. With 13 games remaining, Cardiff is four points ahead of third-place Aston Villa. The Championship is the third best attended division in Europe, with an average crowd of over 20,000. “Physically, mentally, and emotionally, the Championship is a very strong level of football,” he said. “I would argue that it is right up there with some of the best leagues and is hard to get out of.” Etheridge making it into the Premier League will help to raise the profile of the game in his native Philippines. Soccer is the most popular sport in every country in the region except the Philippines, where basketball and boxing are bigger. Chris Greatwich, a former national teammate of Etheridge, already sees the impact he is having in the Philippines. “When Cardiff played Manchester City in the FA Cup recently there was a real buzz as Neil faced some of the best players in the world,” Greatwich said. “To have a player from the Philippines (in the Premier League) every week would be very exciting.” Greatwich is the head coach of Kaya, a leading club in the Philippines Football League, the country’s first nationwide professional league, established in 2017. With the second season due to kick off in March, there are issues with two of the eight teams withdrawing due to financial issues. But the national team is eyeing a first-ever appearance at the Asian Cup in 2019. The team only has to avoid defeat at home to Tajikistan on March 27 to qualify. “The Asian Cup is a massive deal,” Greatwich said. “If you had said 10 years ago that we would be one game away from playing Korea, Japan and Australia then people would have laughed. Hopefully, it will be a watershed moment for the impact it could have on the domestic game here.” The Philippines will be hoping that Etheridge can transfer his form in England, where he has kept clean sheets in 15 league games this season, back to southeast Asia next month. “You can really feel his presence when he is with the national team,” Greatwich said. “He is a big personality. He has been with the national team for 10 years and given what he is done and is doing, when he speaks people listen.” Etheridge made his international debut in 2008 at the age of 18. Even in the middle of a promotion campaign, he’s looking forward to returning to international duty. “We need a draw to make history,” he said of the Tajikistan match. “I have been part of that for 10 years and it has been a fantastic journey through thick and thin. It is a massive game.” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/etheridge-and-philippines-dreaming-of-english-premier-league/2018/02/22/1abfca10-1795-11e8-930c-45838ad0d77a_story.html?utm_term=.d45cf65bb56a
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Post by cjeagle on Feb 26, 2018 4:29:04 GMT 8
Cardiff City FC Verified account @cardiffcityfc 4h4 hours ago
4️⃣ consecutive clean sheets for #CardiffCity and @neil38etheridge! 🙌
Superb record! 👏
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Post by cjeagle on Feb 26, 2018 4:31:51 GMT 8
Cardiff City FC Verified account @cardiffcityfc 7h7 hours ago
FULL TIME: #CardiffCity 1-0 @bcfctweets!
4️⃣ consecutive wins 4️⃣ consecutive clean sheets 🔥 @kzohore 🙌 @neil38etheridge
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Post by cjeagle on Feb 26, 2018 4:33:49 GMT 8
Still on track to finish Top 2 and outright promotion and 6 points off leaders Wolverhampton.
