tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19212478107028371592024-03-05T14:28:35.284+08:00Diplobugsforeign service officer, foreign service,diplomat,soccer,RH Bill, travel,renewable energy,Coral Triangle,presidential protocol officer,Save our Seas,yoga,scuba diving,skydivingMoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-59584872420377219962017-04-26T23:57:00.000+08:002017-04-26T23:57:52.240+08:00Book Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman<div class="x_p1" style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span class="x_s1" style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a child, I loved reading stories from Greek and Norse mythologies. I found those more fascinating and entertaining than the fairy tales , even the gory, original versions<span class="x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>of the popular children's tales. Between the two, I favored more the Norse myths over the Greek finding the Norse gods and goddesses more intriguing, edgy and the pantheon in which they existed more interesting.<span class="x_Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="x_s1" style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was much easier though to find material on Greek mythology than the Norse ones. So when I came across a book titled Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, who is one of my favorite authors, I had to get it. As usual, Neil Gaiman does not disappoint.<span class="x_Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="x_s1" style="font-size: 17pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was expecting something different, his own take on the pantheon of the Norse gods and goddesses. Surprisingly, he remains quite faithful to the source material without changing much of the stories. The stories will be very familiar to ones you may have read in your childhood, based on translated texts and scholarly interpretations. In a sense, Neil Gaiman is paying tribute to these ancient works and keeping the mythology alive. What he does though is subtly introduce little details and aspects in the telling of the story that makes it a very enjoyable read considering you are reading stories you are likely familiar with or read about in the past. As you read through his book, the feeling is like having an old uncle telling you a common story in his own peculiar way, injecting little bit of wit and special touches to make it more interesting and fun to read. It kept me wanting for more. Hopefully, he has plans for a volume 2.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="x_s1" style="font-size: 17pt;">In short, if the Norse myths needed to be retold in a way that remains true to the source material yet giving it a special, entertaining and enjoyable reading experience, then Neil Gaiman was the perfect writer to do it. - </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt;">Moira G. Gallaga ©</span></span></div>
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-15207479782315002032013-08-16T05:24:00.000+08:002013-08-16T05:24:46.418+08:00Azkals Need to Sharpen Their Cutting Edge<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="background: white;">First
of all, my appreciation for Mr Jojo Malig of ABS-CBN News Bureau for the
valuable link to a video live stream of the Philippine-Indonesia friendly
match. Since moving to Lisbon, Portugal two and a half months ago, we have to
start relying on the internet to be able to watch live Philippine football
matches.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">As for
the match, there are no "ifs" and "buts" about it,
Indonesia deserved their 2-0 victory against the Philippine Azkals. At first I
was tempted to think that it was the quality of the video stream as our players
seemed a bit sluggish, but it was very clear that the Indonesian players were
quicker and livelier. They played more cohesively as well.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It was
typical again of our team, a game of two halves. A slow start and a more
improved performance in the second half. Still, even if fortune were on our
side the most we could hopefully get would have been a draw basing on the
quality of our game that evening. The Azkals had difficulty creating scoring
chances while the Indonesians wasted a number of theirs. It was a fair result.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Anyway,
this was a friendly match and the result isn't as important as the lessons and
insights to be gained from the match. Let's keep that perspective and context
in mind whenever we look back at this defeat. Of course not everyone will see
it that way, but I am fairly hopeful that a growing number of Filipino football
fans are developing a better appreciation of the sport in the sense that this
defeat won't be seen as a sign that the sky is falling.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">So
what do we get out of this match? As I mentioned at the start of the article,
our players seemed sluggish, especially in the first half. The Indonesians
definitely looked more sharp and energetic. With the exception of a few such as
Porteria, our players seemed out of sorts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The
number of misplaced passes by our team and the manner by which the Indonesians
took control of the match shows that our cutting edge has dulled quite a bit.
While the long ball has been an arsenal of our team, there was just one too
many in this match and they looked more like wild clearances than deliberate
attempts to get behind the Indonesian defensive line. Hardly any good and clear
chances were created in the final third of the opposition half, especially in
the first half where the lineup was filled by our seasoned veterans. I
think former Azkals coach Simon McMenemy best described our team's performance:
"disjointed." It certainly looked that way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Sure,
it will be argued that if we had all our top players available such as Schrock,
Patiño, Cagara, Juani Guirado, Jonsson and De Jong to name a few, the outcome
might have been different. That is of course very possible, IF they were
available. However, they weren't available and that is the reality of the game.
Whether through injury, club commitment or any other reason, national teams
always have to be prepared for the situation that not all key players will be
available. This cannot be an excuse. Those running the team and Philippine
football authorities should do all they can to ensure that there are enough
quality, fit and in-form players available for call-up whenever there is a
match.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It's
not as if there wasn't quality and experience in the team that lost to
Indonesia. The starting eleven were seasoned veterans and regular fixtures in
the team. While the decision of Coach Weiss to play some players out of
position may have been a factor for the first goal against us, the adjustment
made in the second half was more positive.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Is
this perhaps a question of fitness and form then? I think it was a significant
factor in that match. The UFL where most of the players in the team for this
match ply their trade ended its season several weeks ago while the Indonesian
football league is still going on. While there may have been a few matches and
training sessions here and there after the UFL season for our players, the
Indonesian national team had several matches both official and friendly since
the start of the year. A number of those were against top European clubs on
their preseason training phase. It was apparent from this match that the
Indonesians were more fit and in better playing form than our players.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo via Philippine Star</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background: white;">Considering
that the Philippines will be competing in the AFC Challenge Cup and the next
edition of the Suzuki Cup next year, our team and football officials should
better start thinking of how to keep our players sharp and in top playing form
by the start of those competitions. While the UFL has been doing a great job in
providing our local based players with competitive match experience, the league
is still small and there are not that many matches a season, even if we include
the cup competitions. The entry of UFL clubs in the Singapore Cup and the AFC
President's Cup is a good development. It will provide competitive matches for
some of the players plus valuable experience against good clubs in the region.
However, much more is needed to sharpen our team's cutting edge, especially for
our local based players.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">A
quick look on Wikipedia on the list of fixtures of our national team provides a
very significant insight. From January to August 15 of 2013, the Azkals have
played only 5 matches so far, both competitive and friendlies. Now take a look
at the competitive and friendly fixtures for the same period for 2011 and 2012,
it is 17 and 15 matches respectively. In 2013, the Azkals have only played a
third of the matches they played in a similar period in the past 2 years. Not
only that, the team played against some pretty tough teams as well in
2011-2012.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">I
think that data is quite revealing and team officials and the PFF better take
note of that fact. It is good to hear that future friendlies are being arranged
and the 2nd Peace Cup will be held. I also hope that rumors of an overseas
training camp become reality.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The
Azkals need to regain the sharpness in their cutting edge. Sure, it may be
possible in football to bludgeon your way to victory, but more often than not,
precision is a more reliable approach to attaining success on the pitch. I do
hope the team officials and the PFF take every opportunity to arrange matches
for the Philippines. Time to get those Azkals' fangs and claws razor sharp once
more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">15 August 2013, Moira G
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-79557435151704250892013-02-06T01:01:00.002+08:002013-02-06T01:01:28.967+08:00Sweet Victory for Ceres-Negros FC: 2013 National Club Champions<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">After a hard fought final against a tenacious
Pasargad FC, Negros based Ceres La Salle FC clinched the PFF-SMART National
Men's Club Championship with a 1-0 victory. The victory of the club from
Sugarlandia was made all the more sweeter given the caliber of opponents it had
to dispatch on its way to bringing the cup to Negros island.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">UFL Division 1 powerhouses Stallions, Global and
Kaya were dispatched by Ceres enroute to the final against Pasargad. Credit
should also go to Pasargad FC, who despite missing four key players in the
finals still gave Ceres a really hard time. No excuses from Pasargad, who went
out and gave Ceres a proper challenge for the title. Given its showing in this
tournament, Pasargad is surely a team to watch out for in the UFL this season.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In a news article, Ceres coach Ali Rojas Go was
quoted as saying "You can win one with luck, but two, three, and four, I
don’t think so. It’s all hard work.” That's right; it was very much hard work
on the part of Ceres that led to their success, one that was richly deserved
and unquestionable. Ceres-Negros FC right now is <a href="http://pinoyfootball.com/articles/11101420/Ceres-FC-Barges-into-Finals-of-2nd-PFFSmart-National-Club-Championship" target="_blank">without doubt and certifiably thebest football club in the country.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Those were all difficult matches against highly
accomplished teams. Their defense needed to be steady and sure, and the offense
clinical. As Coach Ali Go said, they worked really hard at it, but most of all,
they believed. They believed in themselves and in one another. That they almost
swept up all the individual awards (Chieffy Caligdong won the Golden Boot)
showed that this was indeed a team effort. Each player supporting each other in
a common effort towards a common goal.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CKQOe8cgrXY-_FYHryhE7o2krFIxok-ImG6PEWD_in5ASBnFL8d33DB04sa7jk5BCDhXc8M70So8J6qfNND59WGHuuUEuRG-cf5ysk0uYivY1-ag7UkHUdK13FkWIxJwY4XqlK9mql4/s1600/ceres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CKQOe8cgrXY-_FYHryhE7o2krFIxok-ImG6PEWD_in5ASBnFL8d33DB04sa7jk5BCDhXc8M70So8J6qfNND59WGHuuUEuRG-cf5ysk0uYivY1-ag7UkHUdK13FkWIxJwY4XqlK9mql4/s640/ceres.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo via Ceres-Negros FC FB page</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background-color: white;">In addition to the players and the coaching staff,
the other key factor in the success of Ceres FC is the overwhelming support
from its management, as personified by the Yanson brothers. The significance of
the support of the Yanson brothers is something that must not be overlooked.
The brothers not only support the team, they are also responsible in building
foundations and institutional support for the growth and competitiveness of
football in Negros. This competitive atmosphere developed by the Yanson
brothers and their partners in this endeavor has been crucial in ensuring that
a team from Negros can go head to head and overcome the big boys of Philippine
club football, particularly the heavy hitters in the UFL.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Special mention also goes out to the Ceres
supporters who were at Rizal. For a team based in the province, one had to
appreciate the numbers and the spirit displayed by its support in Rizal
Stadium. Advertisers, marketing people, sponsors, take note.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">It is therefore heartening to note that Ceres FC
is contemplating to join the UFL. In the same news article, Coach Ali Go
mentions that there is a plan to join the UFL and the soonest could possibly be
the UFL Cup in the latter part of this year. However, he cautions that they
need to study this carefully as there are certain challenges that need to be
considered, such as logistics.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">This prudence is a good sign. While the entry of
Ceres FC into the UFL would be a big boost for the league and support its
growth, all parties must also ensure that such growth is sustainable in the
long term. In much the same way the Football Alliance has carefully nurtured
the growth and steady success of the UFL, Ceres FC will likewise ensure that
when it throws its hat into the UFL and carry the flag for Negrense football
fans, it will be there for the long term.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In the meantime, let's savor and enjoy this
achievement of Ceres FC.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Ceres-Negros FC - 2013 National Men's Football Club
Champions! Sounds sweet doesn't it?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">05 February 2013, Moira G
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-47241544112639691982013-01-29T10:47:00.000+08:002013-01-29T10:47:50.575+08:00Ceres FC Barges into Finals of 2nd PFF-Smart National Club Championship<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #454545; line-height: 115%;">What do you do when 3
giants are standing in your way? Get in a bus and just drive through them to
get where you're going. That's what Negros based Ceres FC basically did on its
way to the finals of the 2nd PFF-Smart Men's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="yshortcuts">National
Club Championship</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> where
they will face UFL Division 1 club Pasargad FC or PSG.</span><span style="color: #454545; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The 3 giants Ceres needed to get through to earn a
finals slot are among the 3 top UFL Division 1 Clubs: current UFL Cup champions
Stallion FC, current UFL champions Global FC and powerhouse Kaya FC. A feat
that caused the Ceres FC squad's achievements to be dubbed as a
"Cinderella" run to the finals. One reason perhaps this glorious run
to the finals of the club is being described as such is the fact that Ceres FC
is not a club that competes in either Divisions of the Metro Manila based
United Football League, now considered the country's premiere football league.
