Behind the scenes with the Loyola Meralco Sparks in Singapore
It's four p.m. on a Sunday in Singapore, gameday for the Loyola Meralco Sparks. In a few hours they clash with Harimau Muda B in the first round of the 2013 RHB Singapore Cup.
The team is huddled in a conference room in the quaint Albert Court Hotel in Singapore, their bellies stuffed with the requested pre-game meal, spaghetti.
Team manager Carlo Rodriguez shows them a short power point presentation with a few reminders; play with desire, and “win or lose, we do it as a team.”
Another slide shows a picture of Fil-Austrian David Alaba of Bayern Munich, waving the Philippine flag after his team had beaten Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final around ten hours earlier.
“Later, I hope we raise that same flag” says Rodriguez.
Next it's coach Vince Santos' turn to speak. He reveals the starting eleven for the day, with Jeong-Byeong-yeol, usually an attacking player, dropped back into central defense in place of the injured Rodrigue Nembot, who does not travel with the club.
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PJ Fadrigalan, centerback against Nomads when they drew 2-2, is shifted over to right back. Jang Jo Woong is the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation, just above Phil Younghusband.
Santos, in a crisp blue shirt and khakis, gives his simple instructions; share the ball and keep shape.
Minutes later the team piles into the bus for the short ride to Jalan Besar stadium.
Mark and Matthew Hartmann horse around with staffer Louie Potenciano, grabbing the logo on the chest of his shirt.
In the back Roxy Dorlas, born in the Netherlands, and Angelo Marasigan, born in Belgium, banter in Dutch.
The atmosphere is loose and light as Simon Greatwich grabs Freddy Gonzalez' camera and snaps a few pics of his team mates. Gonzalez is nursing the posterior cruciate ligament of his left knee, injured earlier in the UFL league season. But he travels with the team armed with his DSLR and a gigantic 400mm f/2.8 lens to take action pics of the club.
During the team meeting he tells his team mates “you better win. I want to play in the next round.”
A victory means the Sparks play in the quarterfinals in July, a two-legged series.
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As the bus wheels away Mark and Jang discuss their roles in the center of the pitch. Jang's English is halting, but he and Mark find a way to be on the same page.
We arrive in the stadium and I part ways with the team, going up to the media bureau.
The game kicks off and Loyola takes the lead with Phil's penalty eighteen minutes in. On the play defender Ashmawi Yakin is sent off for his last-man challenge on Phil. The loss is devastating for the young Malaysians, and they are never able to recover.
Jang makes it 2-0 late in the first half and celebrates by making what looks like a McDonald's “m” on top of his head with his arms.
All throughout the game I hear Rick Olivares beside me, counting the Sparks' completed passes, his voice like a metronome. Loyola comprehensively dominates possession all throughout the game.
Harimau Muda run out of ideas in the end and are reduced to ineffective long shots that do not bother Sparks keeper Ref Cuaresma.
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Phil's second goal, off some terrific work from energetic sub Jake Morallo, seals it. Final score, Loyola 3, Harimau Muda B 0.
I scamper down to the field to chat with the boys. I notice that the heavy rain earlier has softened Jalan Besar's usually firm ground.
Phil is sitting on the turf and explains that on the penalty he was fouled very hard with a kick on his thigh. “If he hit me lower, like on my knee, it would have really hurt” he says.
Jang is jubilant that he has scored for his club. When I ask him how he feels, he says “it's like my birthday.”
Freddy motions him over and shows him some pics of him unloading his right foot on his goal. Some of the takes are gorgeous, and I tell Jang that one of them can be his Facebook profile for life.
Morallo tells me that the third goal, which came off his deflected pass, was “swerte lang.”
There's a team photo, and Jeong, who was subbed out with cramps, is hoisted into the picture on his chair.
Fifteen minutes later I'm outside beside the team bus, waiting for the team to exit the locker room and start the ride back to the hotel. I'm not alone.
A throng of Pinoy fans, mostly female is there as well. I meet a bunch of expat Pinoys who say they watched every Sparks game from last year's semifinal run.
Freddy exits and has some pics taken with the fans. Ditto for Matt and Mark.
Sparks' Dumaguete contingent, Morallo, Jayson Cutamora, Cuaresma, and Alex Elnar, have a special guest. Wouter Delbaere, a Belgian national who was raised in Dumaguete and played alongside them in Silliman University, is there to see his old buddies. Wouter, now working in Singapore, is a curious sight, tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed, and completely fluent in Cebuano. The Negrenses smuggle him into the bus.
The night air is suddenly pierced by a few female shrieks. The Younghusbands have arrived. James and Phil work the line of Pinoy fans, shaking hands, mugging for shots, and saying thanks. One lucky girl gets a beso from Phil and seems to almost faint.
In case you're wondering, The Harimau Muda bus is right beside the Sparks bus. There were no fans waiting for them, and they file into their vehicle silently and speed off.
Moments later we are on our way back to the hotel too. Phil has received a gift from a fan, a framed caricature. Phil says he is used to the attention, and must greet each and every fan. “If you miss one they sometimes get upset” he adds.
The boys are raving about Sarkunan Vikneswaran, the left back of Harimau Muda who made a piercing run and shot that threatened the Pinoys in the first half. We only learn afterwards that Vikneswaran was a late replacement on the starting eleven for Syawal Nordin, who hurt himself in the pre-game warmup
As we reach the hotel we troop to the nearby Shish Mahal North Indian restauarant, where a sumptuous Indian buffet meal awaits. We all gorge ourselves on Korma, Paneer, Tandoori chicken, and Basmati rice.
The victory is won but there will be no partying. It's a Sunday, nightspots are closed, and the boys are exhausted.
Loyola is triumphant tonight, but in two months they return for yet another challenge in the Singapore Cup.
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
