Azkals' joint: 10/23/11

Saturday, October 29, 2011

MATCH REPORT: Carli de Murga/Racing Portuense/Tercera Division, Spain(4th Tier)

Oct 29 2011 Antoniano 0-1 Racing Portuense

Carli and his team wins a close one on the road today. The away game started well for RC P but the table turned quickly in favor of the home team, Antoniano. Throughout the first half the clear 'star' player for Portuense was its goal keeper, Ismael, stopping very difficult shots on goal by the home team.

Oct 29 2011 MATCH REPORT: Heerenveen 4-0 ADO Den Haag

Paul's ADO Den Haag falls apart again to lose a league game to Heerenveen 0 to 4. The Hagenaars probably saw the sign as they had not won in Friesland for quite a while. The first half was a wash for the Hagenaars as they lacked attacking flair and was quite flat. It is a wonder why the score was not more than 0-1(43rd minute) at the start of the second half.

Angelo is bottom center, to the left of the person wearing yellow.

Oct 29 2011 Mons 1-1 Gent

Angelo's KAA Gent dominated the game but had to settle for a draw. Despite numerous shots on goal and a clearly dominant personnel lineup, the Buffaloes just could not find the back of the net.

Oct 29 2011 Standaard Wetteren 1-1 Sporting Charleroi

After losing 6 games in a row, the Lions, playing at home finally breaks the spell and draws with Sporting Charleroi. The opponent, who is now 3rd place(before this game they were 2nd) in the division probably expected to make easy work of the bottom dwelling Standaard Wetteren. With the Lions futile attempt in goal production and a pedestrian defense, it was truly a surprise when at the end of regulation the score remained at 1-1!

Oct 29 2011 La Louvière Centre 0-0 Torhout

Surprising performances for our foreign Azkal players lower ranked teams continue this week. From Neil's Fulham, Oliver P's BFC Preussen and Angelo's KAA Gent, beating or drawing highly ranked teams ,the surprises continues with Jeffrey Christiaens KM Torhout as it played to a 0-0 tie against 1st ranked and HOME team La Louvière Centre.

Oct 29 2011 Ascot United 1-1(P3-4) Malmesbury Victoria
League Cup

Rob Gier's Ascot United lost a home game against Malmesbury Victoria last night. Though Ascot United played relatively well in the game, they lost through a penalty shoot out. At the end of regulation time, the score was a 1-1 tie. The subsequent penalty shootout resulted in a 3-4 score in favor of the visitors. It is even more disappointing that they lost to a lower division team as Malmesbury V. belong only in the 1st division. In this game, new defensive line personnel were used and did well considering they only gave away 1 goal in regulation time. The tying goal was made by Ascot United in a very late 92nd minute.

Oct 29 2011 Wigan Athletic 0-2 Fulham

Fulham wins a must-win-game to avoid going back to the relegation zone! Squandering a winnable game against Everton, Fulham fires back by blanking Wigan Athletics 2-0 in an away match. The first score was made late in the 1st half when Clint Dempsey an American national player scored at the 42nd minute.

The second half saw Fulham players receive a total of 3 more Yellow card but was offset by a goal in the 87th minute. After 4 minutes of added injury time, the home team proved incapable of finding the back of the net, Fulham blanks them and wins 2-0.

Oct 29 2011 VSG Altglienicke 2-2 BFC Preussen Berlin

An incredible game! BFC Preussen coming from the depths of their league plays the number 1 ranked team to a tie! After a great win a few days ago OP's team continues its rise from the bottom by tying a game against the powerful home team. Allowing a goal in the first minute and down 0-2 at the end of the half, the beleaguered BFC defense tightened their formation and held the home team goalless for the second half.

Why and what for? As I've often stated, I'm a coattail fan, I'm a newbie, I wasn't around when Philippine soccer meant hurt, humiliation and a dream or was it hallucination? Having said that, I'm no less a fan of Philippine soccer now, than those who were here way before me. But that doesn't mean I'm not learning our past, my past. So here I am discovering a bygone hero, a man I wished I've known when he was still playing. Ridiculous as it sounds, I wish he'd put on those old football shoes of his and start playing on the pitch again. He isn't that old at 33 years old, hey if Dan Palami can do it, why can't he? I don't care if he is not the player he used to be. I'd just like to say I saw, arguably the greatest Filipino bred soccer player of his generation play on the pitch again.

