Young Lions In Malaysia?

Talk surfaced the other day about possible ongoing negitiations between the FAs of Singapore and Malaysia. At the heart is the idea they send their young teams to play in the others' league. So Young Lions in Malaysia, Super League or Premier League, while Harimau Muda play in the SLeague.

I did a piece in Jakarta Casual TV a couple of years ago about the benefits of the Young Lions playing in Malaysia. The benefits aren't even limited to what happens on the pitch. Any coach will tell you the importance of a team bonding off the field as well as on it. Difficult to do that in Singapore where players go home after the game on the bus or by bicycle.

But driving back from Kota Bahru or Kangar after a game where all the decisions went against you? Sitting on the Lebuh Raya driving down Malaysia's spine ruminating on the unfairness of it all? That builds spirit, that builds an espirit de corps. It shows players they are in it together, it gives them shared experiences, it builds a tough mentatlity if handled correctly.

Of course the current Young Lions are now pussy cats; witness the way they went after Beijing Gu'aon last year on the field!

But there's no doubt Malaysia have benefited from having many of their young players play for a while in hostile environment, Slovakia. Agreed, Malaysia is no communist relic but there is a tasty rivalry between the two nations and the Young Lions playing in Malaysia could well tap into that nascent nationalism south of the Causeway.

This story says that it is harder to see how Malaysia would benefit from having Harimau Muda playing in Singapore. And I agree. Not because the standard in Malaysia is higher. I'm not sure it is. But all the things that would benefit the Singaporeans north of the causeway would be missing.

However, check the comments on this story. A Malaysian complaining about match fixing in Singapore. Pot, meet kettle!

Thai World Cup Qualifier Squad

Goalkeepers: Kawin Thamasatchanan (Muang Thong), Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool (Chonburi), Sivaluk Terdsungnern (Buriram PEA), Samuel Cunningham (BEC)

Defenders: Suree Sukha, Natthaphong Samana, Anucha Kitpongsri, Chonlatit Jantakam and Suttinun Phukhom (all Chonburi), Nataporn Phanrit and Panupong Wongsa (both Muang Thong), Teeratorn Boonmathan (Buriram PEA), Sujarit Jantakul (Sri Racha), Prat Samakrat (BEC)

Midfielders: Datsakorn Thonglao, Phichitphong Cheuichiu and Jakkraphan Pornsai (all Muang Thong), Suchao Nutnum, Rangsan Vivatchaichok and Jakkraphan Kaewprom (all Buriram PEA), Puritat Jarikanon, Ekaphan Inthasen and Adul Lasoh (Chonburi), Surat Sukha (Melbourne Victory), Chakrit Buathong (Insee Police), Wanchana Rattana (Army), Apipoo Sunthornpanavij (Osotspa)

Strikers: Sarayuth Chaikamdee (Bangkok Glass), Teerasil Dangda and Anon Sangsanoi (both Muang Thong), Kirati Kaewsombut (Buriram PEA), Sompong Sorleb (Buriram FC), Ronnachai Rangsiyo (BEC), Wasant Natasant (Chiang Rai), Tatree Seeha (Army)

COMMENT - a 35 man squad to play either Palestine or Afghanistan? They're gonna play football, not be a bleeding UN peacekeeping force!

ASEAN (AFF) U16 Championship

ASEAN (AFF) U16 Championship take place in Vientiane , Laos from 7. July to 20. July

Group B
1.Myanmar
2.Vietnam
3.Singapore
4.Cambodia
5.Philippines

Matches :

8. July : Philippines vs Cambodia
10. July : Philippines vs Singapore
12. July : Philippines vs Myanmar
14. July : Philippines vs Vietnam


Warm-up matches :

Anthonies Football Club Selection(Dumaguete) 0-4 Philippines
Don Bosco 1-5 Philippines

Thai League Cup 3rd Round

Chonburi v Si Sa Ket
Chiang Rai United v Khon Kaen
Phattalung v Trang
Muang Thong United v Kasetsart University
Chiang Mai v Buriram PEA/Buriram
Police United v Thai Port
Phuket v Sri Racha
BEC Tero Sasana v Supanburi/PTT Rayong/Pattaya United

COMMENT - same as the Singapore League Cup. Any unnecessary addition to an already overcrowded fixture list

YouTube : Sri Lanka vs Philippines

We'll beat Lankans in Manila

MANILA, Philippines � The German coach of the Philippine football team admits he�s not happy, but is not about to cry over spilled milk.

�I�m not the happiest man in the world but I�m not too disappointed. We take the result as it is and prepare for the match on Sunday,� Michael Weiss told interaction.com, a television website.

The Azkals barely escaped with a 1-all draw with Sri Lanka Wednesday in the first leg of their opening World Cup qualifying match in Colombo.

Weiss said the Azkals could have won the match had they got off to a bright start.

�We could have finished the match in the first half. But we didn't do it and we got punished. The goal was unlucky, it was deflected. We continued to play and pressed for a goal in the second half. Unfortunately, we couldn�t finish them off,� Weiss said.

�We were lucky at the end. It�s a good result for us. We wanted to win but things don�t turn out as planned,� he said.

Weiss said pitch conditions were difficult.

�I don�t want to make it an excuse but it was difficult to have a passing game on that pitch. We had to play long balls. It�s not my favorite style of play but we were able to create chances with it. I cannot hang my head down right now,� Weiss said.

The Filipinos were set to return last night, giving them two days to prepare for the second leg to be held at the Rizal Memorial stadium on Sunday.

Sri Lanka, a world power in cricket but a minnow in football, scored the first goal in the 43rd minute when Chathura Guranarathna�s free kick thundered past the Azkals� wall, partially hit the head of Rob Gier and beat goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

The Azkals, however, did not lose hope and turned to Fil-American rookie Nate Burkey to score the equalizer seven minutes later.

Burkey, inserted into the game in place of injured striker Phil Younghusband, was at the right place and at the right time to head home the all-important goal. He completed a follow up header off a missed header by James Younghusband, a play set up by a gorgeous free kick by Caligdong.

Despite the less-than-stellar result, Weiss remained confident they can overcome Sri Lanka at home.

The Azkals need only to hold Sri Lanka scoreless to get into the next round against Kuwait by virtue of away goal. If it ends at 1-1, an extra time will be needed, but if it closes out on a 2-2, the Philippines will be eliminated.

Team manager Dan Palami said the Azkals won�t settle for a goal-less draw.

�We would have wanted a two-goal cushion. But we can�t always get what we want. We have to make sure that we learn from the game we played today,� Palami said. �It�s going to be different crowd, a different pitch on Sunday and for as long as we learned from this draw, we will be okay. We will go for the win and not just the draw.�

�����

Int'l media to cover Azkals

Meanwhile, there�s so much interest in Philippine football�s renaissance nowadays that a drove of international media is expected to cover the Azkals� home match against Sri Lanka in the first round of the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Rick Olivares, the media officer for the July 3 match, said the British Broadcasting Company and the European Press Photo Agency, and Stuttgarter Sportkurier, a news agency from the capital state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in southern Germany, are among the over hundreds of media outfits which applied for accreditation for the match at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

�It�s surprising that so many international media is interested in Philippine football,� Olivares said. �This is the sign of the globalization for the sport.�

