Anton del Rosario: Far East United made headlines here in TST

MANILA, Philippines – The Cinderella story did not happen for Far East United, but they — the management, coaching staff and the players — made a huge impression in The Soccer Tournament US $1 Million Winner Take All.

“The first step to Far East United being a Cinderella story didn't go as far as we want,” said team founder and defender Anton del Rosario.

“We got fans in the stands after our win against West Ham, and we ended up being one of the headlines of the tournament. Safee Sali is known across Southeast Asia for his scoring and for his goal against West Ham (where he went one versus four then flicked on a sublime goal) to go viral is sweet. It shows the quality of our football here in Southeast Asia,” he added

Far East United defeated West Ham, 4-2, then received a pass to the quarterfinals stage when Dallas United backed out of the tournament following an alleged racist abuse incident.

In the knockout stages, Hapoel Tel Aviv sent the team home with a stirring 2-1 win. 

“We went up against a side that has played in the UEFA Champions League (Hapoel Tel Aviv) and we matched up well against them,” said the team founder of that game. “Nevertheless, we are all proud of our showing here. We gained the respect of everyone. We are looking forward to doing much more.”

Del Rosario liked the partnership with Cordell Broadus, the son of rap star Snoop Dogg who is coming in as a partner for the 7s USA and hopefully according to del Rosario, a partner for Far East United.

“That partnership will open up many doors. I love how this has all come together and now, it is on to the next one.”

It took nine months to organize the team, but they only had their roster mere days before their three-day training camp in Las Vegas.

“This tournament is the biggest soccer tournament in the US after the MLS,” underscored del Rosario of the TST competition.”

It was a star-studded affair with stars like Steve Nash, Cesc Fabregas, the West Ham and Borussia Dortmund sides among others participating.

“It was amazing from the atmosphere, preparation, and to the quality of football. We had top players from all walks of life and all over the world. For us to have a first game against West Ham and turn them around shows that we have the quality and ability to open eyes and turn heads and focus on football in this part of the world. And we can compete at the highest level. We showed up and I cannot be happier. We will put this as an experience of a lifetime. All the players want to come back and we have messages from many more stars in Southeast Asia wanting to join. They all want to start preparing early. This is how much of an impact it had on all our players." 

Far East United was sponsored in part by AIA Philippines.