So I'll start with the basics. Born: In Parañaque City on Oct 1 1978. Like a large minority of 'Filipinos' he has mixed heritage. In his case, of Spanish- French descent. A hyper active kid, his mother Terry Razon(deceased) enrolled him at the tender age of 6 into the Makati Football School(MFS), his tutor was the famed football guru, Tomas Lozano, the founder of MFS. Even at this young age, he was noted to be of superior 'genetics' and excellent speed which only increased as he got older. He attended school in Colegio de San Agustin in Makati and promptly became a star. After high school, attended Univerity of San Agustin in Iloilo at the same time playing semi professional soccer. He earned a soccer scholarship to the University of Portland, staying there for 2 years(1998/99) and playing for the Portland Pilots, the school soccer team, honing his skills in the offensive side of the game, and finally graduating with an Engineering degree in Cnth. Somewhere in between all this, he played amateur soccer in France(couldn't find anymore info on clubs, etc).

Younger days

He received his first national team call up in 1997 for the South East Asian games and the next year played in the then, "Tiger Cup", now Suzuki Cup. By this time he was beginning to show his qualities on the pitch, most specifically his speed and propensity for scoring.

With his excellent showing in the SEA games of 2002, he was invited by a Vietnam League, or V-League team, Bank of East Asia(Ngân hàng Đông Á). He was supposed to be a partner of that teams star striker, Lê Huỳnh Đức. Unfortunately he left, leaving Freddy to be anointed the new "star" striker for the team. Here is a news report from a Vietnamese online new paper right before the contract signing. The date of the report is January 8th 2003(Google translated):

wikings corner cafe': Juan Luis Guirado: the next defensive gem?

wikings corner cafe': Chad Gould: former Azkal and current England Beach Soccer squad member.

wikings corner cafe': Cutillas,Alexi Lalas and the Azkals(how I got to be a fan)Part 1

wikings corner cafe': What do we do without you Aly?

wikings corner cafe': James Leigh Gunn: Once and future Azkal?

wikings corner cafe': Christopher Greatwich: Where are you now?

MATCH REPORT: Angelo Verheye/KAA Gent/Pro League, Belgium(1st Tier)

Oct 26 2011 Gent 4-4(P4-2) Club Brugge
Cofidis Cup

KAA Gent played a Belgium Cup match and won through a penalty shootout. The Buffaloes struck early and struck first(6th min). But Club Brugge, the Pro League 5th ranked team would not accept defeat quietly. They struck three times(17, 43, 45) before the 1st half was through. Score, 3-1 for the visiting team.

MATCH REPORT: Roland Müller/MSV Duisburg/2.Bundesliga, Germany(2nd Tier)

Oct 27 2011 Holstein Kiel 2-0 MSV Duisburg
DFB Pokal

The Zebras played a 2nd round DFB Pokal match against Holstein Kiel, a Regionalliga Nord(4th tier) team, and promptly loses the game. Holstein Kiel, the top team in their division handed out an upset, 0 to 2 to the Rolands' visiting team.

Oct 26 2011 Vejle-Kolding E1-0 AGF
DBU Pokalen

Jerry's AGF Aarhus losses to a 1st division team in a DBU Pokalen or Danish Cup fixture. It began as a battle between the 5th ranked Superliga team in Jerry's AGF, against the 3rd ranked 1st division home team. Vejle-Kolding, playing at home was determined to force a good fight and win if possible. Throughout the match, few scoring opportunities showed up for both sides, but to be fair, quite a few of the AGF regulars were out because of various reasons(6 regulars). As a matter of fact a U19 player started as a midfielder for AGF this time around.