Manila Bulletin

Azkals vow to display full potential Sunday

By Cedelf Tupas

DUBAI�A crucial �away� goal wasn�t enough for the Philippine football team to head home with a measure of satisfaction from its trip to Colombo.
Favored to prevail owing to their better ranking and perceived strong lineup, the Azkals needed a second-half fightback to forge a 1-1 draw with the Sri Lankans in the opening leg of their first-round World Cup Qualifying match Wednesday night.
And though the goal gave them an edge heading into the second leg�they only need a scoreless draw to advance against Kuwait� the first-leg result certainly stung the team which was expected to roll over the South Asians, who are lodged 13 places below them in the Fifa rankings.
The mood was generally somber at the team hotel hours after the match with the Azkals feeling they missed an opportunity to come out of the tie with a convincing win.
�We know we could have done better,� said skipper Aly Borromeo.
�We�re a little disappointed with the draw,� said striker Phil Younghusband, who expressed doubts over his availability in the second leg on Sunday because of a hamstring problem that forced him to leave the match in the 40th minute.
�I didn�t think we showed our potential and what we had to do to win.�
Said Azkals coach Michael Weiss: �We should have finished the game in the first half. I will only be happy if we win on Sunday.�
The hard, pockmarked, unlevel pitch that led to awkward bounces was partly blamed, but left winger Chieffy Caligdong offered a different, more alarming reason.
�We were overconfident�
�We were overconfident,� admitted Caligdong, the only homegrown player who was part of the starting eleven, during
the team�s brief stopover in Dubai. �We were relaxed. That�s always the case if we play what we think is a weak team, we also play weak.�
The general feeling in the team was that the poor condition of the pitch took away the midfield passing game that the Azkals extensively worked on in their training camp in Germany.
Save for the bursts of energy from the debuting Stephan Schrock, who easily skipped past defenders at midfield, the match was reduced to an exchange of long balls, which the Azkals found difficult to cope with.
�When they (Sri Lankans) were throwing long balls, the defense line was a little iffy,� said Borromeo.
Schrock said he could have �played better with a better pitch. My performance was just 70 percent of what I can do.�
The Azkals, who fell behind on Pordi Chathura�s 43rd-minute free kick, proved more menacing in the second half, and the pressure paid off with Nate Burkey�s equalizer in the 50th minute.
The Azkals are finding solace in the thought that they will play before a packed Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Sunday.
And many expect them not to sit back and defend the away-goal advantage.
�One-all is always a good result because we got an away goal,� said goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who made a couple of brilliant saves, including a strong shot from Nimal in stoppage time.
�We will be looking forward to the Sunday game to win. We have to give the fans who have been supporting us what they want.�
Azkals manager Dan Palami also expects an improved performance in the second leg.
�I�m confident that the guys will be able to play the way we should play considering the crowd and the better pitch,� said Palami. �We will go for the win.�

inquirer.net

Women's U19 NT try-outs

WHAT: WOMEN'S UNDER 19 TRY-OUT FOR NATIONAL TEAM (Born 1994-1996)
WHEN: June 28 - July 12, 2011 (Every T-TH-S, 5:30pm to 7:30pm)
WHERE: ULTRA, Pasig City

Jerry Lucena

Jerry Lucena played in a friendly yesterday for his club AGF Aarhus . They lost 1-2.

He was earlier expected to be in the starting eleven for Philippines against Sri Lanka same day , but chose to play a friendly match for his club.

Another fil-Danish Dennis Cagara was also not in the team in Sri Lanka.


AGF Aarhus website

Thursday--June 30, 2011

The Worcester Telegram has a writeup on Coach Morris' visit to Worcester for the "Together We are One" tour. It has some quotes by Coach Morris on future FBS opponents. Mentioned are Oklahoma, LSU, Boston College and UConn.

If we schedule LSU, I've gotta go. Mrs. Blog will have to start saving.

LSU Athletic Dept Image

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Former UMass HC Don Brown gets a mention in this "Best Assistant Coaches in Football" article.

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The UMass website has a preview of the Old Dominion Game. This year's visit to Ballard Stadium might be the only time we play the Monarchs.

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Brandon London and the Montreal Alouettes will be on the NFL Network at 7:00 PM tonight. Set your DVD. The NFL Network is channel 154 on Dish Network.

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James Ihedigibo was a guest on the Boomer and Craig Morning show. Podcast here.

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As an amateur astronomer, I'm happy that the UMass astronomy dept has finished their new radio telescope. The scope's webpage here.

Click on image for a larger view. M82 information here. I've visited M82 number of times with my 15-cm refractor.

Hammond On The Move

Dan Hammond is reported to have signed for Geylang United. If true then the English defender is almost half way through his one man tour of the SLeague. He started his career with Young Lions before moving to Woodlands Wellington, Balestier Khalsa and this year SAFFC.

However he had struggled to break into the SAFFC team with Daniel Bennett and Bah Mamadou providing consistency at the back for the Warriors.

At Geylang Hammond will be joining a team that has just won four straight without conceding a goal!

Sriwijaya Coaching Shortlist

OK so no decision has yet been made on Ivan Kolev's future but Sriwijaya are saying they do have a number of names they are considering. Jacksen F Tiago, who has just led Persipura to a second ISL title in three years, is on that list, as is former coach Rahmad Darmawan. Other names being mentioned by the club include Robert Alberts, who led Arema to the ISL in 2009/2010, Jaya Hartono (ex Persib, Deltras) and Drago Manic.

New Job, New Country For Booth

David Booth has just been appointed coach of Phnom Penh Crown. He replaces Bojan Hodak, who has moved to Shandong in China and will be in the job until the end of the CLeague season.

Before taking over at PPC, Booth held the reigns at Si Sa Ket in the Thai Premier League. The end of 2010 saw him coaching the Laos national team, earning a famous 2-2 draw against Thailand at the AFF Cup last year.

Team list Philippines

Team against Sri Lanka on 29. June :

Starting Eleven

1. Neil Etheridge
2. Rober Gier
4. Anton Del Rosario
7. James Younghusband
8. Manuell Ott
9. Paul Mulders
10. Phil Younghusband
11. Alexander Borromeo (capt.)
12. Angel Guirado
13. Emelio Caligdong
17. Stephan Schrock


Subs :

3. Jason Sabio
6. Roel Gener
14.Misagh Bahadoran
15. Ricardo Becite
16. Ray Jonsson (did not go to Sri Lanka)
18. Nate Burkey (in for Phil Y in 40th min , out in 76. min)
19. Nestorio Margarse
20. Christopher Camcam
21. John Patrick Hinrichsen
22. Eduard Sacopano
23. Ian Aranata (in for Nate Burkey in 76.min)

fifa.com

AFC

Baguio Football - 1st Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan Football Cup

July 2, 2011 - Grand opening and first official games for the men's open and 7-aside football festival for 8under and 10under.

For invitations, contact baguiounited@gmail.com or Homer 09176246637

Simon McMenemy sacked !

VietNamNet Bridge � Croatian Buketa Ranko has been appointed chief coach of V-League side Dong Tam Long An.


Short stay: British coach Simon McMenemy was sacked by V-League side Dong Tam Long An after a poor performance. (Photo: VNS)

Ranko will replace sacked British coach Simon McMenemy. During his tenure, Long An gained 13 points from 12 matches.

This is the fourth time Long An has changed its manager this season.


The 54-year-old Croatian coach was assistant to the Yemen coach Srecko Juricic last year.

However, McMenemy, 34, who helped the Philippines national football team reach the semi-finals of the AFF Cup for the first time last year, will remain Long An's technique director.

At present, DTLA are bottom of the V-League with 18 points from 19 games.

Vietnam Net

Irfan To Move?

Irfan Bachdim has certainly attracted some headlines since arriving in Indonesia last year. His two goals at the AFF Cup, coupled with his boyish good looks (apparently), made Indonesian football sexy for a couple of weeks with politicans, celebrities and other media magnets flocking to the Bung Karno Stadium to bask in his glow.

Now comes news that his club, Persema (in the Liga Primer Indonesia), would be willing to release him. In the past Bogor Raya have mumbled an interest while a story today suggests Sriwijaya would like to link Bachdim with Christian Gonzales, currently with Persib.

Talking Sriwijaya, no news on the future of coach Ivan Kolev. After replacing Rahmad Darmawan at the start of the season, Sriwijaya managed to win nothing...after amassing something like seven trophies in the previous three years.

Azkals force 1-1 tie

By FRANCIS SANTIAGO
June 29, 2011, 8:39pm

MANILA, Philippines � Filipino-American midfielder Nate Burkey made a spectacular debut last night, lifting the Philippine football team to a 1-1 draw against a stubborn Sri Lanka side in the first leg of their qualifying series for the 2014 FIFA World Cup at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The highly-favored Azkals looked unlikely to salvage anything from the highly-physical game after midfielder Chathura Gunarathna gave the home team the head start in the 41st minute.

Gunarathna silenced a small Filipino crowd when he drove a fierce hit into the top-right corner of the net after the Azkals� wall failed to block his right-footed shot that slightly hit the head of Rob Gier off an indirect free kick.

Azkals German coach Michael Weiss immediately sent in Burkey to replace ace striker Phil Younghusband, still recovering from a right leg injury.

The switch paid off with almost immediate effect after Burkey headed home a failed header by James Younghusband from close range in the 49th minute.

It was a flowing shot that started from Chieffy Caligdong who struck a gorgeous hit off a freekick.

The 25-year-old Burkey, who traces his roots from Cebu and first played for the Azkals during their local exhibition match against the UFL-All Stars last month, logged just his first international goal for the Philippines.

It wasn�t the kind of ending expected from the Azkals who appear to have the superior attacking skills than their rivals. But the compact defense of the Lankans worked wonders for the home team, which went a man down early in the second half.

�There�s work to be done, but I know we can make the job done in Manila,� Azkals team manager Dan Palami said.

Fatigue seemed to have affected the Azkals� game, after their offense looked disoriented with players appearing to move slower than their South Asian rivals, who only had two weeks to prepare according to their Korean coach Jang Jung.

But Palami said it was not because of fatigue or over training but because of the irregular level of the field. The Azkals trained for two weeks in Germany for their first World Cup qualifying appearance in 10 years.

It was the second draw for the Philippines in the last seven matches in the qualifiers after earning a 1-1 draw against Laos when the country hosted the game at the Philsports Arena in 2001.

But the Azkals can win at home on July 3 for the return match at the sell out Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, where some 13,000 fans are expected to come in droves, which may include President Aquino.

Playing in a 4-4-2 formation, the Azkals got off to a brighter start in the match that was high on chances, but it was Lankans who came closest to opening the scoring when striker Sharaz Kaiz�s goal-bound header was saved by Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge in the second minute.

Both teams played on almost equal footing at the onset as there were plenty of counterattack opportunities in a first half marked by Sri Lanka�s rough game plan that led to heated verbal exchanges.

Three yellow cards were shown, two for Azkals � Aly Borromeo, Fil-German Stephan Shrock � and another for the home team.

The Philippines� travelling and flag-waving supporters cheered on every pass as the Azkals saw more clear goal-scoring opportunities, but striker Younghusband failed to finish, including two clear goal-scoring opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Philippines dropped three notches in the latest FIFA rankings, slipping to 159 while Sri Lanka slipped two spots down to 171.

Manila Bulletin

World Cup Qualifiers: Philippine Azkals salvage draw versus Sri Lanka

COLOMBO�A resilient Philippine side fought back to salvage a 1-1 stalemate against Sri Lanka Wednesday in the first leg of their opening round World Cup qualifying match at the Sugathadasa Stadium here.

Substitute Nate Burkey, making his debut for the Philippines, headed home James Younghusband�s saved header in the 50th minute to give the Azkals a precious away goal heading to the second leg in Manila on Sunday.

An away goal will only count if a two-leg series ends up tied on aggregate, meaning a scoreless draw will be enough for the Azkals to go through to the next round against Kuwait.

Playing their first World Cup qualifying match in 10 years, the Azkals fell behind on the 43rd minute when Pordi Chathura�s 20-yard free kick beat a diving Neil Etheridge to his right.

It was an eerie reminder of the late equalizing goal that the Azkals yielded to Myanmar in the AFC Challenge Cup in March.

After a quiet opening half, the Azkals, egged on by about 200 Filipino supporters in the stadium, came alive in the last 45 minutes, keeping the Sri Lankans on their heels.

Stephan Schrock, making his Philippine debut, was an influential figure at central midfield and his passing constantly opened up the Sri Lankan defense.

But except for Burkey�s goal, the Azkals lacked the clinical finishing touch to punish the Sri Lankans, who refused to back down, making the match a rugged affair.

One such incident came in the 18th minute when Phil Younghusband was fouled by midfield enforcer Fazlur, triggering a scuffle in the middle of the field.

James Younghusband and got yellow cards in the aftermath of the incident. The Azkals had two other yellow cards � Schrock and skipper Aly Borromeo � who were booked for mistimed challenges.

Phil Younghusband had two glorious early chances saved by Manjula Fernando in the first half, before the Filipino-British striker was substituted by Burkey in the 40th minute for what looked like a hamstring injury.

Putting more pressure on the Sri Lankans immediately after the restart, the Azkals were rewarded with Burkey�s scrappy goal.

Chieffy Caligdong, the only homegrown player in the starting lineup, floated a long free kick into the area that was met by James Younghusband, whose header looked to have crossed the line.

Amid the confusion, Burkey was quickest to react and he banged it home for the equalizer.

Schrock, a standout rightback playing for Greuther Furth in the German second division, was still proving dangerous with the ball and his effort from just outside the box just went wide in the 60th minute.

Another chip pass from Schrock offered substitute Ian Araneta with a late scoring chance, but the Air Force striker managed a weak effort that was easily saved by Manjula.

Just when everyone thought the Sri Lankans were playing for a draw, the hosts managed to conjure one more chance when Nimal fired a bristling shot that draw an impressive reflex save from Etheridge in the first minute of injury time.

The Azkals arrive in Manila Thursday night, leaving them with two full days to prepare for the rematch against the South Asians.

inquirer.net

Boaz To Consider Overseas Offers

Boaz Solossa looks back on another successful Indonesian season. He may have been dropped from the national team, for missing training, but domestically he has led his Persipura team to a third title in six years as well as top scoring for the second time in three years.

Local tabloid Top Skor quote Boaz as saying '...for reasons of regeneration I would consider an offer from overseas. But, until now no foreign club has come in with an offer.'

One of the most exciting players in the region, Boaz is sure to attract interest from a number of teams.

Singapore League Cup 2011

SINGAPORE, 29 JUNE 2011: The 2011 League Cup draw will be held on the 1st of July 2011, 3pm, at the Level 2 Boardroom, Jalan Besar Stadium. Eleven S-League clubs will participate in two draws which will be split into the Preliminary Round stage draw and the Quarter-Final stage draw respectively.

COMMENT - just because they have a League Cup in England doesn't mean every other country needs to copy it. They also have promotion and relegation, club shops and sell beer in stadiums. This is an unnecessary addition to an overcrowded fixture list.

The Road To Brazil

Malaysia v Chinese Taipei 2-1 (Safiq Rahim, Zafuan;) 45,000

Cambodia v Laos 4-2 (Khoun Laboravy, Sam El Nasa 2, Kouch Sukumpeak; Phomsouvanh 2) 24,800

Vietnam v Macau 6-0 (Le Cong Vinh 3, Pham Tanh Luong, Nguyen Ngoc Than, Nguyen Van Quyet) 20,000

Nepal v Timor Leste 2-1

Mongolia v Myanmar 1-0

Second Legs to be played Sunday. Large crowds suggest that fans in the region haven't been put off by FIFA's misdeeds, they'reonly interested in national glory!

Recruiting 2012--Jackson Matteo

Matteo #72/image by Mike Pettigano

Rivals.com reports UMass has offered to Jackson Matteo, a 6-5 276 pd OL from Ashburn, VA.

Matteo's Rivals page here.

Highlight video here.

Matteo has offers from MAC schools Ball State, Temple and Ohio. He also has offers from FBS Marshall and FCS schools Bryant and Old Dominion.

Wednesday--June 29, 2011

The UMass website has the "Top Three" plays of 2010. It includes Ryan Carter's 97 yard TD return against Maine.

The "Together We are One" video was posted to YouTube yesterday.

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The team is my favorite moniker, the Stetson Hatters, are gearing up to join FCS football in 2013.

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Sporting News has a high regard for new CAA team Old Dominion.

