More exposure for Pinoy Azkals in 2011

Moments after getting his much-awaited recognition from the world’s governing body in football — FIFA (International Football Federation) — Mariano “Nonong" Araneta buckled down to work quickly and laid out his program for next year. Araneta, who will take over his new role as president of the Philippine Football Federation, plans to have a busier schedule for Philippine football in the coming year. Araneta will take over the reins of ousted PFF president Mari Martinez, who was booted out by 26 of 30 voting members during the group’s national congress late last month. The Philippine Azkals are scheduled to play Mongolia in the AFF Challenge Cup on Feb. 9 and 16. One of the scheduled matches is likely to be held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City. There’s also a big possibility that both matches will be played in Bacolod due to the weather condition in Mongolia at that time.

A qualifying event in the World Cup in July is also part of the PFF’s calendar, as well as the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia late next year. There's also a possibility of a pre-World Cup qualifying match being planned to be hosted by the Philippines, while a tournament for the Under-19 and Under-16 divisions are also in the works. The decision to provide the Azkals more exposure next year came on the heels of their impressive showing in the Suzuki Cup where they stunned defending champion Vietnam and made it all the way to the semis. But the Azkals’ magical run ended when they lost to Indonesia in two hard-fought matches in the semifinal round. In defeat, the Filipinos earned the admiration not only of our countrymen but also the international crowd. "It was a great experience for us," said Chris Greatwich, who scored two goals in the tournament. “I think we were very tight and tentative against Indonesia and we didn't play to our full potential right until the second half of the second game." "Ito ang biggest na naabot ko sa national team since nag-start ako. Siguro nag-uumpisa pa lang kami ngayon para sa Philippine football," said co-captain Chieffy Caligdong. "Kaya sana mag-finals kaso hindi binigay pero sana sa next tournament makuha namin." "It's a very disappointing loss, but as a team, this is a step in the right direction and we're looking forward to the future," said Neil Etheridge, who impressed everyone with his goalkeeping skills. For Azkals coach Simon McMenemy, the team had a miraculous ride in the Suzuki Cup. "When you look back at the roads and the steps we've taken to get to where we are, considering the politics, the lack of facilities and infrastructure, the lack of professional players, what we did here was miraculous," said McMenemy, who is likely to stay for another tour of duty in the international circuit. "It was the culmination of a nice run for us," team manager Dan Palami said. "We didn't expect to reach the semis. However, I think the credit goes to the players, and we gained a lot of respect as far as being recognized as a good team in football in the region." - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV