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Azkals fever rages even as rain pours


Mav Gonzales reports from the newly-renovated grandstand of Rizal Stadium.
The action was mainly on the field as the Azkals perpetrated a 4-0 shellacking of Sri Lanka, but there were many other signs of Filipinos' new-found football fever. Homecoming It's great to be home. There were Philippine flags all over Rizal Stadium and the Kaholeros, the Azkals' official pep squad, were there to lead the chants. Despite the heavy rain in the first half and the ban on umbrellas for security reasons, fans were immovable and their enthusiasm undampened. “Of course it mattered that we were playing here. The boys were very excited to come home," said Coach Michael Weiss. “I am not Filipino. I’ve spent only six months in the country but I was happy to come back home too," added Weiss, a German.
The Kaholeros, the Azkals' official pep squad, led the cheers in the roofless stands where fans were not permitted to bring umbrellas. The seats remained filled even during the first-half downpour.
Tickets sold out Just a year ago, Philippine football would be played before nearly empty stands. For this match, the first batch of tickets was sold out immediately. Last week, the Philippine Football Federation released another batch and once again, they were gone in three hours. But there were also ways to watch the match for free. Two guys in particular apparently didn’t want to settle for television so they went on top of one of the buildings of De La Salle University and saw the action from there.
Stephan Schrock, a rock in midfield, sat in the driver's seat of their team bus where he was mobbed by fans.
Pitch With Rizal Stadium’s newly-renovated look, it’s a better viewing experience. The pitch also helped the team play better, says Coach Weiss. “The pitch in Sri Lanka was used for planting tomatoes and potatoes. It was really irregular," explains Coach Weiss with just a touch of sarcasm. “It’s good to finally be playing on a real football field." Lupang Hinirang After eye candy-goalkeeper Neil Etheridge turned around and waved to fans during the entrance, he was among the foreign-born players who gave a full-throated rendition of “Lupang Hinirang." Team manager Dan Palami urged everyone to learn the national anthem while they were in Germany. No longer can Anton Del Rosario joke that they’re “the only national team where half the players do not know the national anthem."
The Fil-foreign players have finally memorized the "Lupang Hinirang".
Azkals’ uniform While I am not a big fan of the dark blue and gold combination of their new kit, I was a bit surprised that FIFA does not allow cycling shorts underneath the uniform. In fact, Aly Borromeo and Ian Araneta both ran back to their bench to take off their cycling shorts. Yes, they took these off right there in front of thousands of fans shielded only by an opaque divider. Goals Okay, I’m pretty sure you did not miss these but they are worth noting anyway. Coach Michael Weiss was hired for the Azkals to turn them from a defensive team into an attacking one. He did a pretty good job as the Azkals were in attacking mode from the start.
The reserves and coaching staff mob Phil Younghusband after his first goal in the 43rd minute.
When Chieffy Caligdong scored in the 19th minute, the whole team just tackled him to the ground. Even Neil Etheridge who was manning the goal on the other end sprinted to the muddy pile and dove in. Oh, and Chieffy received a peck from Coach Weiss. How sweet. Any match seems incomplete if trusted striker Phil Younghusband doesn't score. His recurring hamstring injury and early exit from the first Sri Lanka match in Colombo made even his appearance on Sunday a question mark. But that only set the stage for a dramatic performance. When Sri Lanka contested his first goal, the crowd chanted “2-0" until the decision was handed in the Azkals' favor. Instead of focusing on the team celebrating on the pitch, the camera suddenly zoomed in on Angel Locsin who was watching from the grandstand. “Goal by Phil…then camera shows Locsin. Moment destroyed," tweeted one fan jokingly. I have nothing against Angel. But if Phil pointed to her after that goal, I would’ve made angry tweets too. Angel Guirado added another goal to the Philippines as soon as the second half opened. On the 57th mark, Phil scored once again from a direct free kick. Despite his injury, he was able to send the ball way beyond the reach of the Sri Lankan goalkeeper. Outstanding players While the Azkals' offense attacked relentlessly, their defense produced a goose egg for the opponents, with Etheridge lodging another shutout in goal. The back four of Rob Gier, Paul Mulders, Del Rosario and Borromeo made sure the Sri Lankans were rarely able to penetrate the Azkals' half of the pitch. Yellow cards
Captain Aly Borromeo received a yellow card alongside Stephan Schrock. Both may not see action during their Kuwait game.
Both Borromeo and Schrock were handed yellow cards during the match, their second on aggregate. According to FIFA rules, they will not be allowed to play in their next match in Kuwait. However, Coach Weiss says that he hasn’t gotten any confirmation yet of the suspensions. If both are unable to suit up for the next game, he says there’s nothing to worry about as he has a deep bench, including Jerry Lucena who is rejoining the team. Neil cries for lolo Perhaps the most touching moment in the entire match was Neil Etheridge crying afterwards. He took off his jersey and wore a shirt that had a photo of him and his grandfather. On it was written “RIP Grandad." Later on, he tweeted, “R.I.P Grandad, that game was for you!" For the team's growing fan base, the victory was also for everyone else. - OMG/HS, GMA News
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