by James De VeraIn 1905, the oldest football association in Asia was born in the Far East. Though it was the first on the continent, the Philippines has never been regarded as a force in this sport. We have been smothered, murdered and trashed by our neighboring countries until the "Azkals" was born. Composed of home-grown and half-bloods, this newly formed Philippine team rapidly developed the quality of football in the country. 2010 was the start of the Philippine resurgence in the world of football and since then, the country has slain giants and shocked some traditional powers in Asia.
Today, I give you five of the most unforgettable moments in this era of Philippine football. 1. Miracle in Hanoi (December 5, 2010) Coming as underdogs, nobody thought that a traditional bottom-dweller in the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup would beat a vicious Vietnam team by two goals. Captained by Aly Borromeo, the Azkals would make the biggest upset in the tournament's history by stunning the defending champions, 2-0. Veteran skipper Chris Greatwich and dynamic striker Phil Younghusband both scored one goal each in this match. This win in Hanoi started the renaissance of football in this basketball-crazy nation. 2. Fall of the Garudas (November 25, 2014) The Philippines finally defeated Southeast Asian powerhouse Indonesia for the first time in history as they humiliate the Eagles, 4-0, in the group stage of the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup in Hanoi. This big win made waves in the international news and created a buzz in the social media. PH star striker Phil Younghusband, versatile midfielder Many Ott, dynamic wingman Martin Steuble, and ace defender Rob Gier each scored one goal in this historic victory for the Philippines. 3. The Philippines ousted Bahrain at last! (June 11, 2015) After four tries of beating Bahrain since 2011, the Azkals finally won a game against "Al-Ahmar" in their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in the Philippine Sports Stadium. This 2-1 victory showed the whole world that the Philippines has already evolved from being merely a push-over squad to a team to beat in the international football scene. Filipino strikers Misagh Bahadoran and Javier Patiño provided the goals for the Azkals in a game that was watched by more than 6,000 fans from the Philippines and Bahrain. 4. Victory in Bishkek (September 6, 2016) A jam-packed Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan witnessed the Philippine Azkals defeat their national team, 2-1. The White Falcons were shocked by a team that was 29 ranks lower than them in the September 2016 FIFA Ranking. Thanks to the youngster Kevin Ingreso and Misagh Bahadoran, the Philippine team has beaten a giant once again. 5. Upset in Manila (March 29, 2016) The Philippines came back from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 3-2, in their ultimate FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers game in the Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila. Ian Ramsay’s last-minute goal saved the day for the Azkals as they cruise to their first ever victory against one of Asia’s finest football squads, DPR Korea. Misagh Bahadoran and Manny Ott were the other goal scorers for the Philippines in this game. There’s no doubt that this epic match will be remembered as the greatest victory in this Philippine football era.
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by James De VeraHow good are you with sports facts? Are you sporty enough to answer these questions correctly without googling? Test yourself and dig into this edition of Sports Alert!
1. He was the only player in the history of the oldest professional basketball league in Asia to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Award in just a single season. He was popularly known as the "Tower of Power". a. Robert Jaworski b. Alvin Patrimonio c. Benjie Paras d. James Yap 2. The oldest football federation in Asia. It was established in 1907. a. China b. Philippines c. Thailand d. Korea 3. The current national sport of the Philippines. a. Sepak Takraw b. Basketball c. Arnis d. Sipa 4. Senator Manny Pacquaio is currently the head coach of this team in the PBA. a. Mahindra Enforcers b. Blackwater Elite c. Shanghai Sharks d. NLEX Road Warriors 5. This country has the most FIFA World Cup titles. They've won it five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002). a. Argentina b. Brazil c. Germany d. England 6. Asia's first chess Grandmaster. a. Abhijeet Gupta of India b. Zhou Jianchao of China c. Eugene Torre of the Philippines d. Ardiansyah of Indonesia 7. A martial art which originated from Korea. a. Jiujitsu b. Karate c. Taekwondo d. Muay Thai 8. The second man to knock out Manny Pacquiao in a professional boxing game. a. Timothy Bradley b. Rustico Torrecampo c. Juan Manuel Marquez d. Medgoen Singsurat 9. This sport recently made its return to the Olympics. a. korfball b. rugby c. handball d. netball 10. The First Overall Pick in the 2012 PBA Rookie Draft. a. Calvin Abueva b. June Mar Fajardo c. Marcio Lassiter d. Terrence Romeo 11. The Tallest player to play in the NBA, standing at 7'7". a. Yao Ming b. Gheorge Muresan c. Manute Bol d. Shaquille O'Neal 12. Ping pong (table tennis) originated from what country? a. England b. Azerbaijan c. Japan d. China Already finished answering? Click here to see the correct answers! |
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