But is it really?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">True, beating the top 3 UFL clubs enroute to the
finals is no mean and easy feat. Then again, let's consider a few facts. Ceres
FC is based in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts"><span id="lw_1359423251_2">Negros
Occidental</span></span>, a hotbed of football in this country. Before the advent of
the 2010 Azkals and the renaissance of football in the Philippines, Negros and
Iloilo have kept faith all these years. The rivalry of these 2 provinces will
attest to the fact on how seriously the sport is considered. One only has to
look at how many accomplished football players come from these 2 provinces. It
shouldn't be surprising then that a team from Negros should be able to field a
strong and competitive squad.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">One only needs to look at Stallions FC, considered
to be the "Iloilo" team given the roots of the club. Its maiden run
in UFL Division 1 showed it was a force to be reckoned with. A strong
showing in the regular UFL season was followed up by winning the UFL Cup.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Ceres FC is no different. They may not be
competing in the UFL, but they are based in a province where there is an
environment that provides competitive football and a deep talent pool to
recruit from. More than that, Ceres FC is run in much similar ways as the top
clubs in the country today. It isn't just a team put together for the purpose
of this tournament; it is a club with a vision,</span><span style="background: white;">infrastructure and adequate management support.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8mE51m5nlkuGpxFpzmS8WLhEpHxNPYNZx13S-b5j6mUpZIq5JIMkqDOroxXtfcmwjShevl5l0H1_c0kGMnpq51Y1ncQNJOlBz5lpsqBtUu2Qi49e8Ii02H0U13Uh5PVMQKsbK88ZOUs/s1600/1ceres_kaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8mE51m5nlkuGpxFpzmS8WLhEpHxNPYNZx13S-b5j6mUpZIq5JIMkqDOroxXtfcmwjShevl5l0H1_c0kGMnpq51Y1ncQNJOlBz5lpsqBtUu2Qi49e8Ii02H0U13Uh5PVMQKsbK88ZOUs/s1600/1ceres_kaya.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo via watchmendaily.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background: white;">Credit for that goes to the Yanson brothers, Leo
Rey and Ricky. Both former players and passionate fans of the sport of
football. Like Dan Palami, they have tapped their personal fortune in the
transport business (hence the bus metaphor in the opening paragraph) to grow
and develop the sport of football in Negros. They are the driving force behind
NFL, the Negros Football League and they even went as far as having football
fields constructed. Players and coaching staff for the club and their NFL teams
are well taken care of and supported. Lest it be forgotten, the U-23 squad of
Ceres FC is also the defending champion of the PFF-Suzuki U-23 National Club
Championship.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Considering all those factors, I don't think Ceres
FC's giant-killing run to the finals is all that surprising. They have shown
without doubt that they have what it takes to play with the big boys. They are
a force to be reckoned with and they just made an emphatic statement to that
effect, not only for the club but for Negros football.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It still remains to be seen if Ceres FC will join the
UFL. As seen in the results of this tournament so far, they will be a good
addition to the league. They have a talented and quite young squad, with a very
capable coaching staff. More than that, it will give us Negrenses a team to
root for in the UFL. Something the marketing people of UFL should consider. Of
course, it will all depend on the Yanson brothers. In the same way they built
up their club, I'm sure they will be taking deliberate and measured steps when
considering this option. One thing for sure, when the time comes that Ceres FC
does indeed join the UFL, they will be ready and raring to succeed.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-69444362727293808042012-12-11T10:40:00.000+08:002012-12-11T10:40:42.271+08:00Another 90 Minutes More (Philippines v Singapore - 2012 Suzuki Cup Semis) <br />
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<span style="background: white;">After a pretty good group stage performance
against tough opponents, the Philippine Men's National Football Team a.k.a. The
Azkals have once again made it to the semi-final round of the AFF Suzuki Cup,
Southeast Asia's most prestigious football tournament. For the 3rd time this
year the Azkals face Singapore, though this time in a competitive 2-legged
fixture with a lot at stake - a place in the finals.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">This semi-final first leg was also billed as the
"home match that never was" in reference to the missed opportunity of
our country to host our national team for the home leg of our semi-final
fixtures against Indonesia in 2010. Well, our boys finally made it happen and
created this opportunity to play in front of the supporters and the fans. Rizal
was nearly packed and everyone at the stadium was eager to relish this
opportunity to support our boys on this momentous occasion in Philippine
football.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The match ended in a scoreless draw after a
forgettable first half where the Philippines were clearly outplayed by Singapore
and they couldn't get any semblance of an offense going. As it was in the group
stages, our defense has been the most positive aspect of this Suzuki Cup
campaign so far. There were a few nervy moments but over-all our defense held
firm and as it was in the group stage, goalkeeper Ed Sacapano proved pretty
steady between those goalposts. It was a much better performance by the Azkals
in the second half, exhibiting improved cohesion and fluidity in their
offensive game. It wasn't enough to get a goal and they had better step it up
in the second leg if they wish to go further in this tournament. On a positive
note, the Azkals managed another clean sheet, their third in this tournament.
More importantly, this means that the Philippines had denied Singapore an away
goal.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Of course, a win and a definite advantage heading
into the second leg would have been the ideal result, considering the team was
playing in front of its home fans. That would have been an ideal result and a
good gift to the supporters considering how long Philippine fans and supporters
have been waiting for a moment like this, given the significance of the
fixture. Then again, Singapore is no push over. They have experience, are
3 time champions of this tournament and have been in this situation before. So
if a win wasn't possible, a scoreless draw is the next desirable result.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">This is the beauty of 2-legged home and away
fixtures with the away goals rule in effect. It creates various scenarios and
raises many factors, making for some very interesting matches. The result of
the first match will most likely influence the tactics, strategy and approach
to the second match and it's quite fascinating to see how coaches, players and
teams deal with the situation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">At the end of the match both coaches seem pleased
with the result. Singapore is looking forward to playing at home, confident
that with the support of their fans they will be able to beat the Azkals and
advance to the finals. While the Philippines may be playing on
"hostile" ground in the second leg, we only need a scoring draw to
advance due to the away goals rule, which Singapore failed to secure in the
first leg. As things stand, the Philippines is still very much in it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">In this type of fixture, the 2nd leg at home is
usually favored by a team which is why those who topped the group stage get to
play the second leg at home. However, it could get difficult and a team could
find itself under greater pressure if things don't go as planned. All it will
take is an early goal for the Philippines and Singapore will suddenly find
itself under pressure to score 2 goals to stay in the competition. As 3 times
winners, Singapore has the added factor of dealing with the expectations of
their supporters. Also, even if Singapore gets to score first, they cannot take
it easy. An equalizer from our team and they are headed for the exit once more.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Singapore will need to go out for the win. This
will enable the Philippines to be patient, to stay compact in defense and try
to take advantage on the counter. Singapore will be obliged to push up and
attack, and what I am starting to envision in my mind is that second goal in
the Myanmar match by Angel Guirado. Score first and preferably score early and
things should look good for the Philippines. Of course, in order to do this
they need to play with more energy and precision than they did on Saturday
night. Then again, I'm sure they know that by now.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Singapore will be relying on their experience
(coach, players) in this competition, their quality, better cohesion and the
support of the home crowd. It is a daunting challenge for the Azkals to face.
Then again, the Azkals merely need a scoring draw to advance to the finals.
They could use this to their advantage. Furthermore, the Azkals are a mere 90
minutes away from achieving another milestone not only in their respective
careers, but for Philippine football as well. <b><i>As Dan Palami so eloquently put
it, "the Philippines intend to write its own history."</i></b> The
opportunity for both the veterans and young guns in our team to write
themselves into the history books once more and build a legacy will be a strong
source of motivation that should help them overcome the challenges they will
face this coming Wednesday.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">This Suzuki Cup campaign has shown that the
Philippines is a second half team. It takes a while for the Azkals to get
going, to get their bearings and start stamping their mark in the match. In the
friendly against Singapore in Cebu and in the 3 group stage matches, the Azkals
scored all their goals in the second half. The quality of their play improves
as the match progresses in the second half. A 2- legged fixture is basically a
match of 2 halves and the second 90 minutes kicks off on Wednesday. So come on
Philippines, let's go Azkals, you are 90 minutes away from achieving further
glory - <a href="http://moiragallaga.hubpages.com/hub/Boosting-Philippine-Tourism-through-Soccer" target="_blank">WE BELIEVE!</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">10 December 2012, Moira G
Gallaga©</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-90977254652871847452012-12-02T09:32:00.000+08:002012-12-02T09:38:56.275+08:00Azkals are back in the Suzuki Cup 2012 Semifinals<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is said that
"lightning never strikes twice," and I agree. In 2010, the Philippine
Men's National Football Team, a.k.a. the Azkals, shocked Southeast Asian
football by reaching the semifinals of that year's AFF Suzuki Cup. In that
impressive campaign, the Azkals drew with powerhouse Singapore and defeated
defending champion Vietnam 2-0 to forge a semifinal showdown with Indonesia.