More tenacious Azkals battle Sri Lankans today

By Cedelf Tupas

COLOMBO�Skipper Aly Borromeo watched the World Cup final pitting Spain and the Netherlands at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg last year and wondered if he would ever play a single match in the sport�s biggest stage, let alone get a shot at making it there.

Borromeo and his fellow Philippine Azkals finally get that precious crack at the tournament starting Wednesday here when they battle Sri Lanka in the first round of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Qualifiers at the Sugathadasa Stadium in this port city in the Indian Ocean.

�Every football player dreams of playing in the World Cup,� said Borromeo, a veteran of the national side since 2004.

�And ever since I�ve played for the national team, that�s always made me sad because we haven�t sent a delegation even to the qualifiers. We know its a long shot but at least we�ve taken a step closer.�

Kickoff is at 4 p.m. DST (6:30 p.m. in Manila) with the Azkals looking to grab the advantage against an unfancied Sri Lankan side, before the series shifts to Manila on Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Although the Azkals have been tipped as favorites to prevail, German coach Michael Weiss said the Sri Lankans cannot be underestimated.

Add that to the fact that the Sri Lankans have played considerably well at home.

�It will not be easy,� said Weiss, who took the squad�s reins early this year. �They have been training for three months and have been playing together for years. No one should think that this will be just a passers-by match. In today�s football, no one should be underestimated.�

Just how tough are the Sri Lankans at home? Weiss pointed out the fact that Kuwait, the Middle East powerhouse that awaits the winner of this tie, managed just a scrambling 1-nil win here a few years ago.

�We are not yet on that level where we can clearly dominate,� Weiss said.

Team manager Dan Palami, who had earlier talked up the Azkals� chances, said they are approaching the match with �cautious optimism.�

�We don�t know what the conditions will be [today],� said Palami. �Sri Lanka is going to defend their turf the best way they can. We will try to overwhelm them in the first 10 minutes.�

Jang Jung, Sri Lanka�s Korean coach, opted to downplay his team�s chances.

�Our preparation is not enough,� said Jung. �We don�t know the Philippines but it�s going to be a close match.�

The Azkals started their buildup for the match in Manila two months ago and wrapped it up with a high-intensity two-week camp in Germany that gave Weiss a glimpse of the immense attacking potential of the squad as well as its defensive frailties.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, opted to stay in Colombo for its preparations.

Just as the team had feared, Ray Jonsson failed to make the trip here yesterday because of his commitment with his Icelandic club, Grinvadik.

Weiss is expected to tap Paul Mulders, an attacking midfielder, to take Jonsson�s place at leftback in the starting eleven, which will include Borromeo, goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, defenders Anton del Rosario and Rob Gier, midfielders Chieffy Caligdong, James Younghusband, Manny Ott and Stephan Schrock and forwards Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband.


inquirer.net

Studio 23 to beam World Cup qualifying match �live�

MANILA�ABS-CBN Sports, the official coveror of the Azkals� international matches, will air the first leg of the Philippines� home-and-away showdown with Sri Lanka �live� on Studio 23 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Studio 23 will also telecast the country�s �home� World Cup qualifying match at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Stadium this Sunday starting at 2 p.m., with a replay on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Thailand Host WCQ In Boonies

The Bangkok Post is saying that Thailand will host the winner of the preliminary qualifier between Afghanistan and Palestine in Buriram.

Really? Isn't there some FIFA rule that stipulates a stadium used for FIFA sanctioned events needs to be pretty bloody close to an international airport? And Thai FA head, Worawi Mukadi, as a member of various frequent flyer programmes and FIFA committees should know this.

Hosting the game in Buriram, or even considering hosting the game there is yet another sop to the owner of Buriram PEA, a politician, who also owns Buriram FC and is on course to see one team win the Thai Premier League and the other Division One.

On the football side of things the games against either Afghanistan or Palestine will be new coach Winifred Scaefer's first game in charge of the Thai national team since replacing Vryan Robson who quit earlier in the month.

To help him prepare for the game the Thai Premier League have thoughtfully cancelled all games until the end of July. Which means the coach won't have a scooby who he will be selecting and will have to rely on his assitants. But he will still be the fall guy.

A cynical soul, which of course I ain't, might suggest that the Thai football authorities are doing their best to sabotage the national team. After all, recent humiliations at the SEA Games (2009), AFF Cup (2010) and the Olympics combined with the lack of preparation for the World Cup do point to such cynicism, don't they?

Recruits: TU heading to the Big East

Over the last month or so, the biggest news surrounding Temple football has not been the verbal of three-star recruit Ben Onett or 11 other prospects, it's the things the prospects and their families have been saying about Temple.
More specifically, one thing.
One of the recruits flat-out said that the Temple coaches have told him that the school is going to be playing in the Big East soon and another recruit's father, Tavon Young, offered this interesting nugget yesterday:

"Tavon has committed to Temple,� said Mr. Young. �First and foremost is the academics and they pass with flying colors. He has always loved the staff that came up from Florida. He likes the defensive scheme. It is close to home and he will be a part of the Big East in 2012."
Tanner Kearns, a tight end targeted early by Addazio, said this two weeks ago:
�I got to meet their coach and like him. I know they play in Eagle Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) and plan on moving to the Big East soon.�

Huh?
That's news to me, but not news to at least two recruits.
There are only a couple of conclusions to make from this:
1) Our coaching staff is blowing smoke up recruits' butts in order to get the verbal;
2) Where there is smoke there is fire.

"Tavon has committed to Temple ...it is close to home and he will be a part of the Big East in 2012."
_ Tavon Young, Sr.

I'm hopefully going with No. 2 here because, while head coach Steve Addazio has a fabulous reputation as a recruiter, I don't see him making stuff up to get a commitment.  His reputation for integrity, minus a possible UConn dalliance, is impeccable.

And I don't see two recruits independently making up this Big East angle.
Maybe Addazio has had private conversations with athletic director Bill Bradshaw that indicated this move is imminent. Maybe not. Now that Villanova's bid to get a spot has fallen through, TV sees Temple as the only real shot to get the largest available ratings' market and has told the Big East to pursue Temple or no new TV contract.
Maybe not.
When recruits and their fathers routinely throw in the Big East angle as a reason for commiting, something has got to be up.
Where there is smoke, fire follows.
The question now is when does this become a fully-involved four-alarmer?

Tuesday--June 28, 2011

Coach Morris will be in Worcester this Wednesday to continue the "Together We are One" tour.

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UMass is #21 in the FCS preseason polls consolidated rankings. The Minutemen are all over the place, with a high of #12 in Athlon and not receiving a single vote on the AGS poll.

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The CAA website has a feature article on William & Mary's Jonathon Grimes.

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PPL Park wants to host more off-campus Villanova football games.

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Remember last week I posted a link on the growing disparity of FBS and FCS finances? Check out the revenue spread between West Virginia and James Madison when the two meet at Fed-Ex Field in Landover, MD.

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The BC Blog "BC Interruption" looks at recent Eagles-Minutemen history.

