Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Fil-Ams boost lineup for World Baseball Classic qualifers; MLB champ Lincecum to receive invite


The Philippines is fielding its most formidable baseball team ever as it competes in the qualifier of the World Baseball Classic in New City Taipei two weeks from now.

Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) internal affairs official Hector Tom Navasero likes the country’s chances in the Nov. 14-18 meet as the team has a very good mix of first string members of the national squad and both major and minor league baseball players who have Filipino lineage.

Among the notable Fil-Ams — nine of them overall — suiting up for the team according to Navasero, are Gino Espineli, Leighton Michael Pangilinan, and Efren Ricky Oropesa.
The PABA executive said he’s still awaiting word within the week if relief pitcher Tim Lincecum of reigning world champions San Francisco Giants will be available to play for the Philippines.

“The (San Francisco) Giants had given us the permission to invite their so-called `expensive players’, and so the issue on Tim Lincecum has to be a personal decision at the end,” said Navasero, a guest at the PSA Forum on Tuesday at Shakey’s Malate, along with his father, long-time PABA president Hector Navasero.

“Once we have the final approval of the MLB federation of the San Francisco Giants, we have to find out this week if Tim will join us or not.”

Navasero also bared in the session presented by SMART, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and Shakey’s, that PABA had also been permitted to invite New York Yankees relief pitcher Clay Rapada to join the team, but begged off from playing.

“Clay Rapada, sad to say, recently said that for personal issues, reasons, and conflicts, he regrets not to join our team,” Navasero added.

But even in their absence, the young Navasero still believes the Philippines can win the meet considered as the `Olympic of baseball.’

“We have a fighting chance, an 80 percent fighting chance to win, with Taiwan as the team to beat,” he said.

Aside from Taiwan, also competing in the double elimination play are New Zealand, and Thailand, with the lone winner advancing to the first round of eliminations in Fukuoka, Japan in March next year.

The Filipinos will play the Thais on their first game Nov. 15.

Composition of the squad – 28 in all plus three additional players for the bullpen – will be finalized on Wednesday at the PABA office at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, although it will not be officially announced until Nov. 7.

“I can’t announce their names out because of competitive knowledge against our no. 1 competitor Taiwan. They’ve (Taiwanese) been listening to our makeup, they’re worried that we’re getting some major players from the MLB,” Navasero said.

Fil-Am Jim Ramos, an assistant at Cal Poly Pomona, is the designated coach-manager, and will be assisted by Bill Thomas and Billy Champion, a pitching coach and assistant coach, respectively, from the MLB, along with three other coaches.

via InterAktv

Pagulayan a win from finals; Reyes still alive


Alex Pagulayan and American Shane Van Boening will dispute the first title slot from the winner’s bracket even as Efren (Bata) Reyes and Dennis Orcollo arranged another duel for the right to stay alive in the loser’s row of the  37th US Open 9-Ball championship Saturday at the Norfolk Convention Center in Virginia.
Pagulayan, the Filipino-Canadian who won this event in 2005, beat Reyes, 11-5, while Van Boening downed Ronnie Alcano, 11-8, Friday to remain unbeaten in the $175,000 tournament offering $25,000 to the champion.
Reyes, who also won this event in 1994, went on to oust Alcano, 11-9, in the  loser’s bracket and set up a second —and knockout—encounter against Orcollo, who lost to Bata in their sixth round match, 11-7.
Under the double elimination format, the loser of the Pagulayan-Van Boening match and the winner of the Reyes-Orcollo duel will tangle for the right to nail the second title slot. The championship is a race-to-13 affair.
As things stand, a Filipino will be shooting for the title and it could even be an all-PH affair if Pagulayan beats Van Boening and the American also bows to either Reyes or Orcollo.
After losing to the 58-year-old Reyes, Orcollo remained in contention by ousting compatriot Jose “Amang” Parica,  11-4. Parica, now 63, earlier fell to Van Boening, 11-5, after beating Jayson Shaw of the US, 11-10, in the sixth round.
Before losing to Reyes, Alcano crushed Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, 11-5, and Chang Jung-lin of Chinese-Taipei, 11-7.
The PH campaign is backed  by Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), Puyat Sports, Bugsy Promotions, Negros Billiards Stable, Hermes Sports Bar and Malungai Life Oil.
via Musong R. Castillo, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Another Fil-Am targets NBA D-League slot


Another Filipino is aiming to make history in the NBA Developmental League.
Filipino-American Avery Scharer, a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Shoreline Community College in Washington, has applied for the NBA D-League Draft set on Saturday (7 a.m., Manila time) along with former Talk ‘N Text and Smart Gilas forward Japeth Aguilar.
If he fails to make it, the 185-pound Scharer said he would next try his luck in the Philippine Basketball Association or the Asean Basketball League, according to the Asian Journal, a Filipino community daily based in the United States.
“Other than going to the NBA, the PBA would be a dream,” said Scharer, whose mother hails from Bauang, La Union. “I’d like to go back and play in the motherland. I think I could do so much there. I’m a winner, I got the heart and drive to win. I just want to go out there and win. I would love that opportunity.”
Scharer, 24, flaunted his skills during an open tryout facilitated by D-League ballclub Iowa Energy over the weekend.
The 6-foot-9 Aguilar, who is also aiming to become the first Filipino to be drafted in the NBA D-League, wasn’t able to show his stuff in front of the Energy coaching staff after suffering a hamstring injury.
Third in assists in the previous US collegiate season, Scharer applied in the recent NBA Draft but didn’t get through.
The NBA D-League Draft will take place via teleconference from the league’s New York headquarters.
Aguilar had earlier attended workouts in NBA and NBA D-League teams.

via June Navarro
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ALA fights for Cebu Nietes fight


One of the few champions from the ALA stable gets a chance to improve his record next year in the Philippines. Donnie Ahas Nietes is a fighter who knows how to both box and brawl. He should be the next rising star coming from the country. 
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DONNIE Nietes isn’t a stranger to fighting world title fights in hostile territory. In fact, he has done it successfully three times in Mexico—a place where Filipinos have a low winning rate when there is a world title at stake.
But despite that achievement, ALA Promotions, Nietes’s handlers, isn’t taking a gamble on another world title fight in Mexico, and are working diligently to bring the blockbuster bout here in Cebu—the place where Nietes built his career and flourished to become a world champion.
“There is a big chance for the fight to be held in the Philippines. In fact, we already have a date—Feb. 2 in Cebu,” ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu.
Nietes has been mandated to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) light flyweight crown against WBO mini-flyweight champion Moises Fuentes, who is moving up in weight.
As much as ALA Promotions wants it to be staged in the Philippines, the venue is still uncertain as of now because the top Philippine promotional outfit is up against Fernando Beltran’s Zanfer Promotions—the biggest boxing promotional company in Mexico.
“The promoter of Moises Fuentes is Zanfer Promotions and they, too, want it staged in Mexico. We will have to look into everything before we make a decision,” said Aldeguer.
Record
The two-division world titleholder Nietes, 30-1-3 with 16 knockouts, has fought against Mexicans in his last seven fights. He has beaten the likes of current world champions Mario Rodriguez and Jesus Silvestre, and former world titlists Ramon Garcia and Manuel Vargas.
“It will be an interesting fight as Fuentes is a typical Mexican that never backs down,” Aldeguer said.
Layoff
The 27-year-old Fuentes, 16-1 with eight knockouts, had a breakout year last year after winning the WBO mini-flyweight belt with a split decision over Raul Garcia. He defended his crown twice this year with a first-round knockout over Julio Cesar Felix and a fifth-round stoppage over now-retired Puerto Rican star Ivan Calderon.
Nietes is on a long layoff, and last fight was in July against Felipe Salguero. ALA Promotions is working on giving him a tune-up fight in Dumaguete next month to take away the ring rust before his mandatory title defense in 2013.
via Edri K. Aznar, Sun Star Cebu

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Donaire vs Arce Set, Battle in December

It appears the Filipino Flash will meet El Travieso in the ring after all. It appeared the two will not fight later this year due to financial issues but Top Rank president Bob Arum has sealed the deal to deliver the fight. 

It's going to be an interesting fight.

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After a few days of uncertainty following disagreement over the big purse that Jorge” Travieso” Arce was demanding to fight WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire the issue has been resolved and the fight will push through at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on December 15. 
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told the Manila Standard that “it’s a done deal.” 

Donaire was at special ringside when Mexico’s Gamaliel Diaz upset defending WBC super featherweight champion Takahiro Ao at the Tokyo International Forum in Japan over the weekend. 