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Post by cjeagle on Feb 26, 2018 7:35:30 GMT 8
Cardiff City beat Bristol City to get 4th consecutive win, Azkals’ Neil Etheridge gets 4th straight clean sheet as well Cardiff City FC get their fourth consecutive win as second half sub Kenneth Zohore scored late in the game while Azkals keeper Neil Etheridge, once again, came up with an assured performance between the posts to help attain also their fourth straight “clean sheet” in the EFL Championship at Cardiff City Stadium last Sunday. The result gives Cardiff their fourth win and clean sheet on the trot, as the Bluebirds maintain their grip of second place in the league and also keep their four-point gap in the standing against closest chasers Aston Villa. Meanwhile Azkals’ main goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was once again solid in manning the posts and helping to deny the opposition. Cardiff City will play Brentford next in an away fixture on Saturday, March 3 at 11:00PM PHT www.foxsports.ph/football/821207/cardiff-city-beat-bristol-city-to-get-4th-consecutive-win-azkals-neil-etheridge-gets-4th-straight-clean-sheet-as-well/
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Post by cjeagle on Feb 27, 2018 3:35:59 GMT 8
playmakerstats @playmaker_EN 8h8 hours ago 🛡 Most league clean sheets at HOME (17/18; top 4 tiers): 10⛔: 👊@neil38etheridge👊, de Gea, Carson 9⛔: Courtois, Henderson, Forde 8⛔: Randolph, Ruddy, Wiedwald, Pym, Stech #CardiffCity #Bluebirds @cardiffcityfc
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Post by cjeagle on Mar 21, 2018 14:41:59 GMT 8
www.foxsports.ph/football/asian-football/827658/double-glory-in-sight-for-azkals-and-cardiff-city-star-neil-etheridge-2/Double glory in sight for Azkals and Cardiff City star Neil Etheridge Neil Etheridge is on a mission to rewrite history twice in two months by helping Philippines make the 2019 Asian Cup and become the first ASEAN footballer to play in the English Premier League. This could be the biggest year in Philippines football history and it rests solely on the broad shoulders of a certain man who is fast becoming Cardiff City’s poster boy. Should the Azkals get at least a point in the final AFC Asian Cup Group F qualifier against Tajikistan on March 27, they will make the tournament proper for the first time in the basketball-mad country’s history. And if you throw Cardiff’s stunning promotion chase into the equation, then the man in the question Neil Etheridge could become the first-ever Southeast Asian to play in the English Premier League come August. Thailand trio of Teerasil Dangda, Suree Sukha and Kietpraqut Sai-aeo came close to making Premier League debuts when they joined Thaksin Shinawatra’s Manchester City in 2007 but barely got a sniff at the starting XI. However, Etheridge will have to leave thoughts of the Premier League dream behind as he makes the arduous globetrotting journey back to Manila, to keep goal for the Azkals at the Rizal Memorial fortress. While the giant stopper has had to miss three consecutive AFF Suzuki Cup tournaments for the Azkals because the regional competition took place outside of FIFA’s international calendar, there is no chance Etheridge will miss that flight back home this time out. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the boys including myself to go to the Asian Cup,” Etheridge exclaimed to FOX Sports Asia. “We know there will definitely be great support at home and the boys know what is at stake. To make history is one thing but to be part of that squad to achieve it will be fantastic. “We are in this situation (to qualify) because we had a great start to the campaign. Going into this final game, it is pretty much all or nothing for Philippines. “I’ve gotten used to travelling back to Asia to play for Philippines and it is all about readjusting that mindset and put my full focus on the 90 minutes and get out with result we know we are capable of.” With so much at stake for the Azkals, head coach Thomas Dooley has called up the best players available, including Bangkok United’s uncapped stopper Michael Falkesgaard.