Considering the status then of the Philippines as the perennial whipping boy in
Southeast Asian football, that achievement was a like a bolt of lightning. It
also served as that all-important spark that has brought about a football
renaissance in the Philippines.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">In this 2012 edition of the AFF Suzuki Cup the
Azkals have once again successfully hurdled the group stage and booked
themselves a place in the semifinals. <a href="http://diplobugs.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-published-article-in-football.html" target="_blank">However, unlike in 2010</a>, this wasn't any
longer like a bolt of lightning. It wasn't a shocking development anymore. In
fact, the team had set their sights on the semis as a reasonable target for
their Suzuki Cup campaign. Not only the team, but their opponents as well felt
that the Azkals had what it takes to make the semifinals. That's because in
between the last and current Suzuki Cup a lot has changed in Philippine football
for the better.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background: white;">Following an aggressive effort to step up the
quality and effectiveness of the Philippine National Football Team and football
in the Philippines in general, the Azkals have achieved several notable
milestones. It's quite a list of achievements, and as a result, the Azkals have
garnered considerable respect and esteem from their opponents. We now have a
deeper bench and our team is slowly starting to play at a higher technical
level as opposed to just simply defending with their lives and hoping for an
opportunity on the counter. So for the Philippines to reach the semifinals of
the Suzuki Cup twice in a row is no longer surprising, it was well deserved.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dxG2ZvM5tP0/ULqfPXcFR6I/AAAAAAAAAk4/7inhwMI_zik/s1600/azkals-chieffy-flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dxG2ZvM5tP0/ULqfPXcFR6I/AAAAAAAAAk4/7inhwMI_zik/s640/azkals-chieffy-flag.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo via interaksyon.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;">Finding themselves in a "group of
death," the Azkals' campaign started off with a 2-1 loss to Thailand. In a
highly physical match, the Thais did all they could legally and illegally to
grab 3 points against our team. They weren't taking any chances with the
Azkals. Despite the shenanigans, the Thais deserved their win. They were the better
team that night and they showed to one and all that they were favorites to
reach the final by winning all their group stages to top the group. The
battered Azkals could take heart from the fact that they kept the match close
with the toughest opponent in the group and that the chance to progress was
still there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background: white;">In this group stage, the second match is the
most crucial. The result of your second match will have a major bearing on your
team's ability to proceed to the next round. For the Philippines, a loss in
their second match means the end of our Suzuki Cup campaign. We needed to beat
Vietnam. Since they drew with Myanmar in their opening match, Vietnam needed a
win as well to ensure their path to the semifinals. Both teams could not afford
to lose and it clearly showed in the first half. Tentative and cautious, both
sides several mistakes in possession. You would think the two teams were trying
to outdo each other in number of bad passes made. In the second half, Vietnam
started to settle into a rhythm and began asserting control. Philippines respond
by making a few substitutions. With time slowly running out, the first team to
score a goal was going to win that match. That goal comes in the 85th minute
for the Philippines and it couldn't have been scripted any better. Following a
poor performance in the match against Thailand, Azkal veteran Chieffy Caligdong
comes in as a late substitute and scores the winning goal off a lovely pass
from another substitute, Angel Guirado. Two minutes later, Vietnam almost
equalizes but was denied by goalkeeper Ed Sacapano whose timely block sends the
ball crashing to the crossbar and away from goal. Three points for the
Philippines.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background: white;">With their fate firmly in their hands, the
Azkals just needed to deal with Myanmar for their last fixture in this group
stages. While Myanmar may have been considered the weakest among the Azkals'
opponents in this group, they were a dangerous team quite capable of causing an
upset. Furthermore, the Philippines had yet to beat Myanmar based on their
recent competitive encounters, the last ending in a draw. As the match
progressed, the Philippines showed a lot of heart and a clear intent to win
this one. Phil Younghusband in particular was on a mission to make amends for
tepid performances in the first 2 matches and has several attempts at goal in
the first half. The defense held firm and any Myanmar offensive forays were
dealt with effectively. A little over a minute into the second half Phil
Younghusband scores a wonderful goal to put the Philippines ahead and place one
foot into the semifinals. Myanmar started to push forward and attack more
aggressively as their hopes to reach the semis were fading away by the minute.
This left space behind Myanmar's defensive line and on the 93rd minute, Angel
Guirado takes advantage. Running onto a clearance from Carli De Murga, Angel
gets to the ball, controls it, keeps a defender at bay and coolly finishes sealing
the victory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background: white;">In addition to making it to the semifinals, the
group stage campaign showed that we have a solid defense. While a lot of
improvement had been achieved by our team in terms of quality of play, our
opponents are still a few notches above us so our defense plays a very crucial
role with regard to our chances of going further in this tournament. It is also
heartening to note that Ed Sacapano has been dependable in goal for the Azkals.
There was quite a bit of apprehension when news started filtering in before the
tournament that our Europe based keepers could not make it. Ed Sacapano showed
everyone there was nothing to worry about. Chieffy Caligdong showed once again
during the Vietnam match why he still continues to be part of the team. His
time on the pitch may now be slowly diminishing but his value to the team
remains high. Following a slow start, Phil Younghusband appears to be peaking
at the right time. Not his usual effective self in the matches against Thailand
and Vietnam, he's found his confidence and form once again in the Myanmar match
and this is good for the Azkals. A deep bench, a combination of seasoned
veterans with valuable experience and young guns with hunger and desire, the
Azkals has deservedly earned a spot in the semifinals where they will face
Singapore.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background: white;">The team has set the semifinals as their goal,
they have achieved that now. For sure, they are now busy working hard to go
beyond that goal and the prospects look good. There is no room for complacency
though. While we may have beaten Singapore twice just recently, friendly and
competitive fixtures are two different matters altogether. Also, this is a
two-legged affair so the approach and mentality is a lot different than a
single winner take all match. Just the same, I would fancy our chances. We've
gone this far, why not go even further? Let's go Azkals! WE BELIEVE!!!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-37976804884140666072012-11-16T17:45:00.000+08:002012-11-16T17:45:33.609+08:00The "Right" Decision (Philippine AZKALS beats Singapore...Again)<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">During his man of the
match interview after the Philippines beat Singapore 1-0 in Cebu, goalkeeper Ed
Sacapano was asked on his thoughts about the 1st half injury time penalty given
to Singapore. Sacapano more or less said that he would go to the right on this
one. It turned out to be the right decision as Sacapano saved that penalty to
keep the match level at the end of the first half.</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">For me, that injury time penalty save by Sacapano
was a turning point for the match given the context of that penalty decision.
The referee botched the penalty call, Christaens didn't commit a foul and it
was the Singaporean who slammed into Christaens as he lost his footing. If
Singapore scored that penalty it would have been unfair. So what if they were
playing very well and dominating the match in that first half. Our team did a
good job as well in keeping them at bay, playing solid and compact defense.
Philippines didn't deserve to go one goal down at the dying minutes of the
first half due to a bad call by the referee. Considering Singapore's dominant
play, giving up a late goal at the end of the half would have had quite a
demoralizing effect on the team as they would head into the second half chasing
the game. Good thing Sacapano stepped up and kept our team in the fight,
definitely a man of the match moment. That save could have been that all
important boost to the team's confidence and spirit that gave them the feeling
that, yes, this is going to be our night.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Sacapano's penalty save was crucial in terms of
its potential impact to both sets of players at a mental, psychological and
emotional level. Keeping the scores level at halftime was important. Sacapano
chose to go to the right and the second half of the match was a much different
affair than the first.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">In football, there are 2 big words often used when
it comes to players: <b>form</b> and <b>confidence</b>. You can more or less track
form using statistics and keenly observing match-day performances over a period
of time. I hear big-time clubs in Europe even have computer programs for this
purpose. Confidence is a whole lot trickier; it is mainly psychological, mental
and emotional. It's in the player's head and not so easy to get inside of, but
its value is never underestimated as confidence can spell a major difference on
the field of play.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The match showed these 2 factors at work. The
effect was evident as the second half started to get underway. When the
Philippines went ahead, it was no longer in doubt that victory was highly
possible. If the Philippines was oozing in confidence by the second half,
that's because our guy at goal had it in abundance. When Sacapano saved that
penalty, he probably felt that that ball was not going to get past him that
evening. His 2 other equally impressive diving saves from free kicks later in
the match validates that assumption.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It’s quite timely too that Sacapano exhibited
tremendous form and confidence in this match. As we all know, this friendly
against Singapore is the final tune up match of the Philippines before it heads
off for its 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup campaign starting 27 November. There's high
hopes for this team to replicate its 2010 Suzuki Cup achievement of reaching
the semifinals. The possibility also exists that this team could go all the
way. But before all of that, we face some very tough opponents in the group
stage. That is why the absence of our Europe based players has raised a little
bit of concern. Their presence provides added quality and high level match
experience to the team.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Among the absences, most notable will be our
goalkeepers. Since the Suzuki Cup is not on the
FIFA calendar, clubs are not obliged to release players for international duty and both Neil Etheridge and Roland Muller have club commitments during that period. There is no confirmation yet if they will be able to make it to the tournament or even just be able to play in a match or two.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e83Ii2ziJo4/UKXPsYJdGbI/AAAAAAAAAj8/wzs0zqzuW34/s1600/azkals3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e83Ii2ziJo4/UKXPsYJdGbI/AAAAAAAAAj8/wzs0zqzuW34/s640/azkals3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo via philnews.ph</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">This situation leaves us with our third choice
goalkeeper, Ed Sacapano. Looking back at his performance against Singapore and
the Peace Cup, he just needs to keep up that sort of form and confidence
throughout the Suzuki Cup campaign and we should be relishing our chances. Of
course, his team mates have to step up as well, though the team's performances
over the series of matches organized to prepare the team for the Suzuki Cup
shows that our neighbors don’t take us too lightly.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">It’s also good to see we now have a deeper bench
as well with a large number of quality players now locally based. Before, Coach
Weiss had limited options for substitutions. Before it appeared that
substitutions were made mainly to put in fresh legs and to just hang in there,
and even then he rarely made these changes. Now he can make a number of changes
without sacrificing quality and even create a decisive impact on the match. For
a tournament like the Suzuki Cup that involves a group stage playing 3 matches
with only 2 days rest in between, a deep bench is crucial as injuries, match
suspension and fatigue are a constant concern.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<span style="background: white;">This friendly victory over Singapore is a good
setting from which to kick off our Men's National Football Team's Suzuki Cup
campaign. A well fought victory over a tough opponent, a number of players
brimming with confidence and in good form, and a deeper bench should provide
our team a decent chance at a good showing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Make no mistake, this will not be easy. We are in
a tough group. While our team has made tremendous strides and very notable
improvement in the past 2 years, our neighbors haven't been standing still
either. Remember, this is football and anything can happen.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">For now, let's just sit back for now to enjoy and
savor the victory against Singapore that was brought about in no small measure
by Sacapano's right decision to go right on that penalty kick. By the week
after next we'll be back in front of our televisions again, nervously and
excitedly watching and hoping that our players, our Coach and the referees are
making the right decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #454545; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">16 November 2012, Moira G
Gallaga©</span><o:p></o:p></div>
MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-63451113089358292842012-11-03T04:12:00.000+08:002013-08-10T00:28:01.175+08:00Diplo-travel tales: Adventure in Morocco<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first day of the trip seemed to be going off without a hitch. I was late to the airport but knew that I’ll make my flight on the nick of time. Security was not too bad and they passed me through without hassle. I’m now just hanging out in the lounge, playing with my laptop, passing the time until my flight leaves. I love to people-watch whenever I’m in a public area. Maybe it is part of our training or simply out of habit borne of a curious mind; my husband and I are always aware of our environment wherever we are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are three shady looking men who seem to be staring at me as I type.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a woman and I travel alone, maybe they find that strange. I would love to send you pictures of those people, but that would probably have been weird and would have drawn more attention to myself if I just popped out my blackberry phone camera to take snapshots of strangers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Rooftop of Palais Namaskar</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It might be a bit difficult to capture all of life’s realities while on a trip, but I know I can at least capture my own experience.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A small comfort for me is that in my quest to contribute to society, I am not betraying anybody by trying to use them as a case study without their knowledge.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hopefully, somebody will read this and if one person’s mood can be brightened by my musings, then this is all worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I don’t really have a poignant reason for penning this memoir; I just want to do something therapeutic for myself while leaving a trail of words that somebody might find entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One thing I’m sure of is that it is exciting for a woman to travel alone. It is a wonderful feeling having the sense of independence that travelling alone gives us, even if it is just going to a spa for the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter how far the destination or how mundane, when you travel by yourself as a woman it gives you an amazing sense of independence and everything tastes sweeter and the air feels nicer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>I do have to say though, that the more unfamiliar the place, the more of a thrill it is.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you travel to a far land alone there are so many adventures to have, so much to add to your life’s notebook of experiences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more confidence you show, the better the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It truly matters what kind of attitude you take with the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more courage you exhibit with each new experience, the more badges you allow yourself to wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Every single trip that I take alone continues to feed my motto of ‘living on the edge,’ and I revel in it.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Being assigned at <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Washington</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">DC</st1:state></st1:place> was an amazing experience<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></b>I have travelled with no problem through large parts of Europe and those little nooks included in travel warning advisories such as <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Cuba</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At the moment, I’m now at <st1:placename st="on">Reagan</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">National</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Airport</st1:placetype> waiting for my flight to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Morocco</st1:country-region></st1:place> via Royal Air Maroc. Yes, <a href="http://moiragallaga.hubpages.com/hub/Morocco-moiragallaga" target="_blank">I’m on my way to <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Morocco</st1:country-region></st1:place></a> as I decided to take things up a notch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The spontaneity of not knowing exactly what the next destination holds can be sublime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I’m going to <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Morocco</st1:place></st1:country-region> and I have an idea of the places I want to visit but there is no definite schedule and I am always open to experiencing everything the country has to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whenever I think about the passing of time that I can’t control, taking a leave for a trip alone can be very therapeutic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be just the thing to help me find myself and who I am becoming with each passing day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women can get so caught up in being the caregiver; the mom, the doting wife, the career woman who keeps the office together, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is another identity underneath all that, our own identity; our identity as independent women who have much to contribute to the world besides being all of those mentioned above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Marrakech Downtown. I'm not good in taking pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">More women have found how healing travelling alone can be.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It lets you relax and take everything in.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It takes you away from making sure everybody else has everything to just making sure that your own needs are met.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It lets you be more open with people and allows you to express yourself - it reacquaints you with you; who you are underneath all of the labels.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To any woman who reads this, please remember that though reconnecting with yourself and <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Chinas-Inner-Mongolia-Museum&id=6567682" target="_blank">finding your independence is a wonderful experience</a>, it is not one to flaunt in every part of the world.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you familiarize yourself with the rules and traditions of your destination, then you can enjoy your independence with safety. Before embarking on an adventure, do check the </span><a href="http://travel.state.gov/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">travel.state.gov’s</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> site for the latest advisories and that includes necessary health information, required vaccinations, customs and traditions; and do’s and don’ts.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdI6YydKnwU/UJTXWSCC3WI/AAAAAAAAAds/hNcT6h9Urvw/s1600/moroccanpharmacy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdI6YydKnwU/UJTXWSCC3WI/AAAAAAAAAds/hNcT6h9Urvw/s640/moroccanpharmacy.JPG" width="364" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">to be continued…</span></i></b></div>
MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-22069866748920844112012-11-01T22:22:00.001+08:002012-11-01T22:23:06.312+08:00Read the Poem - "Destiny And Character" by Moira Gallaga<a href="http://www.poetrylibrary.co/poem-destiny-and-character-by-moira-gallaga/">Read the Poem - "Destiny And Character" by Moira Gallaga</a>: <br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-20239562396492000122012-10-27T13:01:00.001+08:002012-10-27T13:07:47.780+08:00Nanny in a Coma - Motive in Killings Remains a Mystery - NYTimes.com<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/27/nyregion/2-children-slain-at-home-in-city-nanny-arrested.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&partner=rss&emc=rss">Nanny in a Coma - Motive in Killings Remains a Mystery - NYTimes.com</a>: <br />
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<pre style="line-height: 17px; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Scary and troublesome. We experienced our 2 1/2 yr old son abandoned by his nanny in our apartment in L.A. with the door unlocked. Our prayers to the parents of these kids.</span></pre>
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-46606846426919290622012-09-30T22:43:00.000+08:002012-09-30T22:43:25.320+08:00Philippine Football Peace Cup Champions: AZKALS<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #454545; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Congratulations to the Philippine Azkals for winning the
Philippine Football Peace Cup. Another milestone and a step forward for
Philippine football. While the Azkals were overwhelming favorites for this
tournament, they still needed to prove that point nonetheless and they did so
emphatically and convincingly.</span><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Three wins, 9 goals scored in 3 matches and
conceding only one goal was quite a strong message sent out by our team. It
wasn't just about winning their matches; it was also about the manner in which
they were won - with near total dominance. It was a joy to watch our team play
that way. Okay, the fluffed chances in front of goal, especially in the match
against Guam, was a bit frustrating at times. However, the way our midfield
controlled the match, dictated the tempo and ensured that our makeshift backline
wasn't troubled too much was a welcome change from our usual backs to the wall
and spirited style of play. It's a sign of progress and it was vital that this
point was made.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">While many among us will be savoring this victory
and achievement, there are unfortunately those who claim all this is irrelevant
due to the low quality of the opposition. Yet that is where the emphatic and
dominating performance of our team smashes that argument. Since when has the
Philippine national football team dominated and steamrollered opponents in
those manner? The Azkals were expected to win this tournament, and they did. In
addition to meeting that expectation, they also proved clearly that the
progress and achievements since 2010 is not a fluke.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Notwithstanding the low quality opposition, a look
at our team will also show that this was more of a "B" team. Many of
our pedigreed players from Europe weren't present, along with a number of
veterans. Our defense was makeshift, with only one regular center back who was
suffering from a groin injury and didn't even get to play in the crucial final
match. Several young players, with emphasis on young, got their first official
cap in this tournament. Yet the team acquitted themselves very well and showed
how deep our bench has become and that there is quality back-up available if
the regular veterans are not available.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XZts4z4WOJT4j0ZUWKmakXcST9RomCVY5LlIUUPPbigwfH7NrQviXza42oGUHao-jrEjoH-77XZ81fkq_FKPSfxCCw2Ebo9BqDWcatl7MPUHdWoL4aLW7500712BpcYrcn6HX3r-bzc/s1600/azkals-champion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XZts4z4WOJT4j0ZUWKmakXcST9RomCVY5LlIUUPPbigwfH7NrQviXza42oGUHao-jrEjoH-77XZ81fkq_FKPSfxCCw2Ebo9BqDWcatl7MPUHdWoL4aLW7500712BpcYrcn6HX3r-bzc/s640/azkals-champion.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Photo via interaksyon.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: white;">No, the naysayers can't take away the satisfaction
this victory has given us Pinoy football fans. Also, this wasn't just about the
feel-good factor of being champions and preparations for a much bigger prize,
the AFF Suzuki Cup. This was also about the future. A number of the young
players who shone in this tournament will be crucial in helping sustain the
progress Philippine football is making, in battling for our flag and colors in
campaigns to come.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Of course, they have yet to be tested against
tougher opponents and that's what the Bahrain training camp and the matches
against Bahrain, Kuwait and Singapore are for, to toughen them up and prepare
them for the much more difficult opponents they'll be facing in the Suzuki Cup.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">In the meantime, let's all enjoy this moment and
thank you Philippine Azkals. We are the Peace Cup Champions! Campeones,
campeones! Oe! Oe! Oe!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #454545; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30 September 2012, Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-12818283258288222582012-09-11T07:41:00.000+08:002012-09-11T07:41:44.623+08:00AZKALS ASEAN Tour<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />As
part for the preparations of the upcoming AFF 2012 Suzuki Cup tournament, the
Philippine Men’s National Football Team also known as the Azkals engaged in a
series of friendlies away from home against Cambodia, Singapore and Laos from 5-10
September 2012.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A
scoreless draw against Cambodia, a historic win 0-2 wins against Singapore and
a 2-1 loss to Laos. Notwithstanding the fantastic win versus Singapore, I’d
hate to say that this was a disappointing campaign. I don’t think I’m the only
one around saying we should have done better. True, these are essentially
practice matches in preparation for the main objective (Suzuki Cup) and a whole
lot of lessons were probably learned, but the team could have definitely done a
whole lot better. I’m sure the coaching staff and the players know and feel
that way as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
is interesting to note that the Azkals’ victory was in the match where they
were the acknowledged underdogs, and they played really well in that match.
Special mention goes to Stephan Schroeck who was a cut above everyone else. Yet
in the matches where they were favored to win, they drew one and lost the
other. While the Cambodia match was disappointing, it wasn’t that bad compared
to the Laos match as the Azkals were very much in control of the match. It was
a matter of lousy finishing and missed chances. Against Laos, they let the
gamesmanship and bad calls get to them in addition to failing to take control
of the match and dominate. Despite the dodgy stuff, the Laotians played fairly
well and made things difficult for the Azkals in contrast to the Cambodians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rHe0jOXmgo/UE5DAvJUs1I/AAAAAAAAAb8/IsVCFuQfWQk/s1600/schrocky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--rHe0jOXmgo/UE5DAvJUs1I/AAAAAAAAAb8/IsVCFuQfWQk/s640/schrocky.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo via interaksyon.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
there is no point in crying over spilled milk, we might as well dwell on the
lessons and points this series of friendlies have highlighted. There’s a number
of them, and whether you may agree with me or not, here’s what I think:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
Younghusband and Guirado brothers continue to be important members of the
national team. Given their contribution at the recent AFC Challenge Cup, one
wonders how these friendlies would have turned out if the Guirado brothers were
available to play. The absence of the Younghusband brothers in the Laos match
and their contribution in the Singapore victory clearly points out how valuable
they are to the team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Denis
Wolf and Patrick Reichelt provide added depth to the team’s offensive options.
This is good to have, especially in tournaments where a series of matches are
played within a few days. Depth of the squad and ability to bring in fresh
players without sacrificing the quality on the pitch are among the keys to
success. However, they need to work on their finishing. The team needs to be
more efficient in front of goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Stephan
Shroeck is a game changer, top class and excellent quality. Problem is, will he
be available during the Suzuki Cup?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Chieffy
is slowly finding form and hopefully the big number of matches lined up before
the Suzuki Cup should help him be at his best when the tournament starts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Our
defense is shallow and aging. Juani Guirado and Dennis Cagara are needed to
provide added depth to our defensive options. While Aly Borromeo is on the
mend, it will take a while for him to get back to his previous imperious form.
