Azkals on a high below zero

MANILA, Philippines - The Azkals felt good training under zero degree weather yesterday in Gotemba, Japan.

 “It’s cold but amazing. Cozy place, great soccer complex and great food,” said defender Anton del Rosario on his Twitter account.

“But no wifi,” added the 28-year-old from California.

Team captain Aly Borromeo also talked about the absence of wifi in their training quarters located near the foot of Mt. Fuji.

“We are in the boondocks four hours away from Tokyo. No wifi around here and you would’ve thought a country like this would have wifi everywhere,” he said on Twitter.

But seriously, Borromeo said everything went well on their first day of training in Gotemba as they geared up for their March 15 match in Mongolia.

“Zero degree at practice earlier. All the boys didn’t seem to mind the cold too much,” added Borromeo.

The Azkals arrived in Narita the other night and took a 174 km ride to Gotemba where they will stay and train until they depart for Mongolia on March 13.

Team manager Dan Palami posted a team picture taken upon their arrival in Gotemba, with the Azkals all bundled up in their winter clothing.

For most of them, it’s their first time to experience weather this cold. And it only gets tougher in Mongolia, in Ulan Batur, where the weather was minus-11 yesterday.

But to them, it doesn’t really matter anymore.

The match with the Mongolians will be played at 1 p.m., and it won’t make a difference because even at that time the weather will be near freezing point.

It’s the main reason why the Azkals took the trip to Gotemba more than a week before the match in Mongolia.

The Azkals beat the Mongolians at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod last Feb. 9, 2-0, under weather as high as 25 degrees.

To turn things around, the Mongolians must win by a margin of three goals at least. Otherwise, the Azkals advance to the AFC Challenge Cup group stage against Bangladesh, Nepal and Palestine later this month.

Chieffy Caligdong, who scored the opening goal against the Mongolians at Panaad, said the thermal wear provided for the team by their official outfitter Mizuno does help.

 “We’re using it. The team is okay but we’re adjusting to the cold, with some coughing on my part. It’s just too cold out here. New climate,” he said.

Caligdong is also on Twitter.