AZKALS VS MALDIVES

2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier: 2015 AFC Asian Qualifier

Azkals Friendly Was A Prep For World Cup

Azkals has proven to Maldives by the 2-nil win that whether it’s homecourt or visitor, they will and always will dominate the ground.

A friendly match between the Philippine national men’s football team Azkals and the Maldives national football team was held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last Thursday, September 3, 2015.

The Azkals are gearing up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification for the Asian section (Asian Football Confederation or AFC) against Uzbekistan tomorrow, September 8, 8:00PM at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

This is the second time Azkals and Maldives faced each other as they fought over the semis of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in Male, which the Azkals had a victorious win of 3–2 . Meanwhile, Maldives will face China in Beijing for their qualifying match for the 2015 AFC.

Words from Azkals coach Thomas Dooley explained that the team’s friendly matches will be considered as “not friendly” anymore. “For us, it’s a very important game. We’re obviously trying to prepare for the game against Uzbekistan and I’ve told the players that we don’t have friendly games anymore – we take every game seriously, we want to win every game.”

As reported from other media sources, here is a blow-by-blow account of the Azkals-Maldives action that transpired last Thursday:

The first half action saw the Azkals, who are preparing for their World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan next week, hard at work in trying to slice open the Maldives' defense.
The Maldivians fended off four shots from the Azkals, including near goals from Misagh Bahadoran and Patrick Reichelt.

Phil Younghuband later secured a free kick which went on target, but it was deflected by Maldives keeper.

In the second half, the Azkals were able to get a corner, one that sent the ball to the center of the box. Maldivian Mohammed Samdhooh tried to deflect the ball to the opposite direction but instead sent it into their own goal.

This enabled the Philippines to secure a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute.

Seven minutes later, Stephan Schrock sent the ball to the middle of the box and a team mate passed it toward Jerry Lucena. The Danish-Filipino was in perfect position for a header and score the second goal for the Philippines.


It was his second international goal, and his second also against the same team. (The Philippine Star, ABS-CBN News.com)

Uzbeks Crashes Azkals, 5-1

2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier: 2015 AFC Asian Qualifier

Philippine national men’s football team Azkals received a crashing 5-1 loss against Uzbekistan yesterday, September 8, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan, dropping their standing to third in Group H of the World Cup Qualifiers.

The Philippine team were looking at a “bad start” since it took only below 50 seconds for Uzbeks’ midfielder Captain Odil Akhmedov to make the first goal and predict the unfortunate result of the match earlier than expected.

Two other shots escaped towering Azkals goalie Neil Etheridge to make additional goals coming from midfielder Sardor Rashidov and forward Igor Sergeev to establish a 3-0 advantage by halftime in the 43rd minute. Rashidov scored in the 14th minute while Sergeev fired one at the corner at the 65th minute.

Substitutions continued with the Azkals team and all left was Fil-German midfielder Stephan Schrock replacing Sydney-born Iain Ramsay. Schrock shone a ray of light for the Azkals with a successful free kick. Uzbeks goalie Alexander Lobanov failed to block Schrock’s high-looping goal for the Philippine Azkals’ only score of the night at the 65th minute.

Uzbeks’ Rashidov counter-attacked at the 80th minute with his curled ball at the back to finally command the end of the Group H match win 5-1 against the Philippines.
The loss dropped Philippines in the third place; Uzbekistan at the leading position in Group H of World Cup Qualifiers having 9 points with their 1-1, with a win over Yemen and a loss to North Korea. The Azkals’ winning streak was against Bahrain and Yemen, 2-1 and 2-0, respectively. To continue the qualifying match, the Philippine Azkals will have to face DPR Korea on October 8 in Pyongyang. A win would tie their position with North Korea.


Coach Thomas Dooley expressed his dismay saying, “From the first kick, we started in the wrong direction. After that first goal, that first minute, everything that we tried to do was gone". You may say that the Philippines were aiming too high for its dreams and unfortunately, this was a clear indication that the rankings between the two teams is as far as they are geographically. The Philippines is ranked at 125th while Uzbekistan is at 76th; both competing in Group H but Uzbeks is the highest ranked since North Korea at 126th, Bahrain at 112th, and Yemen at 175^th. Some critics dub Group H as Group Death because of the intense action-packed games the teams showed every each match than surely “kill”, if not injure one another.

SABONG in PH: Passion or Vice

When you hear the word sabong, is it still something to be dreaded as illegal, dirty and bloody? Or something to be entertained about and lucrative?

Sabong hits every nerve in the Philippine history. Young or old, rich or poor, educated and less informed, it has been a tag for something illegal or considered as an unhealthy vice. But ask the enthusiasts, they would argue with the fact that this is a healthy and, sometimes, profitable hobby that requires a great deal of attention and money. So as time goes by, sabong has maintained a doubled-edged sword to many Filipinos and it might remain that way forever.