I have my doubts if he will be fully ready when the Suzuki Cup starts. He may
be fit to play by then but probably won’t be 100% in terms of the quality we
expect from him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Converting
Jeffrey Christaens into a left back appears to be promising. However, this is
for the long term as more time and experience will be needed for Christaens to
grow into this new role. For the Suzuki Cup, I’d like to see Ray Jonsson and
Dennis Cagara cover this spot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As
shown by the Laos match, the Azkals need to learn how to deal with efforts of
their opponent to get into their heads. They are no longer underdogs now and
weaker teams will likely try to disrupt the Azkals’ game and cause them to lose
their composure in the match to even things up a bit on the pitch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I’m
sure there are more points and lessons from this ASEAN Tour but the ones above
are what stick out prominently for me. The upcoming Peace Cup this month will
be another good opportunity for the Azkals to get ready for the Suzuki Cup. I
hope they do better on that tournament than they did in their ASEAN Tour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">10
September 2012, Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-13836813845740334902012-08-31T11:45:00.003+08:002012-08-31T11:45:42.673+08:00Home Ground – Football Stadium in Philippines<br />
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<br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A bit of news being
passed around several months ago was House Bill 4298, which appropriates 300
million pesos for the construction of a 75,000-capacity world-class football
stadium in the Philippines. Now that's quite an ambitious goal but if carried out
properly, it would be a good development for the Philippine football community.<br />
<br />
We would have a proper home ground for our national football teams. A
75,000-capacity stadium is huge. If we could fill that, it will be quite an
experience, not only for the spectators but for the players as well. I have
been to the Bernabeu, home ground of Real Madrid, and watched a few matches
there. It is an 80,000-capacity stadium. Around the globe, it’s not the only
one of that size. Close to us, there’s the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in
Jakarta; an 88,000- capacity stadium; Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
accommodates 104,000 spectators; Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo in
Ecuador; 83,000-stadium capacity; Westfalenstadiun in Germany; 80,000-stadium
capacity; Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul; 75,000-stadium capacity; Japan, Seoul
and others also have their fair share of high capacity football stadiums. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">It would be truly great for
us to have something like that for Philippine football here. A venue for
international matches and premiere football fixtures that we could be proud of
and where we can derive maximum enjoyment from the experience of watching a
live football match. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdAssm1N534sdPaTAy5QsEWFy0sKDNFEZEqWx1z53wIINTzb1B02EkUEQlWk8jPGUHXJXmyR5OqCOpyTEijXC-nThR_XEij4-g_ysjRiEwS4M5-in64t5ZvdblTrfM9tGh7IPFmT2-jw/s1600/DSC09877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdAssm1N534sdPaTAy5QsEWFy0sKDNFEZEqWx1z53wIINTzb1B02EkUEQlWk8jPGUHXJXmyR5OqCOpyTEijXC-nThR_XEij4-g_ysjRiEwS4M5-in64t5ZvdblTrfM9tGh7IPFmT2-jw/s640/DSC09877.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rizal Memorial Stadium. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo via bleachersbrew</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Furthermore, a world-class stadium and venue for football would enhance
our Federation's ability to attract high profile teams to play here and
increase our chances of securing rights to hosting tournaments. In turn, these
events provide revenue streams for the Federation and the country. They also
provide opportunity for us to not only raise the profile of Philippine football
domestically but internationally as well as these matches are usually huge
media events. The bigger the teams involved, the larger the media profile,
exposure, and it also becomes a pretty good occasion for projecting a positive
image of our country.<br />
<br />
I fully agree with the objective of establishing a world-class home ground for
our national teams. This is a logical step forward in the development of
football in the Philippines.<br />
<br />
Now, whether 300 million pesos will be enough to fund a world-class
75,000-capacity football stadium remains to be seen. Personally, I think that
will not be enough for a proper stadium of that size. However, if Congress
appropriates the money for that purpose and allows some form of partnership with
a local government unit and/or private investors, now we're looking at
something feasible. It's a starting point and the online community of
Philippine football supporters and advocates has been discussing this
development at length. There are lots of pros and cons involved and some very
valuable and interesting insights have been raised and debated in those
discussions.<br />
<br />
I find merit in the debate concerning the size of the stadium. Going for 75,000
seating capacity might be a bit premature at this stage. Large capacity means
larger income and lower prices, but there are other factors involved too such
as accessibility, supporting infrastructure, etc. Some have suggested 30-40,000
capacity and that might be worth looking into. <br />
<br />
The size of the stadium is critical as this not only impacts the cost to build
it and then maintain once it is operational, it also impacts the question on
where it should be located. The latest bit of news on this topic noted that at
the House Committee hearing they couldn't agree on where the stadium should be
located. In online discussions there was spirited debate on this matter also.
Clark has been mentioned, and so has the reclamation area in the vicinity of
the Mall of Asia in southern Metro Manila with regard to NCR. Of course, there
also advocates for locating the stadium in the traditional hotbeds of the sport
in this country, in Western Visayas. Bukidnon and Davao also get mentioned on
behalf of Mindanao. <br />
</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucHPyJVC9P4/UEABNbwKOyI/AAAAAAAAAbg/NpSYe4PJMBs/s1600/panaad+stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ucHPyJVC9P4/UEABNbwKOyI/AAAAAAAAAbg/NpSYe4PJMBs/s640/panaad+stadium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">My take on this issue is that if this is to be the home ground of our
national football teams, then it should be in the vicinity of NCR or Clark. My
consideration here is in relation to international matches. At the moment, most
international flights go through the Metro Manila airports. This will be a
factor for teams coming to play here, and it will facilitate matters if we make
it as convenient for them as possible. <br />
<br />
Of course, I would not want the other provinces to be neglected. I'd say let
regions also have their own stadiums and this should be in fact be part of the
over-all long-term plan. I only favor NCR or Clark in terms of the home ground
for the national football teams.<br />
<br />
Another relevant point of discussion is whether to build one from scratch or to
rehabilitate and/or renovate existing ones such as Rizal Memorial Football
Stadium and Panaad Stadium in Bacolod. This is a practical option also and may
even provide better value for the money appropriated for the purpose. A sort of
two stadiums for the price of one deal. UMAK was mentioned in discussions on this
topic. However, I think the City of Makati has more than enough resources to
fix up the UMAK football grounds and stadium.<br />
<br />
There are other points of consideration too, such as parking issues and
infrastructure in relation to access to the location, amenities, services, etc.
There is also the issue of sustainability and maintenance costs.<br />
<br />
The good thing is that the bill is still in the committee level at the House of
Representatives, which means it isn't final and hearings are being conducted to
debate the merits of the proposed legislation and perhaps fine-tune its
provisions. This means there is opportunity to thresh out details to help
ensure that this bill is properly crafted. That it will have the necessary
provisions to ensure the effective implementation of efforts aimed at achieving
the goal of building a truly world class high capacity football stadium.
Perhaps the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development should study some
of the points and issues raised in the discussions in relation to the building
of a football stadium. Public hearings or town hall type of consultations with
the football community at large should enhance the work of the Committee in
getting this bill passed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvdFr607z33lqIAz1NYbxZx8UagUxTF-CrOeEoEDarGjKNJjNj11b-gUE-w5z5Fa6Vnfk3ypfxY9-sOAXiCh-InrOasgqwl25ZVaCLLIROkXCcsaByhK6SC3DbXuQS23Kp-X-VBTJp4c/s1600/Entry+points+for+RMFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvdFr607z33lqIAz1NYbxZx8UagUxTF-CrOeEoEDarGjKNJjNj11b-gUE-w5z5Fa6Vnfk3ypfxY9-sOAXiCh-InrOasgqwl25ZVaCLLIROkXCcsaByhK6SC3DbXuQS23Kp-X-VBTJp4c/s640/Entry+points+for+RMFS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seating Chart, Rizal Memorial Stadium. Photo via bleachersbrew</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You see, there is
still a long process ahead before this bill is passed and the possibility still
exists that the bill may not even prosper. It is important that attention to
details and proper studies are conducted so that the merits of the bill are
strong enough for it to be passed into law.<br />
<br />
As supporters, we love the passion we feel for this game. Part of that passion
stems from the strong emotions that football tends to bring out in all of us
and the need to defend our turf or home ground is one of the strongest emotion
or feeling that we all possess. We've got a taste of this at Panaad and at
Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. So if Congress is looking to give us a bigger
taste of defending our home ground with a proper stadium, whether it is Panaad,
Rizal or a totally new stadium, then let's go for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2012 Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-15237723975700894262012-06-07T16:14:00.000+08:002012-06-07T16:14:55.453+08:00Home and Away: Azkals vs Indonesia<br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was supposed to be
a friendly but one couldn't be faulted for thinking there was a lot more at
stake. A bench clearing fracas and 3 red cards surely added to the passion and
tension on the field of play. Well, considering that pride was at stake and both
sides had points to prove, that alone ups the ante considerably. A rivalry in
the making perhaps? I wouldn't mind at all, because to be embroiled in a
football rivalry is a sign that our national team is being taken seriously by
its opponent.<br />
<br />
In the end, the Philippine - Indonesia match ended in a 2-2 draw. For us, this
was supposed to be the payback for the home game we never had against the
Indonesians at the semifinals of the 2010 Suzuki Cup, though it wasn't the
Indonesia's fault our team had to face a hostile environment twice. You can
thank the previous regime at the PFF for that debacle. Indonesia beat us on
both legs 1-0 and the "what if we had one leg of that semi played at
home" has been foremost on most minds of Filipino football supporters. The
Tuesday night clash against Indonesia at home was expected to provide an
answer, some form of closure to that lingering question out of the recent past.
Never mind that our national team, the Azkals, have come a long way from then,
achieved historical milestones for Philippine football and improved
considerably over a short period of time. Never mind if the current teams are
so different from the ones that clashed 2 years ago. No, this was a time of
reckoning for the Philippines, payback of some sort.<br />
<br />
Indonesia on the other hand had more current concerns and a much different
point to prove coming into this clash. That Suzuki Cup semis 2 years ago for
them was likely a thing of the past. They have bigger problems" at the
moment. They run the risk of missing out on the 2012 Suzuki Cup this year due
to off-field problems that could find their Federation suspended from
international competitions. Problems brought about by a rift in their domestic
league has spilled over and affected their national team. As a result, they
have a very young squad and one very much different that lost to Malaysia at
the Suzuki Cup finals 2 years ago. You wouldn't be too far off if you described
the Indonesian football situation as one in turmoil. For the Indonesians, this
match was about making a statement that they are still in contention that they
are still among Southeast Asia's (pardon the pun) top dogs despite their
off-field problems.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uvxjV-E71WI/T9BhuvrHSoI/AAAAAAAAAa4/42YlKkCCzIc/s1600/phil-younghusband-vs-indonesia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uvxjV-E71WI/T9BhuvrHSoI/AAAAAAAAAa4/42YlKkCCzIc/s640/phil-younghusband-vs-indonesia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo via <a href="http://interaksyon.com/">interaksyon.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<br />
So the stage was set, 2 teams out to make a statement. A strong and vastly
improved Philippine team with almost all key players available, facing a
slightly young and inexperienced Indonesian side. The script for this dramatic
clash was calling for a victory for the Philippine side; all the elements were
in place for such a result. Well, that's football for you and the beauty of
this game, it doesn't follow scripts. This game loves to throw monkey wrenches
into well laid out plans and scenarios, and whether we know it or not, is most
probably the reason why we all love this game so much.<br />
<br />
As it turned out, our Azkals had to fight back and display that dogged (this
time pun intended) determination once again to equalize twice to come out with
a draw for this match. What was hoped to be a moment of glory turned out to be
a sigh of relief. We could have won this match, we should have but we didn't. A
Philippine victory over Indonesia in football will have to wait until the next
opportunity we face them.<br />
<br />
Disappointing, perhaps yes because our team were clearly dominant this time,
had better percentage of ball possession and more numerous and better chances
at goal. Wait, the Philippines dominated and controlled most of the match had
more shots at goal and greater ball possession against Indonesia? Well, that's
new. Not only that, our Coach fiddled around with the line-up and had 4
starters on the bench for the first half and put in 2 young kids (Ott and
Angeles) in charge of holding central midfield.<br />
<br />
People would say that it was weak Indonesia team, yet they led twice and we
needed to grab a draw to salvage some pride. Well, that's exactly the point
because I saw the match as a reversal of roles. For a change, we see the Azkals
playing as the more dominant team against Indonesia who, strangely enough, were
playing the way the Azkals do when faced with superior opponents. Indonesia
were playing in a way you would expect an away team to play, cautious,
defensive and waiting for an opportunity to take their chances on a
counter-attack especially if the home team is effectively controlling the match.
Sounds and looks familiar? Well yes, because the Azkals minus 3 key players
were playing the same way away to a full strength Malaysia side in Kuala Lumpur
just a few days before the match with Indonesia. I just love the irony in that,
es futbol. The only difference in the 2-2 draw with Indonesia is that they made
their few chances at goal count, 2 out of 4 to our 2 out of 10 shots at goal.
In the Malaysia match, both sides failed to make any of their attempts to score
count.<br />
<br />
Some people will feel that it is the score line that matters. True to some
extent, but this was a friendly. Heck, even in competitions, not even the
better team wins. Ask Barcelona FC about their UEFA Champions League semifinal
clash with eventual champions Chelsea and I'm sure they will agree with that
point. I think the bigger picture we need to see from this match against
Indonesia was that we were the better team in this match. Of course, there's
still a lot of room for improvement and lots of work to do, but at the least
this match also showed everyone what the Azkals are capable of on the pitch and
how much they have progressed in just 2 years time. Need proof, just look at
how the Indonesians played against our team. The Indonesians played like the
underdog in this match, they did so because they knew coming into this match
that the Azkals were the better team even if they wouldn't directly say so in
public. Their actions on the pitch reveal more than their words and clearly
manifest that point. Now tell me if that isn't a sign of respect from a country
who over the decades has consistently beaten our football teams 18 times out of
20 occasions including this most recent match. The other 2 matches were draws.<br />
<br />
Well, we came close this time around. We were literally inches away (e.g.
