Merry Christmas!

"Let us love the Child of Bethlehem. Come souls and love a God who has become a Child, poor and so lovable, in need of our tender love, who has come down from Heaven to give Himself entirely to you. If we but ask for pardon and salvation, He has come to pardon us and save us." - St. Francis of Assisi

Indeed, the birth of Christ is a huge blessing for mankind. Every morning when we awake, is always a miracle of life. One day at a time, God blesses us with the gift of life. Let us all reflect in this season of joy, not only on the material benefits that we have received but on how we have shared and used our blessings. Merry Christmas everyone!

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With the Azkals' magical run in the AFF Suzuki Cup, they have made it to Sports Illustrated's Top Ten Football Stories of 2010. Their 2-0 victory over defending champion Vietnam merited international attention. Not only that, the almost non-existent interest on the team materialized from nowhere. The two semifinal games between Indonesia last week had more viewers glued to the TV than those watching the PBA.

Media coverage almost overwhelmed the Azkals. Our players were interviewed on different news outlets but the funny thing was, as in the case of one giant network claiming to be part of our family, the lady anchor does not seem to know what football is all about. There were several offers for some of the Azkals to play in football leagues in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Again, interviewers were lost in translation. Playing FOR and playing IN are two worlds apart. But, all things considered, Philippine football finally has gained real attention.

Another welcome development is the 2011 AFC Challenge Cup Playoff which we will be hosting on February 9. It will be at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City. The Azkals will play host to the national team of Mongolia. There is a big possibility that a second match will be held in Manila on February 16. To borrow a line from fellow sportswriter Mars Alison, "Yeah! It's football's time to shine!" 

The Azkals, sleeping dogs no more.

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It would be nice to know that one of world's finest footballers in pre-World War II era was born in Iloilo City in 1896. Paulino Alcantara was the first Filipino and Asian to play for a European football club. His father was a Spanish military official and married an Ilongga lady. Alcantara grew up in Spain and at age 15 debuted for FC Barcelona. He played for the club for four years and in that period scored 356 goals in 357 games. His goals helped FC Barcelona to two Catalan championships and one Spanish Cup. Alcantara is the all-time top scorer in FCB's history.

In 1916, he returned to the Philippines and played for Bohemian Sporting Club, leading the team to 2 Philippine championships in 1917 and 1918. In his absence, FC Barcelona failed to win a title.

He played for the PH national team to the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo, eliminating Japan in the semis with a 15-2 victory, the country's biggest win in international football competition.  The team placed second to eventual champion China. Alcantara was selected to represent Spain in the 1920 Olympics but begged off and stayed home to finish his medical studies. He eventually played for Spain in 1921 up to 1923, making five appearances, scoring six goals.

He retired from active competition in 1927, at the age of 31, and concentrated on his medical profession. Alcantara died in 1963 at the age of 67.

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Christmas Day NBA games feature the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. This will be the priciest regular season game with a $552 average ticket price. Tickets sell from $106 to $2,974. Courtside seats start at $7,881. In comparison, the two other scheduled Christmas Day games between Chicago and New York averages $300 a ticket. The Boston-Orlando match averages $256.

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will be debuting Christmas-themed Nike sneakers in this game. I've seen both and LeBron's red shoe looks way better than Kobe's which resembles a neon green frog with shoe laces. Sul-ob ka ani, Jay Panerio? These shoes will be available to the public in mid-January.

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