MATCH REPORT: Paul Mulders/ADO Den Haag/Eredivisie, Netherlands(1st Tier)

Oct 26 2011 Vitesse 2-1 ADO Den Haag
KNVB Cup

Pauls' Hagenaars lost a KNVB Cup match against a fellow Eredivisie team. A defensive miss step very early in the match allowed the home team to score first, 0-1 with only six minutes having gone by. ADO began to assert themselves after this first setback with more attacking forays into Vitesse territory. ADO's pressure finally gave them the tying goal at 19 minutes. Unfortunately, with the score tied, The Hagenaars were beset by Yellow card after Yellow card which would eventually cost ADO the game.

Oct 23 2011 Fulham 1-3 Everton

Fulham squanders a home fixture and loses 1-3 against middle-of-the-pack team, Everton. After climbing out of the relegation zone a week ago, Fulham once again is threatening to return. It was early in the game that Everton began to dictate the tone of the game. Even before Fulham could get into a game rythm, the opponent struck sending the ball to the back of the net just far enough from Schwarzers outstretched arms.

Oct 26 2011 Eintracht Trier 1-2 Hamburger SV
DFB Pokal

Hamburger SV extends its run in the Germany Cup and remains alive to fight another day. Though HSV is one of the current doormats of the 1.Bundesliga, it is a surprising 3rd place in the BFB Pokal. The team beat Regionalliga(4th tier) powerhouse Eintracht Trier. Although the home team scored early(8th min) HSV was able to hold the opponent scoreless after that. HSV finally scored early in the 2nd half(63rd min). Regulation time ended with the score tied 1-1.

wikings corner cafe': Christopher Greatwich: Where are you now?

MATCH REPORT: Stephan Schröck/SpVgg Greuther Fürth/2.Bundesliga, Germany(2nd Tier)

Oct 26 2011 Greuther Fürth 4-0 Paderborn
DFB Pokal

Stephan Schröck and his "Cloverleafs" wins a DFB Pokal Cup match and enters the third round. In a very convincing win at home, the Cloverleafs' eliminated Paderborn 4 to 0. The onslaught started at a very early 5th minute until at the half, the well balanced Greuther Fürth team was leading 3-0.

Things are a buzzing in the dark depths of soccer forums in the Philippines, courtesy of an intriguing article by one of the Philippines better 'soccer commentators,' Joaquin Henson. Apparently there is enough concern about the absence of Aly in the Azkal lineup that the 32 year old(yes Mr Henson he is 32 not 31. Born Aug 27 1979) brother of Angel Guirado is being recruited to play the part vacated by Aly.

But first a little background on Juan Luis Guirado. The man is a left footed defender and also play left mid and left back who is at the moment playing for Racing Lermeño Club de Fútbol

a Tercera division(4th tier) Group 8, Spanish football club. Basically he plays at the same level of our 'other' Spanish recruit Carli de Murga who plays in the same division but in Group 10, and no, they don't play against each other. On another note, his team won a game last Sunday Oct 23 but has been a doormat of their division, sitting at 18th place in the 20 team league.

MATCH REPORT: Oliver Pötschke/BFC Preussen Berlin/Berlinliga, Germany(6th Tier)

OP (borrowed from missossology.info)

Oct 25 2011 SFC Stern 1900 2-4 BFC Preussen Berlin

Another improbable win for Oliver's long suffering team! Though long mired in the relegation zone BFC Preussen has suddenly made it a habit to defeat much higher ranked teams this season. What made it an even surprising story was that the home opponent played with a full 11 man line up. Perhaps it was the goal in the 1st minute that set the tone for the rest of the match.

RG in 2006 playing with Cambridge United

Oct 25 2011 Ascot United 5-2 Abingdon Town

Its a 3 game unbeaten streak for Rob Gier's Yellamen, the best run so far in this season! Rob Gier was directly involved in the 11th minute penalty goal as he was the one fouled in the opponents box, though it was not he who made the penalty goal. 4 minutes later it was 2-0 for Ascot U. They went into half time leading 2 to 1.

The second half saw things alot more interesting as Rob received his second Yellow card and was sent off at the 60th minute. Fifteen minutes later the opponent also lost a man. It was once again an even game.