Angel's header that hit the crossbar) from a victory over Indonesia. In my
opinion, that ain't too bad at all. There will be other occasions in the
future, both at home or even away, and you can be sure that Indonesia won't be
taking our team lightly anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2012 Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-86583108317011435082012-06-03T18:55:00.000+08:002012-06-03T18:57:54.621+08:00Honors Even Between the Azkals and Tigers<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It
was a well earned nil-nil draw that the Philippine Azkals got out of their
friendly match against the Malaysian Tigers. It was a considerably commendable
feat, especially when we take into account the fact that in four previous
matches the Philippines played on Malaysian turf it all ended in defeat for our
side. The Philippines is definitely no longer the whipping boys of Southeast
Asia and the Azkals continue to show marked progress and promise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
obligation to win this match loomed larger for the hosts. In the last friendly held
here in Manila, they brought in a squad that left out some of their top players
and they were lucky to equalize and draw the match in the dying minutes after
trailing the Philippines Azkals 1-nil for some time. They also complained about
the condition of the pitch. Well then, the stage was set for this return
edition for the Malaysians to set the record straight. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">They
were playing on home ground where they hold a formidable record, and had their
full complement of starters from their AFF championship squad available. Might
I also add that the match officials were also Malaysian. That wouldn’t have
been a problem if there weren’t some calls that were…I’d rather not say, though
I credit Neil Etheridge and Darren Hartmann for their attempt to be as
diplomatic as possible during their TV commentary when they made comment on
some of the calls of the referee. The subtlety of the sarcasm was typically
English. It might be worthwhile to note too that Dan Palami had a very subtle
tweet about the match officials and Coach Weiss was quoted in an article making
a comment on the use of officials from the hosting nation for international
friendlies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ksFDF94NeN0/T8tCD64hbOI/AAAAAAAAAas/7jWgY-VNRF8/s1600/azkals-malaysia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ksFDF94NeN0/T8tCD64hbOI/AAAAAAAAAas/7jWgY-VNRF8/s640/azkals-malaysia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/assets/2012/02/azkals-malaysia.jpg" target="_blank">Photo via interaksyon.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Anyway,
problems with referees and officiating are always part and parcel of football,
what matters in the end is sticking that ball into the goal more times than
your opponent does. Last night you would think that players from both sides
were doing their darned best to miss the goal, the Malaysians especially who
had several pretty good chances. But as Chelsea has shown to everyone in the
footballing world in their semifinals against Barcelona in the recently
concluded UEFA Champions League, you don’t need that many chances at goal if
you put away the few chances that you get and your opponent fails to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So
while the Malaysian coach and many others may feel that they deserved to win
that match given the chances they created, I still say the honors were even
that evening because they failed to convert those opportunities. We may have
had much fewer chances at goal but if only one of those went in, the resulting
victory would have been well deserved. Go ask Chelsea FC, the current UEFA
Champions League champions, I’m sure they’ll agree with my point. But as it
turns out, no goals were made that evening and as I said, the honors were even.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We
had a pretty good squad for that match but were missing several key players –
the Younghusbands, Neil Etheridge, Ray Jonsson, Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara.
One could go on with the “what ifs” had these other players been available, but
there is no point to keep dwelling on that matter. This is a challenge our
national team faces every time they are going to play, and it is something we
just have to learn how to deal with and overcome. Based on last night’s result,
it appears that the Azkals coped with that challenge fairly well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
Malaysians had a nervous start but settled down as the match progressed.
Cohesion and teamwork issues continue to hound the Azkals and it manifested
itself in this match. No question about individual skill and talent, we got
loads of it on the pitch. It’s the matter of putting it together into a system
that needs further work. As long as the PFF keeps maximizing the opportunities
to arrange matches for the Azkals this objective will eventually be achieved. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Our
goalkeeper Roland Muller was definitely man of the match for the Philippines. Stephan
Schroeck is on another level entirely, an exciting player to watch. Though
still needs to gel and get in sync some more with the rest (or the others need
to start getting in sync with him) of the team. One other Azkal that impressed
me a lot in this match was Marwin (or was it Marvin) Angeles. His entry into
the match brought a positive impact into the game of the Azkals. He even had a
crack at goal, narrowly missing it. This is one for the future given his age,
shows lots of promise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Well,
that’s one down and there will be plenty of lessons to be learned from this
draw against Malaysia and some adjustments to be made for the upcoming matches.
There are two more matches up ahead, against Indonesia at Rizal Memorial
Football Stadium in Manila on 05 June and against Guam at Panaad stadium in
Bacolod City on 12 June. There’s also news of a training camp in August in
Chicago, U.S.A. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">These
are all good developments. The Philippine national football team needs to play
as much as it can. I am glad that the PFF and the management of the national
team are taking advantage of every opportunity to play as frequently as
possible, whether it be friendly matches, training matches or competitions.
This draw against Malaysia on their home ground is a validation of that effort.
So keep it up Azkals, keep making us proud. We Believe!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2012
June, Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-27287384072023172502012-05-20T10:27:00.001+08:002012-05-20T10:27:33.993+08:00A Bright Spark for the UFL<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It’s
been billed as historical and there’s no mistake about that. A Philippine
football club is competing in an international club tournament, a development
that would be a great boost, or should we say, a bright spark for the United
Football League (UFL).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
occasion is the 2012 edition of the Singapore Cup football tournament. It is
the 15<sup>th</sup> staging of this annual tournament and UFL 1<sup>st</sup>
Division team Loyola Meralco Sparks was among the 7 foreign clubs invited to
participate in this tournament. The Singapore Cup starts off with a round of 16
single knock-out match and the Meralco Sparks found themselves up against
Singapore club Geyland United.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">No
matter where your allegiances lie with regard to UFL clubs, I’m sure every
Filipino football fan was supporting the Meralco Sparks in their match against
Geyland United. This wasn’t just about the Meralco Sparks; this was also about
Philippine football. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We
all know the great strides made by our national football team, the Azkals, and
what their achievements and historical milestones have done for the rebirth and
growing popularity of the sport of football in the Philippines. The local
football scene and most especially, the UFL, has greatly benefited from the
rise of the Azkals. In the same manner by which the Azkals have made very rapid
gains, the UFL in a short period of time has been steadily transforming itself into
a proper football league. The television coverage deal with AKTV that airs 2
live UFL matches on Saturdays is a major development for the league and is a vital
component to its growth. Exposure and recognition is key to the UFL’s success,
television coverage will help achieve that goal. In addition to that, we now have
a football league from a neighboring country inviting one of our football clubs
to join their tournament. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One
cannot overstate the significance of the occasion. A major part of it is about that
longed for local and international recognition for Philippine football, and in
this particular case, for the UFL and our domestic game in general. That to me
is another big step forward. That to me is also validation that our domestic
football, just like our national team, has finally landed on the football map
of Southeast Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlD6O8bdzllGWd5PUzokegd3Q4u3MynYEO2VU3lbzi5323Y9ULuk1Xi9r0zWjbY17IsSmN-bHwmsqmkgSN37JkO_K1SIjg-syZfbodmc4wU5LONzrkdoJIJlCjKCQ9QKZr0Jt9fVpvU0/s1600/rhb-cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlD6O8bdzllGWd5PUzokegd3Q4u3MynYEO2VU3lbzi5323Y9ULuk1Xi9r0zWjbY17IsSmN-bHwmsqmkgSN37JkO_K1SIjg-syZfbodmc4wU5LONzrkdoJIJlCjKCQ9QKZr0Jt9fVpvU0/s400/rhb-cup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo via quotednews.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
other significance of this is the opportunity to see how the quality of our
domestic league matches up with the other leagues in the region. Judging from
the performance of the Meralco Sparks against Geyland United, they did fairly
well. Not content with just simply getting invited to the tournament, Meralco
Sparks knocked out Geyland United by winning 1-2 at extra time. It was a
grueling match, fairly even in my opinion and the Meralco Sparks showed
tremendous spirit to hang on to their lead and go through to the
quarter-finals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It
will be argued that the Meralco Sparks faced a team that was languishing in the
bottom rung of the S-League and weren’t really considered the underdogs in this
match-up. However, the Meralco Sparks had a lot of improvising to do with their
line-up as well. The match could have gone either way, but in the end the
Meralco Sparks found a way through the next round. It is going to get much
tougher for the Sparks. They will face a club from Myanmar, Kanbawza, who
dispatched Wellington Woodlands of Singapore 1-2 to get to the next round. The
quarter-finals will be a 2-legged match in July. That should provide the Sparks
with enough time to have their full roster of players fit and ready for the
upcoming challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
may not root for the Sparks in the UFL, but I am surely wishing them all the
best in the Singapore Cup. A glorious opportunity awaits them and I am hopeful
they will take this as far as they can, if not all the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2012
Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-47146371669261099772012-05-12T23:18:00.000+08:002012-05-12T23:24:04.870+08:00Mother and Son<div style="text-align: center;">
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<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">I am an
artist<span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">And my child is my song<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">One that I composed<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">One I sing all day long;<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Loud and proud for the world to hear<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">I raised him, nurtured him<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Held him close, fought away his fears.</span><o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JUPXk_GgWBA/T659MqNuHUI/AAAAAAAAAY4/4KPX-dunzEc/s1600/CMG+Side+Profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JUPXk_GgWBA/T659MqNuHUI/AAAAAAAAAY4/4KPX-dunzEc/s400/CMG+Side+Profile.jpg" width="357" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Charcoal paint by Grandfather PQ Gallaga</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 200%;">I am an artist</span></div>
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<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">And my child is my art<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">One that I painted<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">One I could never part;<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Although displayed for the world to see<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">I protected him, cradled him<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">And in my heart, he will forever belong to me.<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fbDyafn_6QQ/T659zGSZfRI/AAAAAAAAAZA/rBhtH8TJKIQ/s1600/CMG_toddler+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fbDyafn_6QQ/T659zGSZfRI/AAAAAAAAAZA/rBhtH8TJKIQ/s400/CMG_toddler+pic.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;">I am a mother<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">And my child is my life<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">One who I adore<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">One who I comfort during sad times and strife;<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">For I love my child and I hold him dear<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">I support him, help him<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
<h4 style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">And I wish him happiness in all his years.<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;"> </span></h4>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Moira Garcia Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-764L9_OmhCs/T66ASvXEOBI/AAAAAAAAAZI/34kl-5NHC30/s1600/mothersday2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-764L9_OmhCs/T66ASvXEOBI/AAAAAAAAAZI/34kl-5NHC30/s400/mothersday2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Frolicking with Ciaran</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-28807069047825821502012-05-02T12:13:00.001+08:002012-05-02T12:14:33.808+08:00Is the Philippines an Orphan? | The Diplomat<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://the-diplomat.com/2012/05/02/is-the-philippines-an-orphan/">Is the Philippines an Orphan? | The Diplomat</a>: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While ASEAN is striving to arrive at a consensus on the issue, China will continue to do as it pleases. Divide and conquer, the Chinese evidently know what they are doing. The impasse and the status quo is definitely in China’s favor as it is in a position to unilaterally exert influence and assert its claims. Before long, another islet or shoal will find a “fisherman’s shelter” built on it by the Chinese and later on morph into a base as what happened in the Mischief Reef. Will the Philippines be able to get China to dismantle those structures on Mischief Reef? I doubt even a united ASEAN can do so, Mischief Reef is effectively China’s now. While ASEAN talks and talks, China conducts creeping occupation over disputed territories. It is not surprising that Vietnam has been active alongside the Philippines and adopting the same positions, their Navy has tangled with the Chinese Navy in the past. The threat is very real to them. In the meantime, China is showing to one and all that in the end, “might makes right.” - Moira G Gallaga</span></div>
