New Azkals GK Deyto savors his moment in the spotlight
It was a late February day and Green Archers United's goalie, Patrick Deyto was driving to Asian Hospital to have his eye checked. A a tiny vein had burst due to excessive coughing, causing a small red dot beside his pupil. But it was nothing serious.
Deyto wasn't called up to the Azkals' trip to Malaysia and Dubai, and was looking forward to a restful weekend without Football. It would be the perfect respite for a body suffering from some minor niggles here and there. Par for the course for a pro Footballer.
Then suddenly his phone rings. And his weekend, and in fact his whole life, changed forever.
It was Jaron Genota of the Azkals management. Come to the PFF ASAP, he implored, while presenting a list of requirements for a UAE visa. He was needed for the friendlies.
It turns out Ed Sacapaño didn't receive his clearance from the Philippine Army in time, and therefore the team lacked a keeper.
“I was shocked. I didn't know what to do” admitted Deyto. “But I couldn't say no, even if I wasn't sure I was going to play.”
Lately Deyto had been unsure of his place with the national team.
“To be honest with you, I had been in and out of the team for a year, always as a backup. I really had my doubts if I could play in the International stage, or am I meant just to play Philippine club Football? I was beginning to question myself if the chance would really come. There was a point I wasn't really expecting to play anymore.”
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Deyto had been a great keeper for DLSU in UAAP. He' d been superb at club level for GAU and was first choice in Brian Reid's stillborn U23 squad. But the questions remained: did he have the chops to perform in the heat of senior international pressure?
Two years ago, before a UAAP game Deyto told me about his first taste of Azkals life.
"The first time I trained with them, I was overwhelmed” he admitted. “Especially by the shots of the overseas-born Pinoys.”
Might he still be over-awed today? Flash-forward back to February 2014.
“I got to the airport and saw Nick (O'Donnell) there and no Eduard (Sacapaño)” continues Deyto. “But I really didn't even consider myself a favorite to play. Nick was playing well (for Kaya). A day before we left he kept a clean sheet against Global. He had been training with the national team more than me. Our (Archers) training had always conflicted with Azkals training.”
“But I thought I had a decent chance of playing.”
Sure enough, Azkals coach announced the night before the Malaysia game that the more experienced Deyto would get the nod over O'Donnell. The butterflies soon began to take flight in the goalie's stomach.
“From the night before to the game day, it was torture for me” confessed Deyto. “I was so nervous the whole time. I was probably praying every five hours.”
“I knew Malaysia was a good team. We are ranked higher than them but it doesn't reflect how good they are. I didn't know what to expect. I just kept telling myself to do my best. That's the only thing I can control. Whatever the result is, it's meant to be.”
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“Chris (Greatwich), Rob (Gier), and Simon (Greatwich), all encouraged me. They told me to treat this like a normal league game. It was a short message from them but it made a big difference for me. Neil Etheridge also encouraged me via Instagram. It was a real confidence booster for me. I really look up to him even though we're the same age.” (In fact, Deyto and Etheridge are just weeks apart in age.)
The coach was similarly helpful. “Dooley told me to just to play my game. You have a good team in front of you, don't be nervous, plus some other technical stuff.”
“The atmosphere in the stadium was the best I'd ever seen. Similar to Indonesia. The atmosphere was like, wow. I mean you can pack Rizal Memorial, but they (the Malaysians) were singing, jumping, cheering for 90 minutes. It's really different. It's something hopefully the Philippines will be able to achieve in a few years time.”
Deyto saw the Malaysians hit his goal frame three times in the first half. But in the second half, it was his gloves, and not the woodwork, repulsing the attempts from the Harimau Malaya. First Bobby Gonzales was denied, then a fierce strike by Baddrol Bakhtiar was ushered to safety over the crossbar.
“The first one wasn't that hard. It was by the near post so I really should've gotten it. The second one, I dunno what happened. I think it hit my hand more than me actually saving it” says Deyto with a grin.
But if you check the footage it's clear Patrick reacted to the shot.
Deyto is thankful for the role that centerback Gier played during his debut.
“Every game he'd give me constant reminders, little reminders, like 'keep talking' and when to come out. And he'd also keep complimenting me whenever I'd do something good. It was really big. He was really influential.”
After the whistle sounded Deyto could celebrate at last. In his first full International senior cap for the Azkals he had earned a clean sheet in a hostile environment against a tough team. He had joined the pantheon of homegrown Filipino goalkeepers who had excelled in international play. He could at last be mentioned in the same breath as Nonoy Carpio, Melo Sabacan, Rely San Agustin, Tats Mercado, Michael Louie Casas, and Eduard Sacapaño.
“I was happy to get the save and the draw but the credit should go to the whole team. The team played really well considering we only trained a few times. We weren't even complete during training. And it was a new coach and a new system.”
Once Deyto opened his Facebook he faced a deluge of notifications, more than he could count.
“I had never experienced anything like that in my life. It was nice that a lot of people saw the game and sent me congratulations. It was unbelievable. I was really happy and proud.”
Four days later he started against Azerbaijan as well because Roland Müller fell ill and didn't make the trip. Unfortunately there would be no clean sheet as Elvin Yunuszade nodded past him in the first half.
At first Deyto thought he should have stopped the header. But once he saw the goal in youtube, he felt differently about the glancing header into the corner.
“It was really a good goal. A hard shot to deal with.”
The rest of the game was anticlimactic.
“I was just a spectator, especially in the second half. I didn't even touch the ball that much.”
One footnote in the match against Azerbaijan: the team had no backup goalie.
“We never talked about a backup goalie. I think OJ (Porteria) made a joke that he was going to be the backup. I didn't even think I was going to get injured in the game.”
At any rate, Deyto is comfortable with the new regime and like what he sees from the German-American coach.
“I think coach Dooley is really influencing the way we play significantly.”
The coach also has specific instructions for his keepers.
“He doesn't want me to give long balls. He wants me to play from the back. He wants me to be quicker in releasing the ball. Even if there's pressure he wants me to give the ball to the defenders because we know everyone in the team is technically good. We can get out of any situation.”
Might there be another Patrick Deyto in the pipeline? The goalie is hopeful.
“Now with better coaches and facilities a lot of local keepers have a good chance of making it to the national team. They just need to keep improving every day and be patient about it.”
After we concluded the interview in Emperador Stadium, Deyto kitted up and took the field for Green Archers against Kaya. Thanks in part to a few good saves, United prevailed 3-2 in the biggest win of the season for the club.
Patrick Deyto has finally broken through in the national team. And it seems that even if Neil and Roland aren't available, we'll be in good hands.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