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Most Visited Grounds

1. Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta
2. Lebak Bulus Stadium, Jakarta
3. Soemantri Brojonegoro Stadium, Jakarta
4. Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore
5. Tampines Stadium, Singapore

Indonesia

1. Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta

Singapore

1. Jalan Besar Stadium

Thailand

1. PAT Stadium, Bangkok

Malaysia

1. Larkin Stadium, JB

Cambodia

1. Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh

Selected Thai Transfers

Flavien Michelini (Etoile - Bangkok Glass)

Anthony Bahadur (Released by TOT)

Claudio Oliveria (Persih - Chiang Rai United)

Thanks to Loko

ISL Average Attendances 2010/2011

Arema 20,214 Highest 36,994 v Persipura

Persipura 19,834 Highest 25,000 v Persib & Sriwjaya

Persija 18,551 Highest 35,000 v Persib

Persib 16,947 Highest 26,876 v Deltras

Persisam 11,941 Highest 14,672 v Persib

Persiwa 11,655 Highest 15,000 v Bontang

PSPS 11,381 Highest 19,895 v Arema

Sriwijaya 10,369 Highest 20,201 v Persib

Semen Padang 8,883 Highest 15,400 v Sriwijaya

Persela 8,220 Highest 15,000 v Bontang

Deltras 6,763 Highest 19,323 v Arema

Pelita Jaya 6,324 Highest 16,447 v Persib

Persiba 4,493 Highest 6,730 v Persisam

Bontang 4,387 Highest 8,500 v Arema

Notes:

• Persib played two games behind closed doors
• Persiwa played one game behind closed doors
• Persija played five home games out of 14 outside of Jakarta
• Persib attracted the largest crowd of the season at five different grounds
• The largest attendance of the season was Arema v Persipura 36,994
• The smallest attendance of the season was Pelita Jaya v PSPS 570
• Average attendance at ISL 2010/2011 was 10,665

Results 27/06

SLeague

Geylang United v Woodlands Wellington 1-0 (Jung Hee Bong)

Tanjong Pagar v Etoile 0-2 (Theo Raymond, Johnathon Toto)

Geylang kept up their winning streak, that's four straight coupled with four clean sheets moves them up to 7th. Etoile have a new chairman and celebrate by climbing to 5th in the league. Funnily enough if they hadn't been docked them five points they still would be 5th.

Albirex Sale

In conjunction with the Great Singapore Sale, Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore) will be holding the �Great Albirex Sale� during their upcoming home match against Balestier Khalsa on 28 June 2011.

Visitors at Jurong East Stadium can take the opportunity to purchase a wide range of Albirex merchandise at special prices, including their black-and-orange RHB Singapore Cup jersey as seen in their first-round victory over South Melbourne.

The jersey will be selling at S$98, while the regular S.League home jersey will be sold at a 30% discount at the game as well.

The club will also be selling key-holders, flags, megaphones, mattresses and Choro-Q cars, as well as their newly-released Albirex caps.

In addition, fans can also collect the brand-new Albirex club poster, featuring all the players and backroom staff, with purchases of S$20 and above. The purchases do not include food and beverages.

For those not planning to spend big at Jurong East, there is another way to get a copy of the poster. Simply collect a copy of the club�s official matchday programme for the Balestier clash and bring it to one of three specified shops listed below between 29 June 2011 and 6 July 2011, and you can get the poster at absolutely no cost!

• Paris Miki at Liang Court Shopping Centre
• adidas at Robinson 77 (formerly known as SIA Building)
• Canon Imaging Academy at Harbourfront Tower One

Paris Miki and adidas will also be holding Great Singapore Sale promotions, so don�t leave yourself out of the Great Singapore Sale!

For more details of the Great Albirex Sale and other promotions, please refer to the Albirex club website at www.albirex.com.sg.

Taken from SLeague.com

Recruiting 2012--Rhakeem Stallings

Rivals image

Rivals.com reports UMass has offered to Rhakeem Stallings, a 6-0 210 pd OLB from Chesapeake, VA.

Stallings' Rivals page here.

YouTube highlight video here.

Mentioned as a rising senior here.

This article features Stallings.

Besides UMass, Stallings holds offers from Western Michigan, Ball State, Florida Atlantic and FCS Old Dominion.

Monday--June 27, 2011

The UMass website has some video from the "Together We are One" tour at the UMass club in Boston. Coach Morris says in the video,  recruiting for 2012 has gone well.

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Brandon London has made the Montreal Alouettes roster and should see significant playing time in Thursday's opening game.

An alouette is a French word for lark, BTW.

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"Eagle in Atlanta" has more signs that Boston College's ticket sales are in trouble. I believe UMass' move to FBS will help football in New England, if Boston College and UConn will play us in a continuing series.

Syracuse's attendance at the Carrier Dome has not been robust either. The Orange averaged 40,064 at home and ranked #64 in FBS attendance.

Boston College averaged 38,369 at the Heights for a #65 ranking.

UConn averaged 38,242 at Rentschler Field.

There should be a "Northeast Trophy" for the area.

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Richmond looks at ten years in A10 basketball and thinks that changes in the Big East will come in ten years or less, which is what we've been saying here for years.

If things break right, UMass could end up in the Big East in football and also be part of a new basketball league.

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The UMass website has the revised Coaches roster up.

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Goals Galore In SLeague

Not for the first time in recent years the SLeague is proving to be one of the more exciting leagues in the region.

We're just about at the half way point and we have the usual three horse race, champions Etoile have slipped down the ladder having four or five games in hand, and look how tight things are at the top.

1 - Home United 18 13 2 3 47-16 41

2 - Tampines 18 12 3 3 39-16 39

3 - SAFFC 17 12 2 3 35-18 38

18 - Aleksander Duric (Tampines Rovers)

15 - Mislav Karoglan (SAFFC)

13 - Frederic Mendy (Home United)

12 - Qiu Li (Home United)

When you add Albirex Niigata that's four teams averaging two goals a game this season!

But there's more fascinating snippets in the League scorned by 'knowledgeable' Singaporeans with a penchant for teams overseas. Take Geylang United. Their 1-0 victory over Albirex Niigata was their third straight win and third straight clean sheet. Before that run began they had gone six unbeaten and conceded three in three straight games.

Tonight they hope to extend that run when they host Woodlands Wellington at Bedok Stadium. The Rams have conceded five goals on five occassions, including the last three games. So that means Geylang should win 5-0 tonight, right?!

Tampines Rovers have led the table for most of the season but they have lost their last two games. Against? Home United and SAFFC!

SAFFC on the other hand have won five straight games to keep the pressure on Home and Tampines. And SAFFC's next game? Away to Home United next week!

SLeague dull? Do me a favour!

Jakarta Casual Tour 2011 Recap

Jakarta Casual

• Islam, Football & Cambodia
• Cambodia League Impressions
• Noise Annoys in SLeague
• Hougang Tell FAS to Stick 5 Points!

Asian Football Pictures

• Thai Port Fans
• Cambodian Terraces
• Prek Pra Keila Fans
• Phnom Penh Crown Academy @ Singapore

Jakarta Casual TV

• Steven Robb (Thai Port) Interview
• Phnom Penh Crown v Naga Corp
• Phnom Penh Crown Academy @ SCC 6s

Asian Football Memorabilia

• Shirts, scarves, programmes, handbooks etc

The Casual Store

• The Classic Jakarta Casual T Shirt

Asian Football Stadiums

• Kampot & Phnom Penh

Geylang United

In the sanitized atmosphere of Singapore football not many of the teams there 'feel' like a football club in the sense of a team identifiable with their local community. You don't walk round Woodlands or Tampines and see people wearing club colours unless it's a Liverpool or Manchester United shirt.

The only times I've seen people wearing club colours in Singapore, I mean local club, it has been the green of Geylang United.

Going to the game last Friday, to the food court in the nearby HDB, there were plentyu of folks wearing Geylang United shirts. Worryingly it was mostly older buggers. There was though one kid scampering around. He had a Geylang t shirt and was carrying a copy of the match programme as well as his match ticket.

The programme was a great effort. Traditionally the club have put together a match programme for home games for a number of years, check this one from 2007 against Tampines Rovers, but now it is a full colour eight page affair.

There is no atmosphere at Bedok Stadium, I believe they are in the process of putting together a new supporters club, but it takes time to put things together. No one ever went to a football match just for a programme, actually they have done and continue to do so, but it looks like geylang are starting to develop their marketing and PR side.

Hopefully it pays off for them!

Fair Play: Football medal in the SEA Games? Preposterous!

I ONCE announced in an online forum that I�d run as naked as the day I was born if the Philippines made the semifinals of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

I admit, it was one of those if-you-want-the-moon-then-aim-for-the-stars kind of move.



I also admit it was one of those dares I was so looking forward to finding an excuse not to do.

But on the night the Philippines crashed out, losing to Malaysia, 4-2�in a match the team led, 2-1, I was disappointed.

No, not because I lost the chance to do my dare. What I said was so far from my mind that night.