The WBC reported that Donaire was present to witness the surprising twelve round unanimous decision victory of Diaz. 

The WBC described Donaire as “one of today’s sensations in boxing” and has been closely associated with Japan as he regularly visits and spends time in that beautiful country. 

The Manila Standard noted that when Donaire scored a 9th round TKO over Japanese southpaw Toshiaki Nishioka last October 13 at the Home Depot Center in Carson City, California there were some Japanese friends and supporters who flew to watch Donaire’s fight although many more arrived from all over Japan to support Nishioka. 

Donaire's rousing win in which he also dropped Nishioka, the classy southpaw in the 6th round with a perfectly-time uppercut, proudly displayed the WBC Diamond Belt he won at the Diaz-Ao title fight. 

Arum also confirmed that undefeated southpaw Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (26-0-1, 14 KO’s) would face IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez on the undercard of the fourth showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MG< Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 9, Manila Time. 

Gesta’s trainer Vince Parra said the fighter from Mandaue in Cebu is “ready to go” and that Gesta’s father Anecito Gesta has been a great help in training the southpaw, motivating him and keeping him isolated. 

Parra indicated they would move to the quiet of Big Bear on Thursday to also benefit from high altitude training for what he believes will be a tough fight because of the somewhat awkward style of Vazquez. 

He said Gesta “is coming along great and is ready to pull the trigger and be taken off the leash.” 

There are things he does that suits Mercito very well. He is an unorthodox guy but Mercito isn’t very orthodox himself, so we feel very comfortable. He is a champion and we respect him but Mercito is excited to get that belt.”
via Ronnie Nathanielsz, Philboxing

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

LeBron Has Transformed Offensive Approach Over Two Seasons With Heat

Former high school standout Lebron James who started his career playing as point guard now embraces his role as a small but strong and athletic power forward with the heat. Perhaps LBJ is the complete basketball package. He plays point and post. 

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LeBron James' game is much different as he enters his third season with the Miami Heat in comparison to the way he played during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Totally different,” Erik Spoelstra said. “He has completely transformed himself as a basketball player. And in the process, he has completely transformed us.” 
James played from the outside-in while with the Cavaliers, attacking from the perimeter in one-on-one isolations.

Spoelstra regrets continuing that offense scheme when James joined the Heat.
“Thinking conventionally that first season with LeBron -- that was my biggest regret as a coach,” Spoelstra said. “I put LeBron in a box. And that’s the worst thing I could have done.” 

The Heat finally realized that James didn't fit the mold of a conventional small forward.

“LeBron was a small forward, that’s what we knew,” Spoelstra said. “That was how we built and ran the team (in 2010-11). But after the Dallas series, we decided to start from scratch. 

"We always talked about how versatile our team was, but we never thought about what it meant. We had to do away with convention." 

The Heat needed James to play bigger when Chris Bosh left the team on bereavement in March.

“We need you to play like a big man,” Spoelstra recalls telling James. “Forget everything you know, you’re a 4 now.” 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Life without Dirk deathly for Dallas

CHICAGO – If you are looking for grace and beauty, you won't find it in Dirk Nowitzki's step-back jump shot, which is often one-footed and haphazardly executed. But if you're looking for lethal, deadly force that is consistently dependable, there is no better weapon.

Nowitzki's awkward jumper doesn't bear the qualities of form and flow that coaches and basketball academies preach. What it has, though, is an incredible success rate that approaches perfection. The only way to stop Nowitzki from scoring is to make the sign of the cross and pray that he misses.

Throughout his illustrious NBA tenure, Nowitzki has ruthlessly terrorized opponents with his firepower. An 11-time All-Star, the gentle German has made 8,431 field goals, 1,275 threes and 5,997 free throws. To the math impaired, that's a staggering grand total of 21,134 points.

There is nothing fancy or mysterious about the way Nowitzki goes about his shot. No frills, no thrills. Just unstoppable. And here's why.

Each time Dirk gets the ball looking to score, he uses the might of his 245 pounds to legally bump his defender and create distance. Once the separation is established, he protects his space by raising one knee while the other foot braces for elevation. And the moment his slender 7-foot frame is airborne, Nowitzki then fades away beyond reach. You'd have to be either the mythical Big Foot or the biblical Goliath to come to within a whiff of blocking Nowitzki's shot.

