Why the Philippines Should Concentrate on Football

It is high time for the Philippines to concentrate too in sports where height is not a big factor like the football. The dream of barging into the basketball glory just like in the yesteryears is now somewhat bleak since this sport requires sheer size and heft, and naturally the Filipinos are midgets, in other words not gifted with good ceiling. Height gives the taller teams a distinct advantage in basketball. In football, however, dexterity, speed, creativity, deep trainings and teamwork can help a team collect wins and possibly pluck out a crown. A superstar can win for his team in basketball, in football, it is different, since every football team thrives on teamwork and cohesion.

Football is on its steady ascend and is growing very popular ever since the country represented by the so called Philippine Azkals eked out a reverberating performance in the Suzuki Cup where it pulled out a stunning reversal at the expense of defending champion Vietnam and finished a strong second on its group to barge into the semi-finals of the Cup. The team which was deprived of a chance to play one of the two games in a tie with Indonesia dropped out of contention with a pair of heartbreaking 0-1 verdicts. But still, there is still a reason for jubilation, because for at long last the Philippine football team no longer carries the tag, “The whipping boys” and at the same time win the respect of the football fans and aficionados not only in the country but also in the whole world.

Although the Filipinos fell short on their quest of reaching the finals of the Suzuki Cup, they managed to bring home the Fair Play Award and their performance in the Suzuki was voted as one of the ten top football stories by the Sports illustrated in 2009.

The Philippine football or soccer team is scheduled to meet Mongolia twice in February in the Asian qualifiers.  The country will host the Mongolians on February 9, 2011 in Panaad, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and another game which will be held in Mongolia is slated on February, 2011.

The Philippines which is ranked 150^th holds a clear advantage over lowly ranked Mongolia, but no one can tell what will be the outcome since upset in sports can happen anytime.

If the Azkals will be successful on bringing home the bacon for the country this year, expect that the country will experience the emergence of sports and many Filipinos will get involved in the sport without worrying height to figure well in a game. The game of football is for everybody, and this is one of the reasons why it is the national past time of the majority of the countries worldwide.