What I was thinking was those 15 minutes when the Philippines was ahead, 2-1, and a semifinal appearance�seemingly impossible only a week before�was right there for the taking.

If only�

But curiously Vince Santos, the then team manager, was giddy.

We just crashed out and this guy was optimistic?

I thought he was crazy.

But then he pointed out the obvious.

The core of the squad was eligible for another SEA Games.

�Guys like the two Phils are eligible for two more SEA Games,� I remember Vince saying as we sauntered off Draft Bar in Bacolod City, a few merry drunken hours after the team lost their final game to Malaysia.

Then he mentioned all the possible starters in the next SEAG and I think I was drooling at what could have been the strongest-ever SEA Games team.

I also remember thinking that perhaps a football medal in the SEA Games in my lifetime wasn�t preposterous?

But then reality happened.

Vince, who said it would be a very nice problem to solve who will make the team, never got to solve the problem.

That possible strongest-SEAG team ever?

We never sent them in 2007, ditto in 2009.

But then 2010 happened and the PSC, who in 2007 and 2009 thought football didn�t pass the must-be-a-medal-contender criterion and hence wasn�t sent to the SEA Games, realized that not sending a football team to this year�s Seag would probably start a Twitter riot.

So we are sending one, finally.

And like Vince, Dan Palami and the coaching staff are having fits finalizing the squad, what with 47 members in the training pool.

But unlike Vince, who could have signed a 7-foot gay keeper and nobody would have
noticed, whatever Dan does or doesn�t do is analyzed ad infinitum.

Heck, these days, we sometimes get more football updates from Showbiz Central!

The changes in the Philippine football scene are really quite remarkable.

Vince once told me, a day before the 2005 SEAG football event started, that
basketball�s loss was the chance for other sports to shine.

If you remember, basketball then was scrapped due to the country�s suspension from Fiba.

�This is our chance to show the country what we can do!� Vince said.

Now, the football team doesn�t need that.

The 2010 Suzuki Cup success made them mainstream news. What they do on field (and sometimes who they do off-field?) are a regular staple in the news.

Heck, this early, folks are saying that we can win a medal in this year�s SEA Games.

Really?

This early?

That�s preposterous!

We have a training pool, not a team.

And we haven�t even seen the draw yet.

A medal in the SEA Games?

No, I won�t go that far, yet.

But this I promise. I�ll run the 2012 Cebu City Marathon with only my football cleats on if the Philippines wins the gold medal in Jakarta.

And Dan Palami will be my pacer.

Bye Bye Bontang

It came as no real surprise to see Bontang relegated from the Indonesia Super League. They had been bottom so long it had become the norm. The 3-2 defeat against Persidafon in a feisty play off marred by nine yellow cards just confirmed the inevitable.

You can be sure though that many players will be happy to see the back of the team from East Kalimantan. Not from reasons of spite. More, the trip there is one of the more arduous undertaken in a country known for difficult road trips.
Most clubs would fly into Balikpapan and then make the six hour journey north, hugging the rocky coastline most of the way.

The downside though is that teams in the ISL now face the prospect of three games in distant Papua with Persidafon�s promotion!

Bontang have been woeful all season, losing 19 of their 28 games including eight at their own stadium. And yet only champions Persipura and 3rd placed Persija managed more goals away from home! Bontang, with just a single away win, at their closest rivals Persisam, scored 16 goals on their long distance travels.

The season started poorly with three straight defeats, conceding 17 goals in the process including eight away to Persipura. Other heavy defeats came against Arema twice, 5-0 and 8-0, while they returned from PSPS Pekanbaru on the wrong end of a 6-2 shafting. They even managed a 5-3 home defeat against Persiba Balikpapan who would for sure have enjoyed the six hour tip home after a game in which former Bontang striker Aldo Baretto hit a hat trick.

The one positive that Bontang can take out of such a woeful season has been the form of Japanese striker Kenji Adichihara. He managed 15 goals for the second season running and has surely done enough to attract the attention of bigger clubs. Rumours suggest both Persema Malang, in the Liga Primer Indonesia, and Persela Lamongan, in the ISL, have expressed an interest in the striker signed from Albirex Niigata in Singapore back in 2009.

For now though Bontang can look forward to a spell in the Divisi Utama. Whenever that starts!

Wednesday : FIFA World Cup Qualifier Sri Lanka vs Philippines

Date : 29. June

Venue : Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo


TV : Studio 23 from 17.30

Match start is 16.00 local time in Sri Lanka according to AFC which is 18.30 in Philippines

News before , during and after match . Line-ups, predictions, greetings etc

Post good livestreams !

Anything related to this match can be posted in comments.

Weather forecast : 28 degrees , breeze . No rain

Azkals bow to Darmstadt, 0-5, but remain upbeat vs Sri Lanka

By Cedelf Tupas

MANILA�The Philippines football team fell in another crushing defeat Friday, this time against German third division team Darmstadt, 0-5, in its final test match before leaving for Colombo for its first round World Cup qualifying date against Sri Lanka.

The Azkals, who lost 0-4 to second division side FC Ingolstadt Wednesday, got off to another jittery start and paid dearly for it.

They fell four goals behind in the first 25 minutes in a match that reportedly drew around 500 spectators, most of whom are Filipinos based in Frankfurt.

Again missing the services of experienced players Ray Jonsson, Stephan Schrock and Jerry Lucena, who are tied up by club commitments, the Azkals surrendered one more goal in the second half.

The Azkals thus finished their Germany camp with two wins and two losses. The first victory came against Duren selection, 4-1, that was followed by a similar 4-1 win over Bonner SC Under-19.

Skipper Aly Borromeo said he was satisfied with their buildup in Germany which, a source said, cost P7 million.

�We learned a lot and we can only use this as motivation to step all over Sri Lanka,� said Borromeo in a text message to the Inquirer.

�Camp has been good aside from the traveling and the playing every other day.�

Borromeo said the matches against the strong German clubs have given the Azkals an opportunity to �fine tune everything before the actual match.�

Striker Phil Younghusband, who scored three goals in the four matches in Germany, couldn�t hide his disappointment about the loss, but said several factors have to be considered.

�Obviously we are very disappointed to lose,� said Younghusband. �We�ve had four games in 10 days and traveled for over 35 hours in the past 10 days and the conditions have been different.�

�We have played against four teams who are all of better quality compared to Sri Lanka and we have won two out of four games which should give us confidence,� said Younghusband.

The Azkals were scheduled to fly to Colombo Saturday, before the first leg clash on Wednesday.

The return leg is slated July 3 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, which is playing host to a major international football match for the first time since the 1991 Southeast Asian Games.

inquirer.net

PH football renaissance feeding off Azkals� rise

MANILA�Vic Sison has seen all of this happen before.

At one time, Philippine football was actually relevant, and winnable even in international levels. So that if it had never lost its foothold in the country�s sporting scheme of things, the now-famous and well-loved Azkals would be underachievers at best.

Sison was the goalkeeper of the last national squad that turned heads on the Asian scene.

The year was 1958, when the third Asian Games was held in Tokyo. The country�s football squad, generations away from being labeled Azkals, marched straight into the belly of the beast and beat Japan, 1-0.

Of course, Japan then was not Japan now, so �beast� might be slightly stretching it. But Japan football now traces its roots to that game.

�Losing to the Philippines was really tragic for [the Japanese],� Sison told the Inquirer. �In the local Japanese paper, the sports section had headlines that suggested that the Japanese players commit hara-kiri.�

Sison smiled at the recollection.

More Inquirer.net

New Stuff On Asian Football Memorabilia

Just been adding plenty of stuff to Asian Football Memorabilia - probably the only site of its kind devoted to souvenirs and memorabilia from South East Asian Football.

Check out the site for Indonesian, Singapore and Cambodian football shirts, handbooks, programmes and much, much more.

Could anyone be so sad...

Recruiting 2012-Edens Sineace

NFTC image

Rivals.com reports UMass has offered to Edens Sineace, a 6-5 300 pd OT from Wellington, FL.

