NewsRecord Weekly Publication

Historic Azkals visit in San Carlos

At long last, San Carlos City has etched a permanent emblem on the Philippine football map.

For the much anticipated football training camp, the Philippine Football Team, better known as the Azkals, came to the city to train on its now nationally famous football field at San Julio Realty, Inc. (SJRI) or Center Mall grounds. Surrounded by screaming fans, the Under-22 (Junior Azkals) and Men's teams practiced together from May 22 to 23. While the Men's stay was rather short in preparation for their game against Guam in Panaad Stadium, Bacolod City on June 5, the Juniors will be here until June 6.

Defense guy. Jimmy Malaloan-kneeling, right-extends the reach of his legs to defend their goal as a booter from the Men’s team attempts a goal during the practice game on May 22. Malaloan is from San Carlos City and is also a member of the Negros Occidental Football Association.             

The Azkals entourage of 67 members, including 49 players, and 18 coaching staff arrived around one in the afternoon of May 21 and was immediately treated to lunch at the Sangguniang Panglungsod Session Hall. San Carlos City Mayor Gerardo Valmayor, Jr. hosted the event to welcome the team that also included his 20-year old son, Gerardo Valmayor III, a Junior Azkals and University of the Philippines Diliman  FC player.

The Younghusbands

Celebrity strikers Phil and James Younghusband were also present. In an interview, James told NRWP that the Azkals are preparing for their June games-one against Guam in Panaad Stadium, against Indonesia in Rizal Memorial Stadium, and against Malaysia. The British-Filipino booter added that it was his first time in the city but he thought that spending the summer training camp here was a great way to start exposing the team's new players.

San Carlos pride

Aside from the celebrity foreign players, the national team also boasts of three players from San Carlos: Arni Pasinabo in the Men's, Jimmy Malaloan and Valmayor in U-22. The younger Valmayor said that the goal of the Junior Azkals is to form a solid team out of newly recruited members. He also expressed that he is happy that people in his hometown San Carlos support football.

"Sana yung football dito [sa San Carlos] tuloy-tuloy kasi sinusuportahan naman ng Dad ko. Very supportive yung mga tao dito kasi daming nanonood [tuwing may laro]," he said.

Pasinabo, 25, who has played for the Philippine team since he was 17, said he is very proud that finally the Azkals came to his hometown. Dads, as he is fondly called by field colleagues here, is the team's right midfielder and is now based in Manila although his parents and the rest of his siblings are still living in the city.

Rigid training

The U-22 team started their practice right on the afternoon of their arrival while the Men's started pouncing the football on May 22, eight in the morning. Sessions were divided for the morning and afternoon and on May 23, Wednesday, the juniors had to take on the seniors for a long practice game.

Phil and the Spanish Angel Guirado gave the Men's team a 2-0 win over their younger mates.

Coach’s take

Coach Michael Weiss focused on his players' performance and during an interview after the game said that he was satisfied with their play during the match against the U-22 team. Weiss, however, admitted that the Azkals cannot play the entire 70-minute game at an excellent level yet because ten of their top players are still coming from Europe. "Ten top players are not yet here. There's still much place for lifting our level," he explained.

Asked to comment about training in San Carlos, the German coach said that he could only wish that the city is near Manila. He commended the facility and the field and added that he will see that the team will come to the city more often for training.

Meanwhile another local talent from the City Sports Office is now the head of the coaching staff for the Junior Azkals. John Carmona backed his boys as they tried to beat the more experienced Men's team.

Although they did not score a goal, Carmona saw the practice game as a major exposure for the team made up mostly of rookies. In June, they will head to Thailand for three exposure matches against Thai football associations.

He commented that San Carlos natives Valmayor and Malaloan has to show more of their talent as the U-22 will have to be cut to 23 members from 28 by June.

Security detail

Although practice sessions went on smoothly, the local government unit beefed up security at the football field and at the billeting areas of the team. P/Insp. John Ryan Doceo, platoon leader of the San Carlos City Regional Mobile Group, said that 25 RMG personnel and 19 organic members of the San Carlos City Police Office were assigned to secure the Philippine Football Team.

The City Tourism Office controlled the crowd inside the football field by exclusively distributing "All Access" IDs signed by the mayor. However, assigned employees from the City Hall had to nab several fans for getting into the field using access pass which were not directly issued to them but were only borrowed.

After the practice game, the police were not able to control the crowd that pushed into the field to have pictures taken with Azkals players and the Younghusband brothers had to be escorted by the police to their service vehicle.