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Post by cjeagle on Mar 27, 2018 11:05:14 GMT 8
International Bluebirds: Etheridge hopes for history with the Philippines Cardiff City ‘keeper Neil Etheridge has flown out for international duty with the Philippines, as they look to secure an historic AFC Asian Cup qualification. The Southeast Asian side have the opportunity to qualify for the competition for the first time in their history. Indeed, just one match stands in their way. Rizal Memorial Stadium will play host to Tajikistan on Tuesday, 27th March - and a Filipino win or draw would see them progress. The Philippines had the upper hand when the two countries met earlier in the qualification process, securing the points away from home with a dramatic 4-3 victory at the Central Republican Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. They are in an excellent vein of form too, boasting an impressive five-game unbeaten run in the qualifiers. City’s no. 25 was rested for the Azkals' 3-2 friendly victory over Fiji on Thursday, as he travelled to Manila in time for Tuesday’s big game. The 56-cap stopper has kept 16 clean sheets from 36 Sky Bet Championship games, with the Bluebirds conceding fewer goals than any other side in the division this season. Neil will look to continue that form in the national shirt on Tueday, with at least a point the target to make Filipino footballing history. "A huge chance to make history..." Earlier this season, Neil spoke to iFollow Cardiff City about playing for his country, explaining the path that he took into international football at an early stage in his career. "I played for England U16s," he said. "But made the transition to play for the Philippines when I was 18. I've been able to travel and see some fantastic places and different cultures. I've enjoyed every minute of it, haven't looked back and I've never regretted it.” Having become a talisman between the sticks on the international stage, Neil went on to tell us just how much he enjoys playing for the Azkals, adding: "It’s fantastic. I started in 2008 there, and the national team took centre stage in the Philippines for a spell in 2010 - it was great to be a part of that. "At the moment, we're top of our group in the Asian Cup qualifiers and if we qualify it will be the first time ever. There have been great opportunities for me on the international stage and it’s a huge chance to make history.” With qualification for the Asian Cup now within reach, Neil finally explained a little about the competition that he hopes to play a part in next year. “The Asian Cup is in January 2019 in the United Arab Emirates," he said. "It’s always a tough one and, like the Africa Cup of Nations, it’s played within the season. We’ve been taking it step by step and now can see where it goes.” www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/2018/march/international-bluebirds-etheridge-hopes-for-history-with-the-philippines/
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Post by cjeagle on Apr 29, 2018 5:59:29 GMT 8
With the win last night, Neil and Cardiff City are now one win away from the Premiership.
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Post by xyz1000 on Apr 29, 2018 9:07:33 GMT 8
With the win last night, Neil and Cardiff City are now one win away from the Premiership. or a loss by Fulham. Go get 'em Neil. Not to put on the pressure, but the next game will be one of the most important of your career.
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Post by leoisiah on Apr 30, 2018 8:44:22 GMT 8
With the win last night, Neil and Cardiff City are now one win away from the Premiership. or a loss by Fulham. Go get 'em Neil. Not to put on the pressure, but the next game will be one of the most important of your career. I hope he hates Fulham so much that he'll give everything just to not allow his old club from being promoted haha.
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Post by cypher210 on Apr 30, 2018 10:59:40 GMT 8
or a loss by Fulham. Go get 'em Neil. Not to put on the pressure, but the next game will be one of the most important of your career. I hope he hates Fulham so much that he'll give everything just to not allow his old club from being promoted haha. well 3rd place still has a chance to get promoted through playoffs
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Post by cjeagle on May 3, 2018 17:58:40 GMT 8
Cardiff City keeper Neil Etheridge can inspire next generation of SEA footballers Neil Etheridge has played in front of 90,000 roaring fans in Jakarta, but the Philippines No. 1 has an even bigger game on Sunday. Cardiff City are 90 minutes away from the English Premier League, with three points at home against Reading enough to guarantee a return to the top flight they departed in 2014. And there will be plenty of fans in the Philippines hoping that the Bluebirds can do it. "There is a lot of excitement," Chris Greatwich, Etheridge's former national teammate and head coach of Iloilo club Kaya FC, told ESPN FC. "Even at local games here this week, people are talking about it. We could have a bonafide Premier League player on our hands and that would be an incredible achievement for Neil and for Philippines football. We are really hopeful that Cardiff can get the right result." It is not easy for fans among the 100 million population to watch live games in England's second tier. The Premier League is a different matter, however, and is easily accessible all over the archipelago. That just heightens the excitement and the nerves, especially after the one point from three games in the first