2011/12 End of Season report: Rob Gier and Ascot United FC

A rare photo of Rob in Ascot United kit!

Less than a middling team, is how one can describe Rob Gier's Ascot United last season. It survived a bad campaign season and is ready to begin climbing the table for the 2012/13 season.

It is important to note that Rob was away from the team for more than half a season either from supporting the Azkals in its FIFA friendly games, the AFC Challenge Cup campaign where he effectively was the Captain of the team and led the Philippines to its highest ever major tournament results(a 3rd place finish as an underdog team all the way), or because of injury, suffered in the Los Angeles Galaxy vs Azkals exhibition game. 

IN PICTURES! Training camp for our European based players.

Stephan Schröck is fitting in well with his new team mates as they undergo training camp in Bavaria.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim is a newer 1.Bundesliga club who finished 11th in the 18 team German premier league for the 2011/12 season. They finished with a 10-11-13 record with 41 goals scored and 47 goals allowed. Clearly there is a need on both offense and defense. From a kicker.de article the team management is currently aiming for a 6th place finish at the very most but conceded any position from 10th place is a step in the right direction. Surely Stephan will be of great use for the team.

2011/12 END of SEASON report: Roland Müller of MSV Duisburg

PROMOTION for Roland's reserve/youth team MSV Duisburg II. Last season they were a powerhouse team in the NRW Liga(Oberliga 5th tier). For the next season 2012/2013 they will be in the newly revamped Regionalliga which is the 4th tier of the German football pyramid. Manny Ott, new Global FC player Patrick Reichelt and newly released Denis Wolf also plays or has played in the Regionalliga.

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.

DENNIS CAGARA'S Karlsruher SC vs Dynamo Kiev watch it on live streaming

Got nothing to do on a late Saturday night? Watch Karlsruher SC and Dennis Cagara as they play a friendly against storied Soviet and later Ukrainian Premier League team FC Dynamo Kiev.

Watch it here: http://www.laola1.tv/de/at/fussball/freundschaftsspiel/fc-dynamo-kiev-karlsruher-sc-/video/265-1087-88274.html

The game is Saturday 23rd at 18:00 CET

2011/2012 END of SEASON report: Mark Drinkuth and DJK Agon 08

Mark top right standing

LATE SEASON MELTDOWN! Mark Drinkuths DJK Agon 08 started the season well, flirting with the top five teams in the Niederrhein Bezirkliga(8th tier). As the season progressed the team lost its focus and as could be seen by its last few games, deserve the middling ranking it has now. 

BREAKING NEWS! Jerry Lucena moves to new SuperLiga team Esbjerg fB

An undisputed member of the Philippine national football team "Dream Team", Jerry Lucena, last of Danish premier league team AGF Aarhus has signed a 2 year contract with newly promoted team Esbjerg fB. Jerry had a contract with AGF until June 30 2013 yet was allowed to sign with Esbjerg fB. The 31 yo right back has been with AGF Aarhus for 5 years and has played over 150 games for them.

2011/12 END of SEASON report: Oliver Pötschke and BFC Preussen Berlin

Oliver, kneeling second from left

RELEGATION! The once proud team of Oliver Pötschke finally succumbs to the inevitable as BFC Preussen Berlin 1894 e.V. after struggling for two straight seasons, is relegated from the Berlin-Liga(6th tier) to the Landesliga Berlin(7th tier).

DENNIS CAGARA back on the saddle with Karlsruher SC!

Dennis at left

Philippine international football player and one of the very best of the Azkals has finally found a new club. After a very bad injury a few years ago, he has bounced around with 6 month contracts between Danish and German clubs. After his mother passed away early this year, a once promising stint with 2.Bundesliga club FSV Frankfurt fizzled leading to his release. Finally he has signed a long term contract with 3.Liga(3rd tier) German team, Karlsruher SC. 


Note that Karlsruher SC was recently relegated from the 2.Bundesliga in the 2011/2012 season and are determined to fight its way back to where they belong!

The Azkals vs The Matao, The showdown at Panaad

If you didn't know who the "Matao" are, think back at the Azkals 3-4 years ago and think Guam. They are also a team much like the Philippines a few years back struggling to wake up from a soccer nightmare. For sure they aren't a team who will keep you up at night, but I'm sure that's how former Vietnam coach Henrique Callisto felt about us in 2010 too.

PHILIPPINES vs INDONESIA, a reckoning

The Red and Whites in better days

Its a little less than a full day for our next scheduled friendly and once again I am feeling giddy like a little boy in a candy store. For the Filipino soccer fan, there is a lot to be happy about this match. One of them is a chance to avenge the double losses against Indonesia at the tail end of 2010. It was to be one home and one away game but since the previous PFF "leadership" decided not to invest in a FIFA acceptable pitch, the Philippine home game was instead played in the very hostile pitch in Indonesia. We lost both game 1 to 0. I've often wondered if we had played in Rizal, would we have lost 1 to 0 too?

WIKING'S take, MALAYSIA 1-1 PHILIPPINES

So we tied Malaysia IN Malaysia and proved to the South East Asian elite that we are for real. I believe it was a great result considering almost half of our starting XI had less that a week to train with the team. We also faced the best crew that Malaysia could offer with the exception of one or two players. But there are so many things we could yet improve on as it seemed that for most of the game, we still relied on individual talent rather than team play. Here is how I saw the Azkals starting XI play.