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<a class="comment-reply-link" href="http://the-diplomat.com/2012/05/02/is-the-philippines-an-orphan/?replytocom=31454#respond" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://the-diplomat.com/wp-content/themes/thediplomat/images/icons/icon_arrow_red_right.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 3px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-15967916192919323472012-04-24T20:30:00.000+08:002012-04-24T20:30:47.628+08:00This is the UFL, Not the UFC<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Last
Saturday (21 April 2012), a twitter post from UFL Chairman and KAYA FC owner,
Santi Araneta, caught my attention. It made a reference to an incident in the
UFL match between Kaya FC and Air Force that day. We didn’t get to see that
match because my son’s team was playing at the Fleet Marine football tournament
on that same day too.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However,
based from Mr. Araneta’s tweet he was calling attention about the failure of the
referee to punish an Air Force player with a red card for a closed fist punch
on a Kaya FC player. He was calling for action to be taken by the disciplinary
committee for this incident which was clearly seen on TV and in subsequent
replays. He also tweeted about how playing against the armed Forces is more UFC
than UFL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now
this got my attention because a few weeks back I wrote an article for
Pinoyfootball about <a href="http://www.pinoyfootball.com/articles/11100552/MEN-IN-BLACK-%E2%80%A6with-Whistle-and-those-Colored-cards" target="_blank">the poor standards of refereeing here</a>, particularly at UFL matches. This
incident more or less helps confirm my observations and opinion. This also
shows that I am not the only one concerned about the situation and its
implications for the game here in the Philippines. Also, you will note in that
article that I acknowledge that refereeing errors will always be part and
parcel of the game. However, I take particular issue in that article concerning
the abilities of our local referees to exert consistency and control with
regard to “violent,” undisciplined and unruly behaviour of players.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
will acknowledge that football is a tough game that some teams will play a
physical match and resort to rough tactics and acts to intimidate opposing
players. However, I feel there is a fine line between playing a “physical” game
as opposed to being “violent” and malicious. There are hard tackles, but going
in two-footed with studs up is not acceptable. Flying elbows, stamping, knee
strikes and punches don’t belong in the game and players who indulge in these
don’t belong in the pitch either. It’s the referee’s job and responsibility to
make sure that the fine line isn’t being crossed. They need to be in control
and they need to show the players they are in control. Rules have to be
enforced, players’ safety must be assured and undesirable behaviour must be
punished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There
are some players who play in such a manner, so-called enforcers and “hard men,”
though in my opinion these are types of players of a bygone age and should no
longer have a place in modern football. However, even “clean” players can
sometimes get provoked or get caught up in the heat of the moment. This is
where the referee plays a crucial role. They have to be able to keep “dirty”
players in line or punish them accordingly and make sure the atmosphere of the
match does not boil over where everyone feels the need to take some form of
action because the referee is not doing anything about it. A bad foul goes
un-punished, the opposing team retaliates to even the score as they feel they
get no protection from the referee against these underhanded tactics, and so on
and so forth. If the referee isn’t on top of the situation, the situation
escalates and fans and supporters of both teams get treated to some ugly
spectacle and incidents on the pitch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhaZtn2ld_V1yC0iLJ2-f6WyqgXir5rSMAsepEPredYyZ0V9YXRiDIY_074X01sjQDG1nxoNlfByatGIqbd4eqC1MDEimZvkwyi6OYBd7htD05G86bzJDZVVMzXqbDrktJLxYVJf14ag/s1600/04222012_uflcup-04212012_airforcefc-kayafc_tg6840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhaZtn2ld_V1yC0iLJ2-f6WyqgXir5rSMAsepEPredYyZ0V9YXRiDIY_074X01sjQDG1nxoNlfByatGIqbd4eqC1MDEimZvkwyi6OYBd7htD05G86bzJDZVVMzXqbDrktJLxYVJf14ag/s400/04222012_uflcup-04212012_airforcefc-kayafc_tg6840.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo via uflphilippines.com</span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
never liked to be negative and prefer to be dwelling on positive aspects of
things, but I feel that this aspect of refereeing in the UFL needs to be
addressed. This is the UFL, not the UFC. Violent play or actions, and ill
disciplined behaviour should not be tolerated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">To
go back to last Saturday’s incident, it appears that both players were meted
out yellow cards and that it was the second yellow card for the Kaya player
hence his getting sent off. However, as far as I know, a closed-fist punch whether
it connected or not is a straight red in any league. Let’s say we give the
referee the benefit of the doubt and he didn’t see the punch, how about the
assistant referees? Now if the match officials didn’t notice or see the punch,
I agree with Mr. Araneta’s point of having a disciplinary committee review the
action, especially if television footage can help determine the fact. If I’m
not mistaken, there are precedents of post-match review of serious infractions
committed in a match, especially when it pertains to acts of violence or unruly
behaviour. Even if there are no precedents, I think it would be wise for the
UFL and football authorities in the Philippines to take effective steps to weed
out this unsavoury aspect of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This
type of actions, behaviour and mentality has no place in our football
community. Let’s look long term and see if such behaviour will benefit our
teams and players. Perhaps in a local milieu these so-called “hard” and
“physical” tactics, and tough guy personas may work to some extent to rattle
opposing teams, however, I doubt if these type of behaviour or attitude will
bring any benefits when it’s brought on the international stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
for one look to seeing our clubs playing in tournaments around the region
(Loyola Meralco Sparks have already been invited to a tournament in Singapore)
and having more local-based players play for the national team. Is a “physical”
approach to the game going to be helpful against teams with much bigger and
stronger players? Is a “hard man” or tough guy attitude going to help, much
less intimidate other more seasoned teams and players? It’s probably only going
to end up in our player getting a red card and leaving the team short-handed
and at a serious disadvantage to finish out the match. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">No,
there is no room for these undesirable and dangerous attitudes and actions. We
don’t need these in our football. Let’s focus on developing skill and ability
in playing proper football and not in martial arts. One area where we can start
in reaching this objective is by having better referees and improving
refereeing standards. We could add to that proper supervision and oversight by
a disciplinary committee that will lay down the standards and guidelines for
everyone connected to the league – teams, coaches, players, match officials,
etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Before
I am misunderstood, let me be clear that I’m not saying that the unsavoury
aspects of the game will be fully weeded out. I’m realistic enough to know that
that level of perfection is unlikely considering that even top leagues in
Europe are not without its faults and shortcomings. But at least, there should
be a clear and conscious effort from authorities that shows to everyone on and
off the pitch that these sort of shenanigans are not tolerated or encouraged in
the league. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
UFL is, and will be a key component to the growth and success of football here
in the Philippines. The success and the growth of this league will be vital to
the sport’s future in our country. The league, its clubs and players will serve
as inspiration and role models to succeeding generations of Filipino football
players. In this regard, I think it would be a good idea that there is no
confusion between the UFL and the UFC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2012
Moira G Gallaga©<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-68624205853204480262012-04-15T08:29:00.001+08:002012-04-16T17:47:37.143+08:00ALKALINE IONIZED DRINKING WATER PURCHASE OPTIONS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yECxoeYEC_0/T4kmSRM9HEI/AAAAAAAAAX0/avcZp7ttfpU/s1600/Moiralogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yECxoeYEC_0/T4kmSRM9HEI/AAAAAAAAAX0/avcZp7ttfpU/s320/Moiralogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">VITALIZE... ENERGIZE... ALKALIZE... IONIZE!!!</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Telephone Numbers: 296-6183; 0922-845-1379</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">twitter: moiragallaga</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">PROMO 1</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;">FREE</span> use of Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser (for 5gal. Round Poly)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<span style="color: red;">FREE</span> cleaning of dispenser unit every 2 weeks</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<span style="color: red;">FREE</span> use of water container. No deposit required.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: blue;"> FREE DELIVERY!!!</span> (within designated area)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Initial order of FIVE (5) pcs. 5gal. Round Poly or 5gal. Slim with Faucet P225.00</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Weekly order of THREE (3) 5gal. Round Poly Refill or 5gal. Slim with Faucet Refill P135.00</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser <span style="color: red;">FREE USE</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Initial Contract 12 months (Renewable)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser and Containers to be returned upon termination of contract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>PROMO 2</b></span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<span style="color: red;">FREE</span> use of Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser (for 5gal. Round Poly)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<span style="color: red;">FREE</span> cleaning of dispenser unit every 2 weeks</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">
<span style="color: red;">FREE</span> use of water container. No deposit required.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: blue;">FREE DELIVERY!!!</span> (within designated area)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Initial order of EIGHT (8) pcs. 5gal. Round Poly or 5gal. Slim with Faucet P360.00</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Weekly order of SIX (6) 5gal. Round Poly Refill or 5gal. Slim with Faucet Refill P270.00</span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser <span style="color: red;">FREE USE</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Initial Contract 12 months (Renewable)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser and Containers to be returned upon termination of contract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>PROMO 3</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;">FREE</span> use of Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser (for 5gal. Round Poly)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;">FREE</span> cleaning of dispenser unit every 2 weeks</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;">FREE</span> use of water container. No deposit required.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: blue;">FREE DELIVERY!!!</span> (within designated area)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Initial order of TEN (10) pcs. 5gal. Round Poly or 5gal. Slim with Faucet P450.00</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Weekly order of EIGHT (8) 5gal. Round Poly Refill or 5gal. Slim with Faucet Refill P360.00</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser <span style="color: red;">FREE USE</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Initial Contract 12 months (Renewable)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">***Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser and Containers to be returned upon termination of contract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">PROMO 4</span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">GET A HOT AND COLD DISPENSER IN 6 MONTHS!!!</span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">With a MINIMUM order of FOUR (4) 5gal. Round Poly a week</span></h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoyp-6SX7XZFY6nWf0aeZ9hh0wueO-l8y0S3XLz1CzxRrv4LlGgpMwxEosaj4P4SNDJpKGNcnfM-BcQQg2QXMlqFCZyHqYUIuqdCbPzGfoblSOq7eNgIh7Sv9iHHJFix42UvSSfBzwyA/s1600/c2259ea6d587fcce5aa23200d60d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoyp-6SX7XZFY6nWf0aeZ9hh0wueO-l8y0S3XLz1CzxRrv4LlGgpMwxEosaj4P4SNDJpKGNcnfM-BcQQg2QXMlqFCZyHqYUIuqdCbPzGfoblSOq7eNgIh7Sv9iHHJFix42UvSSfBzwyA/s200/c2259ea6d587fcce5aa23200d60d.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hot and Cold Stand type Dispenser</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>OPTION 1</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">YOU CAN OWN</span> a Hot and Cold Stand Type Dispenser <span style="color: magenta;">FOR ONLY P750.00</span>/month for 6 months</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WITH a MINIMUM order of FOUR (4) 5gal. Round Poly a week</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;">FREE USE</span> of water container. NO DEPOSIT required.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">FREE DELIVERY!!!</span> (within designated areas)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> ***Initial Contract 12 months (Also AVAILABLE for RESIDENTIAL)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">***Containers to be returned upon termination of contract</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AH32IUoGo_Y/T4k0Xz-wufI/AAAAAAAAAYE/ov011KlSseg/s1600/Hot-and-Cold-Water-Dispenser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AH32IUoGo_Y/T4k0Xz-wufI/AAAAAAAAAYE/ov011KlSseg/s200/Hot-and-Cold-Water-Dispenser.jpg" title="Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"><u><b>OPTION 2</b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: red;">YOU CAN OWN</span> a Hot and Cold Tabletop Dispenser <span style="color: magenta;">FOR ONLY P350.00</span>/month for 6 months</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WITH a MINIMUM order of FOUR (4) 5gal. Round Poly a week</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <span style="color: red;">FREE USE</span> of water container. NO DEPOSIT required.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">FREE DELIVERY!!!</span> (within designated areas)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> ***Initial Contract 12 months (Also AVAILABLE for RESIDENTIAL)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">***Containers to be returned upon termination of contract</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<h2>