"You can't guard air space," Hall-of-Fame coach Pat Riley once famously said of Micheal Jordan's fall away jumper.

The same can be said of Nowitzki's pet move. His high-arching jump shot is impossible to defend because his release point is higher than Mt. Everest. And his trigger is quicker than e-mail.

The ninth pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Nowitzki was originally selected by the Milwaukee Bucks, who immediately traded him to Dallas for the late Robert "Tractor" Traylor. The deal turned out to be manna from heaven for the Mavericks as Nowitzki continues to brilliantly chart a Hall-of-Fame career highlighted by an average of 22.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game.
Labeled soft early in his career, Nowitzki has proven to be tough as yesterday's bread. In his 14 years in the league, the phenom also known as The Germanator has played in 1,050 out of a possible 1,100 regular season games. He has survived two lockouts – 1999 and 2011 – and has missed no more than nine games in a single season.

But after having logged 38,314 punishing minutes since his rookie season, Nowitzki's 34-year-old body is beginning to slowly manifest the inevitable wear and tear. Early last Friday (Saturday in Manila), he underwent arthroscopic surgery "to remove a constant buildup of fluid on the right knee," the Dallas Morning News reported.

This medical event comes as no surprise. Dirk sat out four games last season due to swelling on his knee and he had that same nagging knee drained twice in the past couple of weeks.

The good news is that Dr. T.O. Souyal, the Mavericks' orthopedist, did not find any structural damage. The bad news is that Nowitzki will be sidelined for at least six weeks and could miss approximately 13 regular season games.  
Losing Nowitzki, albeit temporarily, is simply devastating. Dallas must feel like it just lost the roof in its house, or the air in its tires. Nowitzki isn't just the face of the franchise, he is the heartbeat of the Mavericks, the rock of their Gibraltar.
After winning it all in 2011, the Mavericks have since lost key talents such Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea. They also lost two Jasons, Kidd and Terry. With only four players left from that championship season, the team had hoped to make a splash this past summer and lure free agents Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to Dallas.

Unfortunately, that grand design didn't turn out so well. But the Mavs recovered nicely by snaring usable assets in O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand. Oh yeah, they still have Vince Carter in the lineup. But at age 35, the once high-flying ace is now just a middling reserve with achy knees and an inferior lift.

So where does Dallas go from here?
Down. Way down.

A team simply cannot lose its only treasure without sinking into the depths of mediocrity. For the ill-fated Mavericks, one game without Dirk Nowitzki is one game too many. Thirteen games is a death sentence.

Homer Sayson, NBA.com

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Banal Loses in Another Bid for the World TItle

Promising Cebuano Fighter AJ "Bazooka" Banal got blasted in the 9th round of a scheduled 12-round fight against Thai power puncher Pungluang Sor Singyu for the WBO bantamweight title. This is the Filipino's second title crack of a world crown after losing by TKO to Rafael Concepcion of Panama earlier in his career. 

Banal started the fight with much composure, throwing combinations and using lateral movement to keep the Thai fighter at bay. However, a clash of heads opened a nasty cut near Banal's eye which hampered his vision. The visitor continued to stalk the hometown hero like a bull having its sights on a wounded prey. 

In the later rounds, it appeared AJ slowed down while Pungluang got his bearings going. A powerful right hand from the visitor decked Banal. AJ beat the count but he turned his back on referee Tony Weeks while on the count, prompting the third man on the ring to stop the fight. 

With the win, Pungluang Sor Singyu improved his record to 43-1 (28 KOs) while Banal dropped to 28-2 (20 KOs). AJ Banal was considered one of the promising young prospects from the ALA Stable.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

BREAKING NEWS: DONAIRE-ARCE A GO IN MEXICO ON DEC. 15

It appears the recently triumphant Filipino Flash will go up against El Travieso later this year. Can Donaire's speed, skills, and power deter the Arce's iron chin and sheer aggression? Another top question is, will Nonito's hand be good enough for the said bout? 