Aly Borromeo (borrowed from Inquirer.net)

So here we have it. Alexander Borromeo, Fil - American, national team stalwart, long time team Captain, heart of the defense, protector of all who gets a yellow card or gets into squabbles on the pitch with the opposing teams player, done. Done for at least 5-6 months(not counting match fitness)! And that's if he(we) get lucky with physical therapy and what not. To be honest I never thought of the possibility of Aly ever losing this much time to injury, with such a physical specimen, who would! Sure, the Kuwait game he missed was bad, but that was one game!

Cutillas,Alexi Lalas and the Azkals(how I got to be a fan)Part 1

Thanks to pinoyboxing.com for the photo

It wasn't always this way you know? Me, morning noon and night slithering thru cyberspace digesting all and any information about the Azkals. Haunting websites after website, collecting game lineups where ever they may be. Getting familiar with names I never even cared for a few months back. Heck, my German is even getting better just by prowling our half-Teutonics' team website. How about that! My high school teacher would've been proud! Don't complain about my writing neither, Its been two decades since college and it's taking all I've got just to make this blog just slightly passable.

Alexi Lalas

Anyway, to understand, soccer to me was something I used to play in the 70's in school in Makati. When the name Cutillas was whispered in the halls like it was some kind of magical word. To be honest, the name is all that I remember, not the face, just that when he used to come by our school, it was a BIG deal. After a looong break from soccer, came the year 1994. It was a weekend, I remember, as I was recovering from a drunken stupor(hey young adult, give me a break!). I turned on the TV as I laid in bed waiting for the night time to do it all over again, when lo and behold! The US National Team playing in the FIFA World Championship(which was held in the US) thoroughly slapping the 'taste out the mouth', of Colombia with a final score of 2 to 1, with one of the goals an own goal by Colombia. I remember this because the Colombian player was reported to have been assassinated in his home country for this(talk about rabid fans, no really you can look it up). Yes, I know it was only a 2-1 score but believe me the US outplayed Colombia by a wide margin. The guy that I took notice of? He was a tall, lanky red head, super high energy guy who played defense and was lethal with his head.Alexi Lalas! For the next couple of years he became an icon of US soccer for his flaming mane and rock star demeanor. What happened to the US team after 1994 qualifications? Well they lost against Brazil 1 to nil(by the way, Brazil won the Cup eventually). But that didn't matter. US soccer was back, yes it wasn't the United States' best sport but it wasn't the same whipping boy anymore. Not like the old days. You can ask Mexico, they can tell you. See the parallel with the Philippine national team? The Azkals?

To be continued...

MATCH REPORT: Jacques Van Bossche/Standaard Wetteren/Second Division League, Belgium(2nd Tier)

Oct 23 2011 Boussu Dour Borinage 2-1 Standaard Wetteren

First hand report from Bigfoot:

"jacques van bossche' s team wetteren lost again 2-1 away in boussu dour, after leading 0-1 in the first half the ref denied them a well deserved penalty and a possible 0-2 and then put salt on the open wound by giving a light penalty to boussu and a red card for wetteren's central defender . 2 points in 10 games . relegation is almost unavoidable".

The B-core(reserve team)

"wetteren reserve's won last night against boussu-dour with 3 - 1 . next week they face charleroi, the leader (of) the competition".

Standaard Wetteren is in 18th and last place.

MATCH REPORT: Roland Müller/MSV Duisburg/2.Bundesliga, Germany(2nd Tier)

Oct 23 2011 Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 MSV Duisburg

The Zebras played well in the first half but eventually succumbed to the, then number 1 team in the 2.Bundesliga. Despite the skill differential of the teams, Duisburg played sufficiently on the defensive side until the 35th minute as the relentless Frankfurt offense found a crack in the Duisburg armor. This would be all the scoring for the 1st half.

Carli

Oct 23 2011 Racing Portuense 1-1 Arcos

Coach Galisteo David of RC Portuense was fuming in an after match interview. Inspite of the tie and one point gain, the coach noted the lackluster play of his team, even stating that RC P was "scared to touch the ball" in the first half.

