Your Guide to Pinoy Football in 2015: Part One
Image copyright Bob Guerrero.
Azkals. The big deal this year with the senior national football team is the start of our qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Yes, qualifying starts this early.
Since we are no longer among the weakest teams in Asia, we are directly seeded into the second round. The first round in March will be for the minnows, who will play home and away matches to bring the second round field to forty sides.
The forty will then be divided into eight groups of five via a draw. The teams will then play their group mates in a double-round-robin format, home and away. That means at least four competitive home games for Azkals fans this year, and four more away.
Save the following dates: June 11, June 16, September 3, September 8, October 8, October 13, November 12, and November 17. Those are FIFA international window dates that have been earmarked for World Cup qualifying by the AFC.
The eight group winners and the four best second-placers make it to the third round of qualifying in 2016. These twelve sides also qualify directly to the 2019 Asian Cup final stage.
In case you’re wondering, the twelve in the third round will be partitioned into two groups of six, with the group winners and runners-up punching their tickets to Russia and the two third-placers duking it out in a repechage fourth round, where they play each other home-and-away. The winner of that series will face a team from another confederation in a home-and-away Last Chance Saloon series to make the big dance in 2018. The third and fourth rounds will take place in 2016 and 2017.
The only official FIFA international dates on the AFC calendar before World Cup qualifying are in late March. Expect the Azkals to play games then. I wouldn’t be surprised if we also arrange for matches with other teams outside of the FIFA dates. PFF president Nonong Araneta says that China has invited us for a friendly in China.
No word yet on whether a fourth PFF Peace Cup will be played this year.
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U22/23 Azkals. The Philippines is entering qualifying for the football competition of the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. The Olympics are generally U23 but I believe that they sometimes allow a few overage players per team for the final stage itself.
In late March during the aforementioned FIFA dates the Philippines U22 Azkals will play in Group G of the qualifying stage AFC U23 championship, which will also serve as a qualifier for the Olympic Games. The group winners proceed as well as the five best second-placers. There are ten groups.
Group G will take place in Thailand, with the Pinoys taking on the hosts on March 24, the Koreans two days later, and Cambodia on March 28.
It will be a big challenge to get out of that group. We need to get a result against the baby War Elephants, who could very well trot out Chanathip Songkrasin, who at 21 is still eligible. Then get a reasonable score against DPR and win the last match against Cambodia.
I am no longer a Roman Catholic but I just might offer a sign of the cross before kickoff against Korea DPR.
Fortunately senior Azkals Daisuke Sato, Amani Aguinaldo, Kenshiro Daniels and Paolo Bugas will probably strengthen the side alongside UAAP stalwarts Ian Clarino, Daniel Gadia and Jinggoy Valmayor. I think Global’s Junjun Badelic could have a shot at the starting keeper role. Other players on the radar for the striker spot: former UE standout Fitch Arboleda, and San Beda’s Fil-Englishman Conor Tacagni. Expect a few Fil-Australians to also bolster the squad since the coach is Aussie Jim Fraser.
This bunch will get valuable exposure here in preparation for the 2015 South East Asian Games in Singapore. Thankfully the powers-that-be in Philippine sports appear to be keen on sending a mens football team for this year’s games, unlike the debacle of 2013.
That’s the good news. The bad news? The SEA games is taking place from June 5 to 16, right smack dab in the middle of the FIFA international window when the senior team will likely be playing for a spot in Russia. That sucks royal because team management must decide in which competition the likes of Sato, Daniels, Aguinaldo, Bugas, and Mark Hartmann play. (Hartmann can play in the SEA Games but will be overage for the Olympics.) Of course the flip side is this: more players will get more experience.
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Smart PFF Club Championship. After months of qualifying, we are down to eight clubs in the national championship. (The UFL is technically a tournament in the National Capital Region and is not a nationwide event.)
Ceres will be a favorite to make it three titles in a row, but UFL heavyweights Loyola, Kaya, and Global will challenge them. Laos from Division 2 has also qualified.
The Cinderella teams will be UC-ERCO from Cebu and M'lang FC from the underrated North Cotabato town of M'lang, that produced former Azkal Peter Jaugan. I am hoping that the Anotado twins, Steven and Stephen, get to play for M'lang. Steven has been lighting up the UAAP with UST with half a dozen goals in Season 77 while his brother serves a year of residency with the Tigers before suiting up in Season 78.
The last eight, semifinals and final games will take place from January 22 to 31. I believe that Rizal Memorial will be the likely venue. I’m hoping for some TV coverage.
Coming in Part 2: info on UFL, AFC Cup, UAAP, and more.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