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MANILA -- The highly anticipated showdown between 4-division champion Nonito Donaire Jr and Mexican star Jorge Arce is a go in Mexico City on Dec. 15, 2012. The deal will be finalized by Top Rank President Bob Arum on Monday. Donaire, who is currently in Manila to sit as one of the TV panelists for this evening's world championship battle between AJ Banal of the Philippines and Punglulang Sor Singyu of Thailand, had just successfully defended his WBO superbantam belt last week against long-time champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan in Carson, CA. The Mexican slugger Arce, according to reports, was not impressed by Donaire's performance and was quoted as saying he has the key to beat the speedster Donaire. More to come... (With reports from Ronnie Nathanielsz and Dong Secuya) 

Philboxing.com

Friday, October 19, 2012

Eugenio Torre interview by Chessdom.com

Asia's first GM shares his thoughts on the game of chess, how it has affected it, and how chess should move forward. GM Torre also played as a second to one of the greatest chess players ever in Bobby Fischer and hopes that the PHL will make it big with chess in the future. 
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The name of Eugenio Torre is irrevocably lined with that of Asian and World chess.
Torre, who is now 60 years of age, is the first Asian to achieve the title of grandmaster. He is also the holder of the record for participating in the most number of World Chess Olympiads with his surprise qualification for his national team and subsequent excellent performance at the World Chess Olympiad 2012.
The Filipino legend who is still an active player and participating at the Indonesia Open Chess Championship (IOCC) 2012 is very positive indeed about the outlook for chess in Asia.

Eugenio Torre shares in an interview by Peter Long for Chessdom.com his views on the IOCC, hopes for chess in Asia and for his beloved Philippines.
Q: How are you finding Indonesia Open Chess Championship?
A: Very good – well organized and with all the conveniences. Many strong players are participating. Last year I also played in IOCC 2011 which was the first edition. Now I am here again and it is even better. All this because Indonesia has given very good support to chess and so I am confident that IOCC will continue to be held for a third, fourth time and thereafter.
Indonesia is a developing nation in Asia that values and honors chess. I also know that Indonesia sees chess as a way to combat illegal drug usage among students and in society.
Q: Given your vast experience in chess do you have any suggestions for us to improve IOCC?
A: I do have some suggestions for the organisers. For the next IOCC maybe you can make it a one day blitz tournament. Because many strong chess players that have come are from all corners of the globe and such an event will be good encouragement for locals to play blitz. Also blitz now is rated. The current prize fund is very good. It will not be a problem to reduce slightly and expand the prize fund further to perhaps 50. It is not the amount, but a chance for local players to win something. There has been a lot spent on organizing and the savings would be considerable so small amount prizes but they got the happiness of the game.
Q: There are increasing numbers of strong chess players from Asia especially from China and India. So what do think of the prospects for Asian chess today?
A: Very good. This is what I have fought for. When I started my career there were no GMs in Asia. In Europe and America yes, but not Asia. So I chased that target because I felt chess was a sport for all people. So I am very happy with the achievements by Asia. Now the World Champion is from Asia. This is a great thing. China is also getting stronger and stronger and that is also good for Asia. Chess came from Asia, so Asia should be good at it.
Q: What is the difference between chess today and when you first started your career?
A: Very different. Now we have computers and also chess has become very popular amongst children and so we have increasing numbers of young chess players playing in various age group tournaments.
In my time there was only the World Junior Championship and it was held every two years. This tournament was for those chess players under 20 years of age and only for boys. Chess is more and more popular, but I would prefer if chess adopted a variation such as Chess 960 or Fischer Random Chess. This is because with Chess 960 or Fischer Random Chess the openings depend on your own creativity, your fantasy and imagination, unlike today’s chess when often it is so dependent on the computer that such creativity has been reduced. In my opinion that is better.
Q: What are your dreams now for chess?
A: I have two dreams. I hope that FIDE will change the result for stalemate. So that stalemate is not a draw. For example, a win is 3 point, a draw 1,5 ponts, and stalemate 2 points where the player without a move gets only 1 point. For me with this major victory and minor defeat chess becomes more attractive and there will be less draws. I really would like this to happen. Maybe not even officially, but accepted as an option for organizers. Just like they can opt for Rapid or Blitz instead of Standard.
Q: What are your hopes for Philippine chess?
A: Chess is the Philippines is doing well. We now have 17 GMs, and also have a very talented young player in Wesley So. Soon I think that Indonesia will be doing the same to find players like Megaranto.
I hope these players will be better than me and I wish the same for Indonesia. Furthermore Indonesia has a great organization and for sure Utut Adianto being a part of it has made a difference. So far Indonesia has done very good development and promotion of the game I wish you will develop many young talents and in women chess your very young players in the World Olympiad has already achieved a fantastic result.
Q: Does chess still provide you with new experiences and insights when you participate in competitions?
A: Yes. The lesson is endless. I have studied and played a lot, but the most important thing is a still enjoy playing. I still am in good physical shape but no longer take the risks when playing that I used to. Chess is like life. When you are checkmated it seems the King is dead but in fact it is just trapped. It can’t move, it is trapped, but it is not dead.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