</h2>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-34372497148114944942012-03-22T00:08:00.001+08:002012-03-22T00:08:14.059+08:00Take a Bow, Azkals<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Step
forward and take a bow, Azkals. Well deserved and congratulations to everyone
in the team for achieving another historic milestone and for providing a great
boost to Philippine football. No need to belabor the point of the tough road
the Azkals had to take to accomplish this remarkable feat and its significance
for the growth of the sport in our country, a lot has already been said about
that and Filipino football supporters are quite aware of what all this means.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The
battle for bronze was quite a match, nerve-wracking and exhilarating. A 4-3
score line, both teams just went at it and you could see how both sides really
wanted to win the match. The first goal for me was one of the best among the
goals scored by the team in this campaign. Counter-attacking football at its
finest, sprinkled with a bit of individual flair and brilliance by Phil
Younghusband. As the Azkals continue with their improvement, it is still likely
for now that against stronger teams the Azkals will find it necessary to play
conservatively and try to score on the counter. That first goal exemplified the
effectiveness of a rapid transition from defense to offense. From just outside
our penalty box, Angel Guirado gains possession and feeds it forward to the
wing to relieve the pressure and initiate an offensive move. Chieffy gets to
the ball and plays it through behind the Palestine defense for Phil
Younghusband to break through towards goal. It still needed a moment of magic
from Phil as he eluded 3 defenders to squeeze in a shot with his weaker foot,
but that’s why Phil is in the team and the deserved winner of the tournament’s
Golden Boot. From a defensive situation, it just took 2 quick passes to set up
a goal scoring opportunity. Simple, direct and effective, brilliant stuff!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FflNQEnyXk/T2n8g9MqCoI/AAAAAAAAAWM/Ww_jNiomjLQ/s1600/azkals+v+palestine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9FflNQEnyXk/T2n8g9MqCoI/AAAAAAAAAWM/Ww_jNiomjLQ/s400/azkals+v+palestine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phil Younghusband opens the scoring for the Philippines. Photo courtesy of goalnepal.com.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Taking
that lead in four minutes from such a wonderful move was pretty crucial. I
think that helped settle the team and convinced them that they could win this
match. This was one of those matches that shows the importance of the mental
aspect involved in football. We all know that football isn’t only about skills,
physical condition, tactics and strategy, the mental aspect is just as critical
too. Focus, belief, confidence, discipline and most of all, heart and
determination are game changers by themselves. The match against Tajikistan and
Palestine shows how the Azkals have been slowly trying to put all those
elements together in their preparations for this tournament. The match against
Turkmenistan shows that there is still room for improvement.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Going
back to the Palestine match, it was pretty exciting from start to finish. The
Dubai training camp and the Malaysia friendly provided an indication that the
team was going to focus on achieving and relying on a solid defense as a
foundation for its playing style. The approach was going to be conservative and
practical. The results of this campaign showed that this was a move in the
right direction. Considering that this is still a work in progress (refer to
Turkmenistan match), it does make for nervy moments as opponents try to break
down our defensive lines. While the team has improved a lot over the months,
they are not yet at the point where they can control a match and seal the
result. Despite leading 3-1 at the start of the 2<sup>nd</sup> half, there was
no assurance yet that the match was in the bag. The Azkals had to fight and
struggle to maintain their lead up to the very last minute, and the
Palestinians came close to bringing the match to extra time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m
not complaining though, this is all part of the process. What is important is
the breakthrough and the relevance of the results and the over-all direction of
the efforts being made to achieve these types of results. For one, we are
playing with a bit more defensive solidity and our offense managed to score 9
goals in this campaign, with 4 of them in one match. Likewise, the conservative
and practical approach has been more effective. I felt that the coaching staff
tailored it for the opponents the Azkals would be facing and it paid off. All
in all, it has been a very productive campaign for the national team and a
validation of the hard work and effort being made in the sport by all those
concerned. Keep in mind that the road to this 3<sup>rd</sup> place in
Kathmandu, Nepal started way back in February 9, 2011 at the Panaad Stadium in
Bacolod City. Bagging the bronze at the AFC Challenge Cup is proof that
Philippine football and our national team is headed down the right path. So
once again, step up and take a bow Azkals.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2012 Moira G Gallaga</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">©</span></div>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-70803988222185471262012-03-18T21:37:00.000+08:002012-03-18T21:37:13.469+08:00The Agony of Defeat - Azkals vs Turkmenistan<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 115%;">Painful that was a
painful loss. It's probably why I couldn't get myself to write my thoughts on
the match after it ended. :) We were 10 minutes away from reaching the final and
the subsequent result was quite agonizing. It takes a while to process one's
emotions after a match like that. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Then again, when was the last time the Philippine
Men's National Football Team was on the verge of making it to the finals of a
regional competition? I guess this roller coaster ride of emotions we've been
subjected to during the AFC Challenge Cup tournament is a clear sign of the
remarkable progress the Philippines has made in the realm of football. We've
been subjected to the thrill of the victories that has marked the long
road to qualifying for this tournament and the distinction of making it through
to the semis while grouped with the 3 previous champions of this tournament.
So, when the Azkals were minutes away from reaching the finals only to see that
opportunity slip away in the last 10 minutes, I am sure the agony of the defeat
was also clearly felt by all Filipino football supporters and fans. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The loss may have been agonizing, but as some
people say, a little suffering is good for the soul. Missing out on the final?
We weren't even expected to be there in the first place, much less reach the
semis. I'll take this kind of suffering and close calls anytime over those dark
old days where Philippine football was just there to make up the
numbers. Besides, when the moment the Azkals finally go all the way and
win one for the country, it makes the achievement all the more sweeter and
ecstatic. At the rate they are progressing, we might not have that long to
wait. </span></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrmC4YVCoyxxx7HvSFfFbn0sNXg6AEP6UwCB3-5GPPzU0Z6xf_ie2Oa5Flp_mswXflKTgJ03fpkFg8dLsl7TsnIgZIgGwKCvuuEZqk2PYwSkQjwJuiswYC4569LVsO1_IN32P7wvHFSc/s1600/img_11100591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrmC4YVCoyxxx7HvSFfFbn0sNXg6AEP6UwCB3-5GPPzU0Z6xf_ie2Oa5Flp_mswXflKTgJ03fpkFg8dLsl7TsnIgZIgGwKCvuuEZqk2PYwSkQjwJuiswYC4569LVsO1_IN32P7wvHFSc/s640/img_11100591.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo via pinoyfootball.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">In the meantime, the Challenge Cup isn't over yet.
There is still 3rd place to fight for against Palestine. So we've got one more
chance of experiencing either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat this
Monday. I'd prefer the former of course, but either way, this has been a most
productive undertaking for the Azkals.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">There are many positives to take from this outing.
We can dwell on those later, after the tournament. Right now, there's a match
to win against Palestine. We'll have Angel Guirado and James Younghusband back
for this match, who knows how the Turkmenistan match would have turned out if
they were able to play. Hopefully, Jason Sabio is fit to start or will be able
to put in some minutes at least. He's been quite a revelation; he has improved
so much, has stepped up big time in Aly Borromeo's absence and rightfully
claimed a starting spot in the team. With Neil Etheridge suspended, we need a solid
defensive line against the Palestinians and the presence of Jason in the
defense is badly needed for that purpose. In addition, having Jason playing
beside Rob Gier in the center of the Azkals' defense allows Coach Weiss to play
Juani Guirado as a defensive midfielder, a role he played quite effectively for
the team's benefit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">As for Neil, kudos to him for taking
responsibility for his actions. Given the way, Neil provides stability at the
back and the way he commands the penalty, one tends to forget he is still only
22 years old. It was a boneheaded act on his part but to his credit, he
acknowledged his mistake and made no excuses. His stabilizing presence at goal
will be sorely missed.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">The next match is just around the corner, a shot
at another victory and the consolation of taking third place. Let's go Azkals!
Go for that win! We're all behind you guys, all the way no matter what. WE BELIEVE! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2012 Moira G Gallaga©</span></div>
<br />MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-13370061765356627162012-03-16T17:44:00.001+08:002012-03-16T18:13:53.084+08:00We All Bleed RED: Time to Get Rid of the Fil-What Nonsense<a href="http://moiragallaga.hubpages.com/hub/We-All-Bleed-RED-Time-to-Get-Rid-of-the-Fil-What-Nonsense">We All Bleed RED: Time to Get Rid of the Fil-What Nonsense</a>: <br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2012 Moira G Gallaga</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 13.5pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">©</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear Mr. Clavio,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'd like to share this for your enlightenment - <a href="http://moiragallaga.hubpages.com/hub/We-All-Bleed-RED-Time-to-Get-Rid-of-the-Fil-What-Nonsense" target="_blank">We All Bleed RED: Time to Get Rid of the Fil-What Nonsense.</a> Also, please don't insult our intelligence. Don't issue another crappy non-apology like the on</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">e you issued the other day, own up to what you said and stick to the main issue. That's what you call RESPONSIBILITY. It's what grown-ups do. You should try it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This isnt just about your comments on the Azkals, it's also about all those Filipinos in similar circumstances.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-88658040454476815562012-03-16T08:16:00.000+08:002012-03-16T08:16:07.700+08:00SUMMER PROMO: Aquahealth Alkaline Ionized Water<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ig-NISOpv_A/T2KFr7SvSSI/AAAAAAAAAU8/m3BiyoORj0c/s1600/MGGAquahealth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ig-NISOpv_A/T2KFr7SvSSI/AAAAAAAAAU8/m3BiyoORj0c/s640/MGGAquahealth.jpg" width="334" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://moiragallaga.hubpages.com/hub/Alkaline-Ionized-Water-and-Its-Benefits" target="_blank"><em style="background-color: #e8f2f7; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When you buy water and they say its alkaline or alkaline ionized, make sure you ask what's the PH balance issued by a water regulatory body after they had certified the water test and if it is regulated properly and all facilities are checked by the Health Departments of respective countries. A water test to determine the alkaline level of the water you're producing takes about two weeks, be a discerning customer.</strong></em> </a></span></td></tr>
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<br />MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1921247810702837159.post-48051138417004994382012-03-15T10:16:00.001+08:002012-03-15T10:17:24.277+08:00DipNote : U.S. Department of State Official Blog<a href="http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/by_author/statebloggers/">DipNote : U.S. Department of State Official Blog</a>: <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Promoting Understanding and Empowering Women Through Soccer in Malaysia</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sports is a great way of building bridges and connections between nations and peoples. This is why sports have also been an integral part of cultural exchanges between governments, it is a commonality where divergence of interests only occurs in the field of friendly competition. It is therefore not surprising to see governments use sports as a medium and tool for diplomacy and foreign policy. With its mass appeal and universal reach, football is the most obvious and effective candidate. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>MoiraGallagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14877025590459864432noreply@blogger.com0