Football’s tipping point

Football in the Philippines has climbed in popularity in the last five years, ever since the ASEAN Football Federation Championship – now known as the AFF Suzuki Cup – was first broadcast live by ABS-CBN. After that first surprise and surprising exposure, the sport gained validation, and those who played it were united in the knowledge that they were not alone. Those who loved and appreciated the game in the Visayas found kindred spirits in Metro Manila and its environs, and those who grew up playing soccer in Mindanao felt a part of something larger. It is, after all, one of the most played sports at the youth level, particularly for children 12 years old and below.

But that first taste of what the Philippine Azkals were capable of also revealed many things about the sport. The first broadcast contract was supposed to contact a reciprocal agreement should the Philippines host its succeeding matches in the tournament. However, it was only after the first telecast that evening in December 2010 that it was discovered that there were no pitches that reached international standards. Since then, only Rizal Memorial in Manila, Panaad in Negros and the new outdoor Philippine Arena pitch are suitable. One is archaic, the second quite far, and the third perhaps too massive. But it’s better than not having any place to play in at all.

One good thing about the boom that began in 2010 is that it made the players recognizable. The entire country became familiar with names like Younghusband, Caligdong, Etheridge and Schrock. They earned endorsements and jobs, and their presence and recognizability gave impetus to the creation of the United Football League (UFL). Crowds started appreciating the sport more than the machine-gun scoring festival that our staples basketball, boxing and billiards were. Gradually, the market grew, and fans began to deepened their understanding of the sport. A core audience found the excitement in a 0-0 draw as they did in a 100-99 basketball shootout. 

Now though, football is at a crossroads. The high of 2011 to 2012 has plateaued. Some of the names that helped catapult the game back into the public’s conscience are no longer there or on the brink of retirement. Who will the next heroes be, and will they be able to court the public’s fancy?

“We hope that through our corporate sponsorship, we can help develop players and teams that can compete in the international level,” admits Al Panlilio, chairman of the Meralco Loyola Sparks in the UFL. “I think that Filipinos really want to understand the game more. “But to get there we need to build proper facilities, invest on coaching development and referee training. Have a comprehensive national player improvement program both tactically and physically from the grassroots up.”

Though the Azkals have climbed to the best in Southeast Asia, the question is how much farther can they go? Where do you strike the balance between leaning heavily of Fil-Foreign recruits and homegrown players, and are the local talents strong enough to carry the bulk of the load on their own?

“At the end of the day, the question is winning,” explains football analyst Mikee Carrion. “In the beginning, it was great because they kept winning. But other teams are also getting stronger. And who wants to watch a losing team?”

Perhaps a look at past sports trends can also serve as a cautionary tale. In the last five years, badminton went up, then down in popularity, hitting a plateau of its own. Approximately half of the venues that offered badminton within Metro Manila no longer operate. Some of the properties were sold. Some realized that they were only earning from 6 to 10 in the evening. Some players got tired and tried something else. Some got injured from all the pivoting, stopping and sprinting which are main features of the game. There is still a strong core that plays regularly, but it is no longer the mad fad it was a few years ago.

Running, for its part, is in its second boom after becoming a trendy sport from the late 1970’s to the early 1980’s. All over the country, people have made running middle and long distances a way of life. The challenge now is how to keep the sport from becoming boring, since the runners get stronger as they keep competing. Now you see odd distances like 12 to 15 kilometers, or time limits on shorter distances. If not handled properly, running will start to dial back until it, too, simply maintains a core audience. Which direction it takes we will likely see in the next three years or so.

“It’s not just a fad,” says television commentator and writer Bob Guerrero in the sport’s defense. “Football has been in the Philippines for over a century. It won’t go away. There are communities all over the Philippines that have the passion for the game. It just needs to be nurtured.”

All indications are that national coach Tom Dooley is doing the right thing, there is more movement, better strategy, and improved scouting. Dooley tirelessly watches games of both the first and second division of the UFL, and is elevating the level of his local players, slowly giving them more responsibility in international matches. The only question remaining is how patient the audiences will be as football tries to make the next big leap forward.

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