New 20-man pool, 2 int’l tourneys for Smart Gilas

Smart Gilas 2.0 continues to seek improvements in its lineup as they battle for international tourneys early next year as a major preparation for the FIBA Asia Championship. The top three finishers qualify for the World Championships. 
To the players, coaching staff, to MVP, good luck po sa inyo at Mabuhay! Bring home the crown. 

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SMART Gilas-Pilipinas again received yesterday full backing from the PBA in its coming two international campaigns in January to boost its preparation for the Fiba Asia qualifying for the 2014 World Championships.
Coach Chot Reyes was assured by PBA commissioner Chito Salud of full support in allowing the national program to come up with a new 20-man pool as agreed upon in a PBA board resolution inked last March.
And that pool can again be upgraded—depending on the need that Reyes sees—after the squad plays in the Dubai Invitational Cup from Jan. 10 to 19 and then the King’s Cup in Hong Kong the following week.
Salud expects Reyes’ new 20-man roster to be forwarded to the PBA office “sooner than later” considering that the two tournaments are just over three months away.
“This is the PBA’s way of reaffirming its support for the national team,” Salud told reporters yesterday before the start of a regular twinbill at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Meantime, Salud had already come to terms in principle with Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas for the holding of the PBA All-Star Game in the city of Digos from May 1 to 6.
The Gilas five won the Jones Cup in Taipei last August and placed fourth in the Fiba-Asia Cup, formerly the Stankovic Cup, last month in Tokyo, Japan.  Reyes then sat down with Salud after evaluating the national squad’s performance.
With Marcus Douthit as the 21st member of the pool, Reyes will be holding practices every Monday at 8 to 10 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena after he comes up with the new roster.
The teams that played in Taipei and Japan didn’t have Jason Castro, Ryan Reyes and Kelly Williams of Talk ‘N Text, who were all out because of injuries.
They are expected to be named in the new pool along with LA Tenorio, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood and Larry Fonacier, who were all impressive in the Jones and Fiba-Asia Cups.

By Musong R. Castillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Azkals resume buildup against Kuwait

PHL booters got booted out in the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait last year but looks to exact revenge against the Middle Eastern powerhouse in a friendly. This match could show how the Azkals have improved and how they will fare in the Suzuki Cup next month. 

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Close to full strength and growing in confidence, the Philippines gets to gauge its football progress against World Cup tormentor Kuwait tonight in another international friendly in Kuwait.
Still looking for their best form, the Azkals hope to get the test they need to be competitive in the AFF Suzuki Cup in Bangkok next month.
The Azkals have been grouped with Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar, which topped the qualifying stage in Yangon over the weekend.
The Azkals are coming off a scoreless draw against Asian powerhouse Bahrain in Manama last Friday in what could go down as one of the best results the country has produced internationally.
It was the Azkals who created the better chances with veterans and young players displaying cohesion that has reflected the rapid development of the side assembled by coach Michael Weiss.
But the side looks to surpass that result against the Kuwaitis, who bundled them out of the second round in World Cup Qualifying last year.
“It would be interesting to see how far we’ve come since those games with Kuwait last year,” said Azkals manager Dan Palami. “We will always have to consider the way the team plays.”
Kuwait won both legs and 5-1 on aggregate with the lone goal coming from Stephan Schrock in the return leg at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Schrock is the only significant name missing from the side for the match set at 6 p.m. (11 p.m. in the Philippines) with Phil and James Younghusband and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge all making their return to the lineup.
The brothers were left out of the Peace Cup lineup because of commitment issues and were forced off the Bahrain trip because of scheduling difficulties.
Loaned by Fulham to fourth-division side Bristol Rovers, Etheridge will be making his 37th appearance for the national team.

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer