A chat with the newest Azkal, Javier Patiño

I've spent bits of the last few days flexing my Spanish language muscles with Javier Patiño, the Fil-Spanish striker who will suit up for the Azkals.

We're sitting in the PFF offices. He's dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans. There's a birthday blowout and some wicked callos being served, but Patiño passes on it. He says he's had a big breakfast and isn't hungry.

He and Rafa Garcia, the team's Spanish translator have dropped by after fixing his papers. He gets his Filipino passport soon.

Patiño plays for Cordoba in the Spanish second division, of Liga Adelante, which is a tier below the primera division where the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona lurk. You can see him score a goal for the Andalusians in this Youtube clip.

ALSO READ: UFL: Global stays perfect, Kaya and Nomads draw.

However recently he was loaned out to Xerez, which is in the same league but languishing in the bottom of the table.

Patiño says he has struck three times in about twenty games this season. He is a forward who can play either second (withdrawn) striker or target man (first striker.) If he plays up top he becomes an ideal compliment to Phil Younghusband, who is more of a withdrawn striker and is not known as an aerial threat.

The forward has just turned 25 (on Valentine's day, according to wikipedia), so he is nearing the prime of his career. He turned pro at the age of 23 after playing semi pro ball.

Patiño is the son of Cristina Lachica Patiño from Cebu. He says she was just back home in the Philippines last year visiting. She is a household helper and his father is a cook.

By coincidence his uncle used to be the family driver of my friends GB, Ted and Pat Uytioco.

ALSO : Dwight Howard made fun of Kobe Bryant in the All-Star Locker room, according to report.

Patiño was born in the Madrid suburb of San Sebastian de los Reyes. After high school he studied electronics in what he seems to describe as junior college, before setting out on his Football career.

He watched Tuesday's UFL game between Kaya and Nomads and says that the standard is about the same as a regional league in Spain.

The striker says he has also played with one of the Spaniards in Stallion when he played in their league, the Tercera Division. That league is actually the fourth tier of Football in Spain, since there is a Segunda Division B.

Patiño is a big Real Madrid fan, although his encounter with Spanish Football royalty came with Barcelona.

ALSO READ: Pacquiao-Marquez V may be decided over dinner this week.

A few months ago Cordoba squared off with the Catalans in the Copa Del Rey, Spain's biggest Cup competition. In the home leg Cordoba fell 2-0, with Patiño narrowly missing a shot at goal.

The return leg in the Nou Camp was a different story: the Blaugrana annihilated them 5-0.

Patiño digs out a pic in his iPhone. It's a postmatch shot of Barca star Lionel Messi. To the great man's left is Patiño, with his back turned. You can see his Cordoba number 9 on the green and white striped shirt and “Patiño on top.

“Es un super-hombre. Esta en un otro mundo” says Patiño of the Argentinian great.

Patiño is surprised to learn that the all-time leading scorer of Barcelona is a Fil-Spaniard like him, the great Paulino Alcantara. I think, although I'm not sure, he says in Spanish that he will look it up.

I tell him about Filipino Football as well. Our struggles with pitches and how the sport has grown recently.

ALSO READ: 14 ideas to make the UFL more awesome, Part 2.

I tell him that once upon a time, most of the National team players hailed from one small town, Barotac Nuevo. PFF president Nonong Araneta is beside me and he says that when he played for the national team, seven of the eleven starters were Barotacnons.

I recount a story about the last time me and sir Nonong were together in Barotac and how a late afternoon game was briefly interrupted for 6 pm prayers. Once the prayers were done, the players got right back into the action. He reacts with a look of bemusement and incredulity.

Patiño says he doesn't play any other sports but that in his spare time repairs to his Playstation for FIFA action (always as Real Madrid) and for Call Of Duty.

In case you're wondering, yes, he is very much taken, with a girfriend who is a grade school teacher. I kid him that “tenemos que decir esto para que las mujeres aqui no tengan esperanza.” (we need to say this so that the ladies here won't hope.)

We talk about the moribund Spanish economy and how jobs are hard to come by. He says banks have started to kick people out of their homes, presumably because they are unable to handle their mortgages.

The newest Azkal says his club supports him being called up to the team and that they could even let him play even when games don't fall on FIFA International matchdays.

Patiño is due back on March 19, three days before the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers begin. The Azkals face Brunei, Cambodia, and Turkmenistan.

But aside from his newfound Azkal dreams, Patiño has another ambition: to play in the primera division of La Liga, where he will ply his trade against the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on a regular basis.

“No hay nada imposible” he affirms. Nothing is impossible.

Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333. Follow Javier @JaviPati9.