Tryouts for U-19 football team set

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is opening its doors to players from all over the country in open tryouts for the national under-19 squad competing at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) youth championships in Myanmar this September.

No Philippine team has ever won the AFF crown since the tournament made its debut in 2002. Australia has so far claimed three titles, Thailand two and Vietnam and Myanmar one each. The Philippines has yet to host the annual championships. Vietnam has hosted thrice, Thailand twice and Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia once apiece. Myanmar is staging its first AFF under-19 meet, where Australia is the defending champion, this year.

PFF president Mariano Araneta has designated Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) president Charlie Cojuangco national under-19 team manager. Coach is former Uruguay premier league pro Maor Rozen who has been involved in Cojuangco’s grassroots football program since 2008.

The tryouts will also be the basis for the selection of players for the under-23 and senior teams in the next few years. At the moment, the technical staff will zero in on the most outstanding under-19 players. Eligible are players born on or after Jan, 1, 1993. There will be tryouts held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Players must bring a copy of their birth certificate when they show up for the trials.

The first Luzon tryout is scheduled 9 a.m. this Sunday at the Tarlac Recreational Center with Football Association of Tarlac president Glenn Caricativo coordinating the event. Then, there will be tryouts at 2:30 p.m. on Monday at the University of Makati football field and on Tuesday, also at 2:30 p.m. at the Ateneo de Manila University-Erenchun football field. Both Monday and Tuesday tryouts are coordinated by National Capital Region Football Association general secretary Jerry Ngo.

In the Visayas, there will be three sites for multiple tryouts. Iloilo will host tryouts on Thursday, March 17, and Friday, March 18, both starting 2:30 p.m. at the Iloilo Sports Complex through Iloilo Football Association general secretary Engineer Duffie Botavara. Bacolod will stage tryouts on Saturday, March 19, at 2:30 p.m. in the Panaad Stadium and on Sunday, March 20, at 8:30 a.m., also in the Panaad Stadium. NOFA general secretary Paulline Javellona is coordinating both tryouts. Cebu will host tryouts on Thursday, March 24, and Friday, March 25, both starting 2:30 p.m. at the Aboitiz Field with Cebu Football Association president Richard Montayre coordinating.

In Mindanao, tryouts will be held in Bukidnon and Davao. Bukidnon will host tryouts on Saturday, March 26, at 2:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 27, at 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., all at the Philips Football Field. Bukidnon Football Association general secretary Francis Joseph Rizon is organizing the tryouts. Davao will host tryouts on Monday, March 28, and Tuesday, March 29, both starting 4:30 p.m. at the Tionko Field Bolton Riverside with Davao Football Association general secretary Erwin Protacion at the helm.

For inquiries, interested parties may contact K. C. Hernandez at the PFF office, Tel. No. 571-2871, or via email [email protected] or [email protected].

Rozen, 49, is the perfect choice as national coach. He drafted a developmental plan for under-11 to under-17 players with a timetable of up to 2012 and has traveled in the countryside extensively to promote the world’s most popular sport. Rozen has gone as far as Baler, Aurora, to preach the gospel of football to the youth. In past years, he has conducted football camps in Israel, Ireland, Brazil, Germany and Spain.

Rozen once said he is partial to developing a grassroots program because “you don’t build a house from the roof but you start from the basement.” He added, “I like working on the ground, on the field – that’s my specialty...without kids playing, there is no future for football.”

Rozen, who lives in Cadiz, Spain, piloted the Union Football Club to the Final Four of the United Football League last season. Union was unbeaten until it lost, 4-3, in a penalty shootout in the semifinals to Air Force bannered by the Azkals’ Ian Araneta and Chieffy Caligdong.

Rozen came to the Philippines in 2008 with three Spanish coaches on the invitation of Sen. Edgardo Angara. Sen. Angara and Cojuangco tied up to bring the coaches over. The visitors went to Baler and Bacolod to conduct seminars, workshops and clinics for coaches and football players in the 8-18 age bracket.

One of the Spanish coaches, Palo Garcia Bombarelli, pointed out that a Filipino, Paulino Alcantara of Iloilo, was once a star striker for the Barcelona Football Club. Alcantara played 15 years in Spain and retired in 1927 as Barcelona’s all-time goal scorer.

“We call the best scorer in football ‘pechichi’ which is how Alcantara was known,” said Bombarelli. “It’s time the Philippines develops another ‘pechichi.’”

No doubt, Rozen hopes to find more “pechichis” in the nation-wide tryouts for the under-19 selection.