Wikipedia tells the history of cock fighting dating back in the 1600s when George Wilson authored the “earliest known book on the sport of cockfighting” – The Commendation of Cocks and Cock Fighting, 1607 – mentioning “cock of the game” to mean as a sport or entertainment using “cock” to represent “game”. It has also been considered as one of the world’s oldest spectator sport because of evidences found in Persia (now knows as Iran) 6,000 years ago. But Filipinos know well, or at least to the knowledgeable and enthusiastic, that sabong in the Philippines started when Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish troupes arrived in the 1520s.

Not only in the Philippines or the Spanish-speaking countries is sabong acknowledged as a legal blood sport but as well as in the other Eastern Countries of India and China. Greeks, Romans, Europeans, and North and South Americans can all agree to have been in-love with this sport.

So passionate that there has been tons of variations in this sport across the globe. From the weapon to the season, to the arenas and the prizes, and even legality and basis for the game. For instance, the weapon were talking about is the one placed at the heel of the fighting bird. It started with metal spurs or knives, which are called gaffs, and replaced with small rubber globes, more like a boxing glove, to protect the bird and its owner since gaffs are much more “life threatening”. Another deviation is the season of fighting – some organize the match during colder or hotter months to assure high potency in fighting thus higher entertainment. The so-called arenas are either make-shift in small villages whenever there is a fiesta or just a bet with friends or a bigger venue such as a coliseum where hundreds of sulatadas can be accommodated. With regards to basis for the game, usually it’s entertainment. But now, most especially in the Philippines, it’s regarded as an investment so rooster raisers take this sport very seriously and not to be entertained but to win and get richer.

It has been reported that cockfighting in our county is a big business and by big, we mean billions of pesos. Multinational companies and corporations support sabong in different forms such as feeding products, supplements, other breeders’ supplies, and even sponsoring a major derby event. Some sabungeros, a cock fighter breeder or owner, have farms to tend to pedigree breeds. Yes, pedigree breeds ONLY. Based on research, almost all the cock fighting roosters are of foreign breeds so you can actually assume that it needs high standards of TLC. That is also why being in the business of sabong is a big risk.

The legality of the sport is backed up with national declarations since the 1980s (establishment of Philippine Gamefowl Commission by the Presidential Decree 1802) and later in the 1990s, the Omnibus Local Government Code of 1991 abolished the national control and gave it to local government offices instead. Giving the chance for small enterprises to hold derbies and eventually lead to unauthorized cock fights around the country.

And the popularity of the sport continues even at the age of Internet. And here in Kasador.net, you better watch out for September 25^th. It’s going to be a blast. 

FIBA 2019 Goes to China

Hastag PUSO2019 (#PUSO2019) just became #SugatangPUSO2019.

The International Basketball Federation's (FIBA) Central Board has made its decision last August 7, 2015 at Tokyo, Japan. The People's Republic of China has won to be the host country of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, leaving the Republic of the Philippines "heart-broken".

With votes 14-7, China emerged to bag another major sporting event to be hosted, as it will be hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics as well, but this is the first for a FIBA flagship event.

The decision leaned towards China in terms of modernization and progress of the country. They presented modern transportation (i.e. bullet trains) for faster and more convenient transfer of athletes from city-to-city and high-end hotels that can cater to taller basketball players, such as the 7-foot-6 former NBA superstar Yao Ming, a Chinese himself. They also highlighted the ability to widely promote and market the game because of its strong economy and steadily increasing high population.

Additionally, Philippine delegation presenter leader Manny V. Pangilinan said in a TV interview that China can host FIBA 2019 "next week" very confidently. He added, "Ready na sila eh tayo hindi pa tayo ready dahil 'yung arena sa Cebu hindi pa gawa at tsaka yung Araneta Coliseum, kailangan ma-i-renovate. Kaya we're not ready until 2019, so mas safe ang China".

Meanwhile, the Philippines' hashtag PUSO2019 (#PUSO2019) trended to circulate its intentions to host the FIBA 2019 and gain more support from Filipinos around the world amidst the bidding war with China.

Also, the Philippine delegation pitched how deeply-rooted basketball is to Filipino culture and its people. However, it seemed that Filipinos' passion, love, and dedication to the sport weren't enough to claim victory.

It was clearly the Chinese's advantage to be able to host previous recent sporting events, like 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Asian Games. The most recent opportunity for Philippines to host an international sporting event was the 2014 ASEAN School Games in Marikina.

