14 November 2011

Palami to keep U-23 Azkals for 2013 despite SEAG defeat

By Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer


JAKARTA—Dan Palami, the prime mover behind football’s resurgence back home, is not about to abandon the Philippine Under-23 squad despite its disastrous showing in the 26th Southeast Asian Games here.
“We will keep the team and make it ready for 2013,” Palami told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday, a day after the Azkals were humiliated, 0-5, by Myanmar for their third loss in these Games.
“It’s a promise I am making, one that I also did in 2009 with the original Azkals.”
Palami spent his own money in bringing a huge number of Fil-foreigners to play for the Philippines here, but it was a move that came a tad late with the players struggling to achieve cohesion—an integral part of a winning team.
“Players, management and even the (Philippine Football) Federation should learn from this,” Palami said. “We should put resources into this and act on this.”
The Azkals, going into their final match Tuesday against Brunei at 7 p.m. at the Lebak Bulus Stadium, have a 1-0-3 record, leaving the Philippines groping still for that elusive medal in the sport.
Palami believes that the Philippines has some of the best individual players in the tournament, but lack of time to make them jell told heavily on the squad.
“Our errors, defensive lapses really emphasized how young the team is,” he explained.
“Add to that the fact that we are the youngest ‘footballing’ nation in the SEA Games.”
The original Azkals are enjoying unprecedented popularity back home, with one of their upcoming gigs a match with the Los Angeles Galaxy led by the charismatic David Beckham.
That’s why Palami deems it best to keep the Under-23 squad and make his original Azkals program a self-sustaining one as far as talent is concerned.

inquirer.net

3 comments:

  1. After the SEA Games sickener there will be more calls for more training as the cure. Let's get real. Dr Weiss and his staff have been dishing out almost daily doses of coaching for nearly a year. Can anyone honestly say they've noticed any improvement in the patient?

    Training can certainly help teamwork in international squads but it can do little for individuals who haven't acquired all the basic skills and a full appreciation of positional awareness in their early teens.

    The reason these are lacking in homegrown players is all to do with how and where these skills were learned; it has nothing to do with lack of ability.
    Take a look at the pitch in any televised game from Europe. Billiard table smoothness allows passes and shots to be hit with the correct force and flight to almost guarantee accuracy. Of course public and junior league grounds have no such quality but at least surfaces are reasonably level and maintained either by local councils or local clubs. This allows learners to become familiar with expected bounce and gives free running movement without unexpected bumps or hollows.

    Few pitches like this exist in the Philippines outside priveleged compounds. Bone hard ground or mudbaths are the norm and it's a rare talent who can learn or improve without a consistent surface to practise on.
    Let's even forget crappy pitches; there are virtually no open spaces left in most cities and towns for kids to even try to play football within walking distance of their homes. Who knows how many potential Cristiano Ronaldos or Roberto Carlos' have never been further than the nearest basketball court?

    Realistic fans know it will take years before they can be confident about any NT in any international tournament. Unless the PFF (supported by government) spends every spare centavo on grassroots development, with local companies or loaded locals sponsoring playing spaces, it may take decades.

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  2. ^^ therefore dont look in the metro there are lot of kids in the province especially the visayas region...

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  3. ^^agree. the best players and have more football iq in the ufl are from the visayas, particularly negros and iloilo... even manila-based schools scout and recruit from this region.

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