Sineace's Rivals page here.

Made Miami NFTC All-Camp.

This article mentions him.

Also mentioned here.

Besides UMass, Sineace has offers from Marshall, Middle Tennessee State and Florida International.

Geylang United v Albirex Niigata

What the hell?!

My last SLeague games ended 0-5, 3-2, 4-1, 1-5 and 2-4. And this? The best this bloody thing could manage was a 1-0 to the home side and that from a penalty. Still I guess Mike Wong, the Geylang coach, would have been happy. Three straight wins, three straight clean sheets. But does he care about me and my feelings eh?

Fair play to Geylang for putting together a decent 8 page match programme. More clubs should follow that lead.

What's the point the gaming machine obsessed SLeague club owners might whine? None, none at all. Who cares if fans have no idea who's playing on either side, if they have nothing to take away from the game, if they have nothing to show their friends.

Who needs to develop a football awareness and culture when you can bleed gamblers dry eh?

Saturday---June 25, 2011

The CAA Blogger has a long post on news from around the league. Included is the naming of Tyler Holmes to the College Football Performance Awards Pre-Season Linebacker Award.

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You remember the major sticking point for Villanova's entry into the Big East is their plans to use 18,000 seat soccer stadium PPL Park as their home stadium? Well, the concept will get a tryout this year as the Wildcats will host Delaware at that venue on November 19th.

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Temple lands a three-star QB with New England roots.

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I saw the link to this human interest story on AGS message board: A 5-11 205 pd Georgetown DB benched 440 in a powerlifting contest-----and still lost to his dad.

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Attention UMass Marching Band! We've got to get some of these.

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Fair Play: A fine Cesafi season

KACHING!

That�s the sound Cesafi players should get used to if they get thrown out in basketball.

That�s P5,000 for acting like a brat, thank you very much.

Ooh? You did it again, give me 10 grand and you can kiss your season goodbye.

I suspect some of the players and coaches won�t be fine with all these fines but it�s fine by me.

Sure, it may add to your machismo when you�re wearing your barangay�s or town�s colors when you go after that petulant fool who dared elbow you as you were trying to show your prettier angle to the crush-ng-bayan, but in the Cesafi? It speaks loads of your lack of immaturity, and indirectly, of your team and your school.

I�m just curious, though, why Cesafi�which had this rule for years�only decided to be strict this year.

I remember last year that no sooner had Commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy said he was looking forward to a controversy-free season after a walk-out and suspension-marred 2009 campaign, he had controversies for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

Is this his final attempt at getting the players to toe the line?

Will it work? I hope so.

I hope, too, the fine-system will be extended to football to a certain degree.

I�ve always thought the expulsion and automatic one-game suspension for football for violent conduct is only a slap on the wrist. You see, a player who handles the ball twice, or the other player�s balls, will get the same punishment as one that rearranges another�s face by a surgical uppercut. (And this one really happened in Cesafi)

Is it fair? It�s in the rules.

A red card and a suspension, these days, are no longer deterrents to and in the Cesafi I�ve seen sneaky uppercuts that would have made Freddie Roach proud.

Add a P5,000 fine, that must be paid before a player is considered to have served his
suspension, well, it might just stop these hot heads from channeling their inner MMA stars.

Also, if you put in a fine-system like this, the officials will be pressured to, well, do their jobs.

If I remember it correctly, that phantom punch would have been spotted, and the aggressor justly punished, if the fourth official only did his job.

�Wala man ko kita kay nalingaw ko sa dula,� the official told me when I asked him.

Somebody else pointed out the obvious to me much later, �Mao bitaw na na-a fourth official kay para mubantay layo sa bola. Kay ang referee ug assistant refree naa sa bola ila mata.�

It�s still more than a month to go before the Cesafi season officially kicks off and I�m pretty sure we are going to hear a lot more about the fines the Cesafi will be meting out to players who ask for them.

I just hope that between now and then, the Cesafi board, commissioner, coaches, players and athletic directors sit down, talk about these rules, acknowledge that there are rules in place.

Because often, all these controversies crop up because coaches say, �That�s not in the rules!� �No, we didn�t agree to that!� �We didn�t know!�

I wonder what this Cesafi season will hold.

I hope it�s going to be fine.

FIFA World Ranking June - Philippines down 3

FIFA World Rankings will be released on June 29 , but the website Football Rankings announced that Philippines will be dropping 3 to number 159 .

Sri Lanka will be dropping 2 to number 171.

Football Rankings

More tickets for Azkals-Lankans tiff

By FRANCIS SANTIAGO
June 25, 2011, 2:20am

MANILA, Philippines � The Philippine Football Federation announced Friday that it may sell 700 more bleacher tickets for the Azkals and Sri Lanka FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Bonnie Ladrido, chair of the organizing committee for the July 3 match, told the Bulletin that 95 percent of the tickets, including the P200 and P300 bleacher tickets are already sold out.

But he said they are likely to release 700 more bleacher tickets, which will come from the allotted 1,000 tickets for the Football Federation of Sri Lanka.

Under FIFA rules, eight percent of the total 12,873 seating capacity of Rizal should be alloted for the visiting Sri Lanka squad.

Ladrido said the Sri Lanka Embassy had only asked for 300 tickets last week and the PFF has given the Embassy only until Friday to decide whether or not it will get the remaining tickets.

But as of presstime, the Embassy had not asked for the remaining tickets.

�It�s already unlikely that they will still ask for the remaining (700) tickets because if there were high demands for it, they would have asked for it earlier,� said Ladrido, who is also the PFF treasurer.

The Azkals will meet Sri Lanka on June 29 in Colombo for the first leg of the home-and-away series with the return match taking place in the 77-year-old venue.

Manila Bulletin

Recruiting 2012--Jakarri Thomas

Rivals image

Rivals.com reports UMass has offered to Jakarri Thomas, a 6-2 190 pd OLB from Tallahassee, FL.

Thomas' Rivals page here.

This article says he'll visit UMass.

Ran a 11.5 100 meters.

Thomas holds offers from Arkansas, Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Memphis, Pitt, Stamford, UCF and Western Kentucky.

Fruday---June 24, 2011

UMass has a new Director of Football operations. Jordan Jerry was previously LB coach for Colorado School of Mines. He's a New Hampshire native and holds two degrees from Georgetown.

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The 2011 season opener at Holy Cross will be televised on CBS Sports.

MassLive has a stub article (but a nice image) here.

The game is courtesy of the Patriot League's TV package.

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TSN's Craig Haley has "Ten games that will shape the FCS Season".

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University of Albany is getting a new stadium.

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United Bring EPL Trophy

English champions Manchester United will arrive in Bangkok on July 1 with the Premier League trophy.

The trophy will be on display at CentralWorld and there will be activities with United players led by Rio Ferdinand, Park Ji-Sung and Patrice Evra.

The visit will be part of the club's 12-day tour of Asia to thank their fans in this part of the world. The Red Devils, who won a record 19th English league title last season, will also go to Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

More than half of the club's estimated 333 million fans are in Asia and the trip will give them a close look at the trophy and some of the team's stars, said United commercial director Richard Arnold.

Arnold said: "We know from the huge response from the Asia-based supporters in our 16 million Facebook followers and our commercial partners in the area just how much our Asian fans celebrated the historic 19th title, so we want to make sure they can be part of that history by taking the trophy to them.

"Some of the players have taken time out from their summer holiday (ain't that bloody big of them?!) to say a big thank you to the supporters in Asia. It will be a lot of fun."

Hong Kong � 23 June
China � 27/28 June
Indonesia � 29/30 June
Thailand � 1 July
Malaysia � 4/5 July
Singapore � 6/7 July

Today : Azkals 0-5 SV Darmstadt 98

Today SV Darmstadt 98 vs Azkals


Testspiele
Fr, 24.06.11, 18:00 Uhr
(Sportpark Heimst�ttensiedlung, Winkelschneise 9, 64295 Darmstadt)

Darmstadt 98 website

Info about the club : wikipedia

Azkals vs Ingolstadt

Strong FC Ingolstadt dominates Phl Azkals

MANILA, Philippines - As expected, Bundesliga second division side FC Ingolstadt 04 provided the biggest test for the Azkals in their ongoing training camp in Germany, dealing Phl XI a 4-0 beating in a rain-delayed tuneup early Thursday in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.

