The PMNFT Asian Cup qualifier match in Capas, Tarlac was a feel-good moment that shines a light on the Central Luzon football scene.
Here are my musings after a near-perfect evening by the Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) to kick off AFC Asian Cup qualifying.
The New Clark City Stadium showed its worth as a venue.
Let’s get the not-so great stuff about the stadium out of the way. Yes, it is pretty much in the middle of nowhere at the moment. It is a half-hour drive from Clark and there is nothing in terms of food or beverage outside it. Two friends of mine stayed at the Athletes’ Village nearby, which was a bit of a surprise.
Another demerit is the huge space between the track and the seating. Stadiums with tracks already put spectators very far away from the action. This stadium has even more space around the track, presumably for the pole vault or long jump facilities on one side. I guess one day EJ Obiena will make an appearance here.
But other than that, the facility was awesome. There was plenty of parking, and everything was clean and new, including the toilets. What I love about the NCC stadium is that the upper concourse is raised, so that the walkway to the lower seating does not block the view of those seated above. It is a detail that the architects got right. The seats themselves were reasonably comfortable, and the lighting on the pitch was superb.
I also love the orange and gray color scheme of the exterior.
The grass surface was recently revived by Netforce, a company that maintains golf courses. They seemed to do a pretty good job on one month’s notice, with passes on the ground zipping along with minimal bobbling.
Although most football fields in the Philippines these days are artificial, elite players overwhelmingly prefer the natural stuff. One player on the team told me, “Hopefully we never go back to (artificial) turf anymore.” Real grass is easier on the knees and is much nicer for slide tackling.
The future of Philippine football is the artificial turf pitch, whether we like it or not. Natural grass is not economically viable for heavy use, and they are very hard to maintain with our weather patterns, where a harsh summer is followed by a rainy season.
Rizal Memorial is almost done getting a new plastic pitch, and that will surely be the venue for most home games. But it is only right that we have at least one stadium with nice grass for international matches and maybe some club games. It could be Panaad in Bacolod, or this one. My only hope is that the field is reasonably well-maintained year-round.
Playing in NCC once every two years seems to be a decent idea for me, especially after the North-South rail is finished.
Central Luzon, an underrated football hotspot, deserves more attention.
I went to the fan zone outside the game and one thing struck me: I really didn’t recognize too many folks. Usually, when I watch at Rizal Memorial, I am saying hello to someone every few minutes at the fan zone. It made me realize that the vast majority of the crowd did not come from Manila, but were from nearby. I saw a few Basa Air Base FC jerseys, and some Don Bosco Tarlac ones as well.
When we think of football hotbeds, the Visayas usually come to mind first. Iloilo, Bacolod, Masbate, Romblon, etc. Mindanao too, especially the Davao area and Bukidnon. But a closer look will reveal that Central Luzon has produced its fair share of outstanding booters.
Paolo Salenga starred for National University, Global FC, and the U23 national team. He scored some breathtaking international goals for the last two teams mentioned. He is from Floridablanca, Pampanga, an hour’s drive from the stadium. Arjay Joyel, former FEU and youth national team keeper, is also from that town.
Another Tamaraw goalie, Jetrick Fabrigas, is from Olongapo. Meanwhile, Tarlac, where the game was held, is where JR Suba got his footballing start. Suba won titles for San Beda and also played for youth national teams and Mendiola.
All of these talents came from football communities. There are more in Bataan as well as Bulacan. EMA Highlanders, where Balot Doctora plays now for their 7s team, made the trip to spectate.
I think it is just wonderful that these kids playing football all over Central Luzon got to have a chance to watch the men’s national team play in person. The venue of this match was forced upon the Federation because of the pitch renovation in Rizal Memorial. It was a great hassle and expense for sure, but the benefit was to bring the show to underserved fans in this part of the Philippines.
Randy Schneider’s coming-out party with the PMNFT was a success.
The Filipino-Swiss was hugely influential in the win, assisting on the Kristensen goal, scoring one himself with an artful touch to evade the defender, and then making a great pass off another cheeky move in the buildup to Sandro Reyes’ stoppage time strike.
At five-foot-seven, Schneider probably figured his chances of getting playing time on the Swiss National Team would be limited, so he made the right choice to choose the Philippines to play for the PMNFT, despite playing for Switzerland up to the U20 level.
His creativity and technical skill will be needed going forward in the qualification campaign, especially since there will be tougher matches coming up, including a June 10 home date against Tajikistan.
Save the date, we go again in three months.
Banner images courtesy of PMNFT.