The Philippine presenters included Manny V. Pangilinan (Samahan ng Basketbol ng Pilipinas president), Lou Diamond Philipps (Fil-Am Hollywood actor), Jimmy Alapag (former national basketball team player), and Coach Chot Reyes (former national basketball team head coach).

Sources:
Rappler
FIBA

28th SEA Games Singapore Closes

The 28th Southeast Asian Games has finally concluded and Thailand was reigned as the overall champion.

With fireworks and neon lights, the center stage of Singapore National Stadium lit up to mark the end of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games last Tuesday, June 16, 2015. This 12-day period of sportsmanship, friendships, and outstanding performances in 402 sporting events in 36 sports has been a declaration of each athlete's triumph and defeat.

The games here were featured in several video presentations while delegates, the host country, and the mascot, Nila, greeted the spectators. There were as much as 50,000 people who gathered to cheer for their home countries and congratulate them for their collected medals. Then the SEA Games Federation President Tan Chuan-Jin delivered his speech which was dedicated to the victims of Sabah Earthquake. He pertained to the games as "memorable" and "showing the spirit of friendship". Upon thanking the volunteers, two athletes were special mentioned for having the courage to battle much older competitors (11-year-old swimmer from Myanmar, Oo Shun Lei Maw) and showing fairness regardless of being in a competition (marathon runner from Singapore, Ashley Liew).

A few more medals were bestowed during the final day of the games: Badminton men's singles and women's doubles both went to Malaysia; badminton mixed doubles went to the Indonesian pair; and badminton women's single was given to Thailand.

Aside from the awarding of trophies and medals, the event also featured a dance party. Athletes, volunteers, and spectators alike enjoyed the colorful enormous rubber balls and strobes of laser lights while dancing to the beats by DJ Ferry Corsten.

As for the Philippine SEA Games team, they have performed competitively and had achieved the greatness at their best by bagging 29 gold, 36 silver, and 66 bronze from major group events like basketball and rugby, and individual sporting events like wushu and triathlon. It was a big moment for the Gilas Cadets because it was the 17th gold medal since the country participated in 1970s.

Singapore SEA Games President Tony Tan's speech was to close the ceremony closed the games by doing the closing ceremony tradition of putting off the fire from the symbolic SEA Games cauldron and handing over the SEA Games official flag to the next host of the biennial even in the Southeast Asia region. And last July 2012, the country of Malaysia was decided to host the 29th SEA Games in 2017 that will be held in Kuala Lumpur.

Another upcoming sporting event this year is the 8th ASEAN Para-games on December 3-9, 2015 which is also going to be hosted by Singapore.

Warrior Champions

Warrior Champions
June 18, 2015
Roxanne Joyce A. Javier



After 40 years, the Golden State Warriors has finally brought the trophy back home and proved that home-court advantage wasn't always the lucky charm.

The NBA Season Finals Game 6 was brought to an end by 105-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio last June 17, Wednesday. The Warriors maintained the three straight lead from Game 4 down to Game 6, giving just two game wins to LeBron James-led Cavs.

It was the Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry tag-team, who were both crowned as the final's MVPs for garnering 25 points. On top of the 25 points, Curry was able to grab six rebounds and lend out eight assists during the last game. The Warriors started strong at the first quarter, scoring 28-15. Come the second quarter and the Cavs gave 17-28 finish to it. The third quarter was once again to the Warriors by having 28-18 score. The last quarter were measured as 32-36 performance.

The 32-point performance wasn't enough for LeBron James to once again lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to victory. Seems like dejavu from the battle against San Antonio Spurs last Season 2013-2014 that he showed immense strength and passion but it didn't paid off since it was considered as a one-man show. It cannot be helped to say that the shine of the once thought to be "Jordan the II" is catching shadows now. James still and always be on his top performance. He also remains as one of the greatest athlete in basketball. He even calls himself "greatest player of all time" in one of his interviews. Unfortunately, his strategy doesn't meet the ends in basketball - a team sports. Maybe LeBron needs a bit of reminding.

It wouldn't be always about "the one" but just as the Warriors motto is "Strength in Numbers".

(C) NBA.com

Return of the Comeback

SING: It's been a long day....

Or for me, a very long time since the last post. Forgive me self. It has been a busy life for me (well, I'm always busy) since we moved to my husband's mother's residence. It is because we had a new member of the family, my one and only son Fio, and we had a new car and paying it in installment.

So now, I'm back, not to update anymore but to a job for my friend. To write for news updates about sports. It's kinda new to me since I don't have a vast vocabulary about certain sports but I can report all thanks to BS DevCom training back in the university.

It's going to start this Father's Day (21st June 2015) and I'm hoping it's a good "FIRST WRITE UP." So help me that it would have no more editing!

Cheers to writing again!