Next stage

While we celebrate the fact that the Philippine Azkals are advancing to the next stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup, I would say that yesterday’s game, which we lost to Mongolia was a major disappointment.

The Azkals went to Mongolia with a 2-0 advantage after winning the first of their two-game match with Mongolia in Bacolod last month. The 2-0 cushion may seem huge, but after Mongolia went 2-1 at the half of yesterday’s game, that advantage was as flimsy as negligee.

There were also a lot of chances for the Azkals, but then there were times when somebody who would have had a better chance did not get the ball and maybe it was also because of our team’s lack of opportunities to play on artificial turf, which made it difficult for them to play in the surface in Mongolia.

It was a good thing that Mongolia could not anymore find the mark in the second half and the host team needed at least two more goals to oust the Filipinos.

To the uneducated about how such matches go, the team with the higher total score from both games would move on. Had the Mongolians defeated the Azkals 3-1, the Philippines would still have advanced because of an away goal that was scored. An away goal is one that the team scores on the opponent’s field.

But, had it been 4-1 for Mongolia, the Azkals would have gone home without the group stage to think of.

With the group stage coming next, the Azkals are up for a bigger challenge against Palestine, Myanmar, and Bangladesh.

Myanmar and Bangladesh may be countries that are poorer than the Philippines and Palestine is strife torn, but football is something that they spend a lot of time and money on in their countries unlike ours.

Let us not waver on our support for the Azkals and keep on praying and hoping that the team’s new-found fame would not get in the way of their success in the international stage.

We can’t speak of our chances of making it to the World Cup just yet, but we can always dream and work on that goal to be in the biggest single sporting event in the world.

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What would have been called the Oblation Fun Run (with clothes on) will now be the Run UP High, an event organized by the alumni association of the University of the Philippines Cebu College High School.

From the initial information that I received, the event is set on May 1 and the distances will be 12 kilometers, 6-K, and 3-K. There are also proposed fun events like the barkada run where four people tied to each other would be part of the race and the costume competition.

I would like the organizers to finalize the registration fees first before I announce anything and also the registration centers.

The start and finish line of the race will be at the UP campus in Lahug near the Oblation.

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The Cebu golf community lost one of its nicest members last Sunday – Eduardo ‘Joni’ Cimafranca, Jr.

Joni’s remains now lie at the chapel beside the Sacred Heart Parish Church. 

Please say a prayer for his soul.

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MILESTONES: Belated happy birthday greetings go to Richelle Cuenca-Cobar, Ma. Stella Bacon-Gonzales, and The Freeman’s Joeberth Ocao, who turned a year older last Monday.

The same goes to Lilibeth Ducut-Abais, Joyce Sosoban, and Ka Bino Guerrero, who celebrated yesterday.

Today’s greetings go to Alvin Guangco, Gia Reformina-Abellana, Joe Espiritu, GMA’s Jun Veliganio, Grace Quisido, and the popular Inday Misyel of Banat News.

More power to all of you! - THE FREEMAN