half of April that threatened to derail the challenge. Cardiff bounced back however and just need to match the result of third-placed Fulham who are away at Birmingham City. "I think he and Cardiff are going to be fine," Greatwich said. "We have talked during the season and he has been taking one game at a time, managing the pressure well." An FA Cup tie against Manchester City in January provided a taste of the big time. "He wants more of that and to test against himself against the best players on the planet," Greatwich added. It may have been a struggle for the Malaysian-owned South Wales team to get so close to the promised land but that is nothing compared to the journey that Etheridge, born in London to an English father and a mother from the Philippines. It all started on Chelsea's youth books -- along with national colleagues James and Phil Younghusband -- before the shot-stopper joined top-flight Fulham in 2008. Desperate for game time, the goalkeeper initially headed out of the league to Leatherhead, a team way down the football pyramid. Then there were spells with clubs such as Bristol Rovers, Charlton and Oldham with first-team opportunities few and far between. In 2015, Etheridge was released by Charlton at the end of a short-term contract. He was without a club and at that moment, had played more games in his international career than his domestic one and was contemplating club football in the Philippines. A lifeline was thrown by Walsall and suddenly there was regular first-team football. His two years in League One were enough to secure a move to the Championship and Cardiff City on a free transfer. Initially signed to cover for the injured Lee Camp, Etheridge has performed so well that the Northern Ireland international was loaned out himself upon returning to fitness. Etheridge has played all but one of the 45 games, conceding a goal every 105 minutes, the third best in the league. "It has been an incredible journey," Greatwich, also assistant coach of the Philippines national team, said. "Neil's hard work and attitude is amazing. He's gone out on loan to various lower league teams. All the while, he has maintained discipline and focus. He got his break with Cardiff and took the opportunity. Promotion would be the culmination of a lot of hard work." It would be good news for the Philippines and Southeast Asia. For the country and the region to have a goalkeeper in the most popular football league in the world, is being hailed as a major step forward. There has already been considerable progress made by the country, the only one in Southeast Asia where football is not the national sport, in recent years. The national team, for so long the whipping boys of the region, have emerged as a force and in March qualified for the 2019 Asian Cup and will make a first-ever appearance at the tournament. Clubs are performing well in the AFC Cup, Asia's equivalent of the Europa League. There is still some way to go, however, and there are serious concerns about the financial viability of the domestic league. "To be at the Asian Cup is an incredible achievement that we would not have thought possible 10 years ago," Greatwich said. "We are seeing a lot more Philippines players going to other Southeast Asian countries and do well. Our clubs are doing well in Asian competitions. It has been an incredible couple of years but if Neil can get to the Premier League, it would give the domestic scene an incredible boost and could inspire the next generation." www.espn.com/soccer/club/cardiff-city/347/blog/post/3481548/cardiff-city-keeper-neil-etheridge-can-inspire-next-generation-of-sea-footballers
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Post by cjeagle on May 7, 2018 1:33:52 GMT 8
Azkals keeper Etheridge makes history as Premier League’s first Southeast Asian player It’s shaping to be the best year yet for Philippine football. Just months after the national men’s football team booked its first ever AFC Asian Cup berth, its goalkeeper made history of his own. Neil Etheridge will be the first Southeast Asian to play in the Premier League after his club Cardiff City gained promotion in the world's most popular football league. Cardiff finished second after a scoreless draw against Reading in the final match of the second-tier English Football League Championship. Only the top two teams at the end of the regular season are guaranteed spots in the Premier League. Etheridge never cracked the lineup when he was signed by then Premier League team Fulham in 2008. By 2015, he landed a contract with Charlton Athletic, but later got released. The Filipino-British later moved to Walsall where he impressed in 94 appearances before getting snapped up by Cardiff in 2017. Etheridge, who got tapped to cover for the injured Lee Camp, has revived his career with Cardiff where he has played in all but one of the Bluebirds’ games this season. Just last March, Etheridge and the Azkals pulled off the biggest achievement yet in Philippine football when the squad downed Tajikistan, 2-1, in the qualifiers to book the country’s first ever slot in the 2019 Asian Cup. www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/201912-azkals-neil-etheridge-first-southeast-asian-premier-league-cardiff-promotion
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Post by cjeagle on May 7, 2018 1:36:40 GMT 8
The Philippine Football Federation @philfootball
Congratulations to @neil38etheridge! @theazkalsph goalkeeper guided Cardiff City to a second place finish in the Championship to earn promotion to the @premierleague!
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