16,000-seat Rizal football field ready for Azkals match

Manila, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the orderly and successful staging of the much-awaited Phl-Sri Lanka FIFA World Cup Qualifying football match on July 3 at the Rizal Memorial football stadium.

“Everything is on schedule,” said PSC chair Richie Garcia. “The bleacher in the covered area and the seats are almost done and it can accommodate people there.”

The newly refurbished former track and field oval can house some 15,000-16,000 fans.

“We will close the field perhaps for a week or more for us to make the grass greener. We’ve also installed several restrooms as well as some 50 portalets (portable toilets) in and outside the venue,” Garcia said.

He also said traffic and parking won’t pose a problem.

“We’re coordinating with the local government as well as the police because of traffic and parking concerns and maybe we can close the traffic in some areas of Vito Cruz and Adriatico,” said Garcia.

Rizal Memorial has never hosted an event of this magnitude since the country hosted the 1991 and 2005 Southeast Asian Games editions with the PSC bracing for a record crowd.

The July 3 match is the second of the two home-and-away games between the Azkals and the Lions starting on June 29 in Sri Lankan capital Colombo with the winner advancing to the next round against powerhouse Kuwait.

“All in all, we’re doing whatever we can to make it a memorable experience to everyone,” said Garcia.

The Azkals are in Germany for tune-up games against top level teams and are expected to reach peak form in time for the event.