Pinoys urged to cheer for Azkals

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada asked yesterday Filipinos to cheer for the Azkals, the Philippine national football team during the semifinal against Thailand at the Rizal Memorial Stadium this weekend.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Azkals are showing the world the best in Filipino athleticism, skill and determination.

“Fight all the way and win!” he said. “We are cheering them from the sidelines and hoping for a victory.” 

Estrada said Filipinos have a bigger chance in football as it does not require height.

“We wish them well,” he said.

“We hope that they will win the game to give the Filipino people a chance in the international scene on football.

“I hope that they will get the championship. We hope that they will become champions.”

Azkals manager Dan Palami urged President Aquino and the public to support their team and fill the Rizal Memorial Stadium “with a sea of white” tomorrow.

It is the first of two home-and-away AFF Suzuki semifinal games against Thailand.

Palami expressed hope that Aquino and other government officials could take time out of their busy schedules to watch the game.

“We know the President is very busy, and we would understand if he can’t make it; but if he could watch our match against Thailand, it would be a fantastic boost for the team,” he said.

Palami said he hopes Aquino would be at the game to cheer the Azkals.

“In fact, one of the team’s most cherished memories is going to Malacañang in 2010 after the Miracle in Hanoi,” he said.

The “Miracle in Hanoi” refers to the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup game when the Philippines side beat Vietnam 2-0.

It was a match widely acknowledged to have changed the face of Filipino football.

Palami said he expects a challenging match for the Azkals which finished second in their group after the first round of the AFF Suzuki cup.

The Azkals impressed many observers with two big victories – a 4-1 trouncing of Laos and a 4-0 rout of Indonesia – before bowing to host Vietnam.

Despite the loss, the Azkals have made it to the final four of the AFF Suzuki Cup for the third straight time, and now face Thailand to determine who advances to the finals of the biennial football competition organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF), accredited by FIFA and contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia.

This year’s participants include seeded teams Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as qualifiers Myanmar and Laos. –Delon Porcalla, Jose Rodel Clapano