The second half started the same way until the 61st minute when the home team finally scored a goal. The win was for the taking as the coach and all who saw the game would say until the 88th minute when RC P players 'lost' an Arcos player who pounced on a rebound, score 1-1.

Patrick Hinrichsen

Oct 23 2011 Spvgg. 05 Oberrad 3-0 SV Darmstadt 98 II

A surprising loss to a lowly team! Darmstadt II suffered a team breakdown today and lost against former 15th placer 05 Oberrad . Before this loss Darmstadt was comfortably at 4th. The home team struck first at the 14th minute carrying with it a 0-1 lead to halftime. There would be no answer from Patrick's team as the game eventually ends in a 0-3 debacle.

Darmstadt II, even with the loss remains in 4th place.

Mark in his current teams kit

Oct 23 2011 DJK Agon 08 Dü-dorf 2-1 Rot-Weiß Lintorf

Mark's DJK Agon eked out a narrow win against the "Red and Whites" at home today. The scoring came early at the 19th minute for Agon and they would take the 1-0 lead to half time. With the game looking like it would finish in a one nil score, suddenly Dennis Reinert would find the back of the net once more at the 79th minute thus locking down for Agon the win and earning himself a brace. The Red and Whites would score a consolation goal in the 89th minute.

Even with the win, DJK Agon moves down the rankings table from first place, courtesy of some big movers. They are now 3rd in the 16 team District league.

The Teutonic frown??

Oct 23 2011 BFC Preussen 1-2 SV Lichtenberg 47

Oliver Pötschke's BFC Preussen played well against the 2nd place team, SV Lichtenberg 47, but just did not have enough to even the score in the end. BFC Preussen who came back to win an away game a few days ago, came into the match with much confidence. But late in the first half(35min), saw the opponent score to take the lead at 0-1.

The second half(52min) saw BFC score its first and last point via a penalty goal, ten minutes later, the tie breaker was scored by the opponent. Final score 1-2, for a disappointing home loss for BFC Preussen. They are now 17th in the 19 team league.

Oliver Pötschke was in the game roster but did not play.

Next fixture: Oct 25 2011 an away game against SFC Stern 1900, currently in 3rd place.

*Thanks to: http://www.missosology.info, for the picture.

TEAM REPORT: Simon Greatwich/Hartwick College NCAA Div 1 (USA)

Simon's team photo for 2011

Oct 22 2011 Bowling Green 1-1 Hartwick Hawks

Simon's Hartwick Hawks battled the nationally ranked Bowling Green soccer team and emerged in a tie. The first half saw the opponent lead the Hawks' even as Simon's team appeared the more dangerous with numerous chances at goal. At the 38th minute, an 18 yard shot on goal eluded the Hawk keeper to make it one goal to nil.

The second half saw the Hawks score(55th minute), tying the game. the latter part of the game saw the Hawks relentlessly attack the Falcons to no avail. At 1st overtime the Falcons became the aggressor with numerous shots on goal. There was a second overtime played which saw the Falcons again dominating on offense, but in the end, the Hartwick Hawks' held on to the tie.

Chad Gould with NT kit

It has been awhile since we had seen Chad Gould playing for the Philippine national team. January 16th 2010 in Taiwan for a friendly against the Chinese Taipei team to be precise. He went in at the 81st minute to replace Ian Araneta. In the end, the match remained tied at 0-0. I'm a new Philippine national team fan, to be honest, I'd say about a year and some change. So finding out about good player before my time intrigued me. With the help of a few cohorts from usapangfootball.proboards.com I endeavored to find out as much as I can of his career with the NT and his last hurrah with soccer teams in England.

Here's what I know(and yes I've been told it's not much): His last soccer team in England was AFC Wimbeldon in the 2007/2008 season. At that time it was in the Isthmian league premier division, a 7th tier division in the English soccer system. For comparison, our beloved center back, current scout/European liaison, Rob Gier, plays in the 9th tier! Anyhow, Chad played for Wimbeldon until Sept 21 2008(for reasons unclear to me). He made a total of 8 appearances with the club, scored 4 goals and if you wanna be technical, received 2 Yellow cards.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Monday, October 24, 2011

Sunday, October 23, 2011

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