Midfielder Andreas Buchner opened up scoring for the Schanzer in the 14th minute, followed up by a header from Fabian Gerber five minutes later as the German pros quickly seized control against the Azkals, who played without leftback Ray Jonsson and Stephan Schrock.

Not even 10-minute rain interruption could turn the game around as the Azkals conceded a third goal � an own goal � at the 30th minute. Azkals keeper Neil Etheridge, according to a report on the Ingolstadt website, lost control on the wet pitch and accidentally �steered the ball into their own net.�

Ingolstadt found the net anew in the 40th minute to settle the issue and gave the Azkals, in deep preparation for their Fifa World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Sri Lanka on June 29 in Colombo, a reality check.

�We can only gain from the loss and look to get better!� co-skipper Aly Borromeo said on his Twitter account. �The loss was good for us, I say. They (Ingolstadt) were a decent side with a ton of experience.�

The Azkals, who previously scored identical 4-1 victories over Duren Selection and Bonner 19-Under sides, will wrap up their two-week training in Germany with a test match against third division side Darmstadt 98 on Friday.

Meanwhile, organizers of the second leg in Manila said the Rizal Memorial is all set for hosting on July 3 � rain or shine.

In fact, the Rizal pitch is in such a good condition that Philippine Football Federation president Nonong Araneta declared it will still be the venue should the Azkals make it to the second round against Kuwait.

�If we qualify for the second round (of the WC Asian qualifiers), definitely we�ll hold it here at Rizal,� he said during a media tour yesterday.

�For logistics purposes, it�s difficult to use another venue. And we have spent around P3.4 million to renovate Rizal, it would be a waste if we use it for just one game (against Sri Lanka).�


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Sri Lankans to give Azkals 'torrid time'

MANILA, Philippines - The Sri Lankan football team admitted lagging behind in training against what its coach labeled as �a difficult opposition� but vowed to give the Philippine Azkals a �torrid time� in their upcoming 2014 Fifa World Cup Asian qualifier.

�We commenced training late (already) due to a delayed selection process. However, we are in a positive frame of mind to counter the challenge before us,� Brave Reds coach Jang Jung said in a report on Sri Lanka�s Daily Mirror.

Veteran defender Rohana Ruwanthilake leads the 25-man roster tasked by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) to do battle with the Azkals on June 29 at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Senior players Chathura Gunaratne, Nadeeka Pushpakumara, Fazul Rahuman and Mohammed Izzadeen are expected to provide experience to the Sri Lanka side,which according to skipper Ruwanthilake is composed of �young players oozing with talent.�

�All of them have gained experience playing international matches and are determined to give a torrid time for the visiting Philippine side,� skipper Ruwanthilake said.

Other members are Kavindu Ishan, Tuan Rizni, Sujan Perera, Manjula Fernando, Sampath Bandara, Shafraz Kaiz, Thilanka Nandasiri, Sanka Dhanushka, K. Sutharshan, Lahiru Tharaka, Mohamed Zain Ismath, Nagoor Meera, P.J. Chaminda, Dilki Kumara, Kolitha Lankesara, Bandara Warakagoda, Shafraz Nazar, Chameera Kirishantha, Nuwan Priyantja, Nimal Antoni, and Chathura Gunarathna.

�Our main target is to perform well in the first leg, which will be played on home soil,� said Ruwanthilake, who plays for Saunders SC in the Sri Lanka FA Cup, the South Asian island nation�s premier football tournament.

The Brave Reds will go up against a Phl side that�s beefed up by Fil-foreigners with experience in professional leagues in Europe and the US and currently training in Germany. And Sri Lanka�s Korean coach is well aware of this.

�They (Azkals) have grown very fast and are going to be a difficult opposition for us. They have prepared very well for this tournament,� said Jung.

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Rizal can only seat 13,000

MANILA, Philippines - Organizers of the Azkals� home game against Sri Lanka on July 3 will limit the spectators to around 13,000 to avoid overcrowding the 70-year-old Rizal Memorial Football Stadium for the highly anticipated Fifa World Cup Asian Qualifiers match.

Cathy Rivilla, general coordinator for the home match, said after installing individual seats at the grandstand and painting dividing lines in the bleachers in accordance with Fifa�s seat measurements, the Rizal venue can only host a capacity of 12,873 spectators.

The lower grandstand and VIP areas (blue section) will accommodate 1,872; the upper grandstand (yellow section) will seat 2,870; and the bleachers will have 8,131.

�We�re making sure we�re within the regulations of Fifa, as there�s certain required widths on the seats. We don�t want to have an over-capacity, like what happened in Panaad; It would be a security nightmare,� Rivilla said, referring to the Azkals� last home match in Bacolod where the venue was cramped like sardines with some 18,000 people.

Minus the individual seats in the grandstand and demarcation lines in the bleacher section in the old days, the Rizal Memorial can pack as many as 20,000 cramped fans.

�With 12,000 to 13,000 seats (now), not every one can come in,� Rivilla said.

The organizers will also enforce strict security measures, prohibiting items like cigarettes and lighters, laser pens and pointers, balloons, candles, fireworks and pyrotechnics, alcohol, illegal drugs, large chains, bracelets, wallet chains and metal buckles, glass bottles, PET bottles, cans and large plastic containers.

Umbrellas would likely be disallowed, so those at the bleachers section would be exposed if its pours.

�We encourage people to bring raincoats and hats. We discourage bringing of umbrellas because it would block the viewing and also for safety purposes,� Rivilla said.

Renovations and preparations of the hosting at Rizal are in full swing while the Azkals are stepping up on their training in Duren, Germany.

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You Can Stick Your Five Points

Hougang United fans pride themselves on their ability to bring English style chanting to the Singapore game. Well, last night at Toa Payoh Stadium they missed out on a goody. Days after the Football Association had slapped a number of fines and suspensions on the club for their role in the recent brawl with players from Etoile the small band pf away fans should have been raising the roof with vitriol aimed at the FA for the perceived injustice meted out the other day.

If humanity has achieved anything after our 2,000 years on this poncey rock it's how to play the victim card. And, thanks to an omnipresent media, it's a card we deal time and time again.

Football clubs do it all the time. George Graham in his Arsenal days played it all the time. And with good reason considering the bias towards certain teams in them days. It continues now. Jose Mourinho loves playing the victime. Even Sir Alex Ferguson has been known to bleat about how things are so unfair on the odd, very odd, occasion a ref gives a decision the grate one desires.

But this is Singapore and people here are so polite.

Maybe the Hougang players, unfortunately nicknamed The Cheetahs, had been stoked up with injustice. Certainly they went for the Balestier jugular from the get go and ended up with a stunning 4-2 victory, their crucial game winning goals coming right at the death of a vaguely entertaining game.

Jordan Webb gave the visitors the lead in the first half. Two goals in three second half minutes by Mark McGeogh gave the home team the advantage, an advantage they enjoyed for fully four minutes before Carlos Delgado equalised on 69 minutes.

The veteran Noor Ali and Jordan Webb with his second in injury time made sure the points headed north east.

When known as Sengkang Punggol Hougang rarely troubled anyone. Goals were like a whale's pregnancy and defeats were like grass. Everywhere. Not now. They sit 7th, even after losing five points. Jordan Webb has scored nine of their 29, yes 29, goals. Only Home United, Tampines Rovers, Albirex Niigata and SAFFC have scored more halfway through the season.

The problem for The Cheetahs, apart from their ridiculous nickname, is at the other end. They have shipped 29 goals, only Balestier Khalsa, Tanjong Pagar and Woodlands Wellington have conceded more.

But 58 goals in 16 games!