Why Global should have fielded their Azkals in the UFL Cup semis, plus other musings

Bob Guerrero

Global's Azkals should have played last Tuesday. I have a great relationship with Azkals and Global manager Da Palami. We spoke yesterday on the phone and he told me that his Global Azkals were "itching to play" against Loyola but that "we didn't want to risk injury to our players" going into Thursday's friendly versus Singapore in Cebu. "I also wanted to give a chance to the other players."

As it turned out, from a purely Footballing perspective, the decision was alright, as Global stunned Loyola 2-1 without many of its starters.

Dan Palami deserves a statue outside a stadium one day. All that we are enjoying in the Football community is thanks to his vision. He assembled the 2010 Suzuki Cup Azkals team that captured the hearts of millions, sparking a renaissance in the game in our country.

Everything we enjoy now, from the TV coverage of the UFL, to the SMART Club championships, to the Suzuki U23 championships, to the emergence of the Malditas, the rehabilitation of Rizal Memorial, Turf BGC, the McKinley Hill stadium, the Teen Azkals, the U21 team, the added team (NU) in the UAAP, all can be pretty much traced to the 2010 Suzuki Cup team that he managed and bankrolled.

I'll forever be grateful. And I appreciate his magnanimity. He knows I'll be writing this and is respectful of my opinion.

On this decision, I respectfully disagree with Global not playing their players.

People are lauding Global for "putting country before club" and keeping their players in Cebu. I think that that thinking is both flawed and unhelpful in the long run.

Football in this country needs the UFL. It is technically not the national league, but the league of the National Capital Region. However it is the de facto top tier in the Philippines and is the only one televised nationwide.

The UFL and the Azkals need each other. The Azkals gives the league star power, but the league keeps the Azkals sharp for international duty and helps stoke interest in the game on a regular basis.

The long-term viability of the game in the Philippines rests on the popularity of both the national team and the league. And that is why the Global Azkals needed to be on the field last night.

The UFL needs all the help it can get. There was only one advertiser in last night's TV coverage, Unilever. I wonder how they feel about many of the Azkals not being there. There were only 300 or so fans in the stands. The absence of the Azkals on the Global lineup gave fans one more reason either not to tune in or not to show up. And that is unfortunate.

The UFL Cup is a major, major tournament. It deserves all the respect from all the teams. It should have been a priority. The no-show of the Global Azkals somehow sends a message that the Cup isn't all that important, sort of like what happened when UE bailed on the Unigames final for a competition in Taiwan.

True it would have been a hassle to fly the Global Azkals back to Cebu the day before the Singapore game. But it wouldn't have been impossible, after all the Younghusbands are doing it. And it would have been the right thing to do for the league and for the sport in the long run.

Hopefully this will be another lesson learned, and big club dates like this will be scheduled as far away as possible from International games.

Green Archers United Globe is a team on the rise. The Archers fell just short, losing to Stallion 3-1. But they have nonetheless had an amazing Cup, and the future looks bright.

Dolfo Alicante deserves a Coach of the Year award for taking a club that languished near the bottom of the league to the brink of the UFL Cup Finals.

Green Archers is young and hungry. The nucleus of their attack, Dads Pasinabo and Tating Pasilan are in their prime, aged 26. Pasilan is outrageously quick and Pasinabo is a true Swiss Army Knife player. He is great with either foot and can play off both wings, a rarity in this league.

It's only a matter of time before their goalkeeper, Patrick Deyto, is called up for a full International cap. Ayi Nii Aryee brings quality to the midfield, and with Dom Mensah and Lawrence Ikegwuruka, have tall defenders stationed in the middle.

Look for the Archers to do some major damage in next year's league.

James Younghusband needs to take a chill pill. James' late strike against Global gave the Sparks a glimmer of hope. The right wing is a terrific player who works his tail off in every game. But his on-field histrionics against his team mates are getting old. I've seen it time and time and again; a pass goes awry, or a poor decision is made, and James blows a gasket. His favorite targets: Jake Morallo, Alex Elnar and PJ Fadrigalan.

In my opinion, part of being a professional, part of being a winner, is being able to keep your cool on the park. He needs to learn this valuable leadership skill. No one likes to see a player who is angrily hectoring his team mates on the field during a game.

Except of course, Loyola's opponents.

Monday's game will be a cracker. Global made history with a short handed win for the ages. Now they meet a Stallion team that displayed incredible grit in coming from behind to beat Archers.

Stallion will not enjoy the services of defender Nam Yeul Woo, who was sent off last night. That is a huge loss, because Stallion will for sure bear the brunt of Global's attack.

Monday's game should be a dandy, and it will be better in front of a full Rizal Memorial Stadium. I encourage everyone to watch and to bring friends and family. Last year's Cup final between Air Force and Loyola had a magical atmosphere thanks to a packed grandstand. I hope that scene is replicated on Monday.

You can follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333. Follow the UFL @uflphilippines.

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