A Filipino fan in Myanmar explains what he saw.

Pic from Kat Liscano

This article is actually a post by a usapangfootball.proboards.com member named "bakdrap". He has been a member since Dec 2010 and is based in Myanmar hence his first person account. To any true blue Philippine footy fan, the game, even if "watched" through futbol24.com was a devastating and heartbreaking event. We want explanations, now we have a first person account.

From "bakdrap" via usapangfootball.proboards.com

A convoy of nine vehicles with Philippine flaglets, led by the Ambassadors car, left the Philippine Embassy in Yangon for Thuwanna Stadium for the Phl vs Myanmar match. A solid group of courageous 50 or so cheering Filipinos trooped to the imposing Thuwanna Stadium amidst the presence of 30,000 rabid and fanatical Myanmar fans for that match. 

Admittedly, the chants the screams and the taunts of the home crowd, many were intoxicated, instilled an iota of fear in white-clad Filipino fans who were "strategically" positioned in the middle of the stadium, surrounded by screaming redshirt hotblooded Myanmar fans. Hapless looking Myanmar soldiers tried to create a line of boundary between the few Filipinos and massive crowd. The soldiers presence hardly provided any sense of security but as it is usually said, the die is cast.

We cheered and we fought on, but sadly, very sadly, it was a very painful match to watch. Yes, we scored the first goal through a penalty kick. A very lucky break that was. From then on, it was all downhill all the way until the final whistle. Myanmar was very unlucky not to score twice as many as they actually did. 

Myanmar made our players looked like highschool boys. Basic skills, teamwork, tactics, speed, stamina, wits, aggressiveness, all were wanting. Reminded me of the dark ages of Philippine football when almost all 11 players are on our half, every now and then the lone striker straying into the opponents' half. Painful. But we cheered on, despite the humiliation at every kick, at every pass at every, throw in, at every corner (there were like 15 or more?). It was a show, a Myanmar show, our team was the props.

As a fan of Philippine football, I am quite aware of the quality of our national teams, and I monitor the progress in training and friendlies our under-22 teamn, I therefore have very modest expectations. But for the other Filipinos in the crowd with me, it wasn't the case as they knew our team as the Junior Azkals, the second word becoming like a curse for "long-term" teams such as our u22.

However, despite my very modest expectations, our team still played well below that. It was not as much as Myanmar was very good (but they really were), but it was about our team not giving any chance for themselves. If it was not a matter of will, but if it was a matter of just not having IT, then we just dont have IT, and there's nothing we can do about IT....for now. Continue we must then, to live with the pain until we get through it. 

But us here in Myanmar, we'll continue to give our boys the support, they are after all, representing our country.

For those complaining of live TV telecast in last match's game, you were lucky, honestly and painfully speaking.


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