We had to admit it. Filipinos suck at soccer. The World Rankings in soccer show how the Philippines are far behind other Asian countries, and it was a disgrace!

Can we just be more supportive of Filipino soccer? I'm not asking you to give up Basketball [after all, were World basketball champions for at least the early part of the 20th century], it is just that, with our country's neighbors playing soccer, could we just enjoy it too and to make sure that the Philippine team is included in the World Cup in the future for at least our lifetime?

Indeed. Soccer is underrated here in the Philippines. Kaya tayo nadudurog ng Singapore eh!

Just like the Philippines here Soccer never really took. Here Basketball and Baseball are the main sports.

Found world rankings for FIFA 2006. http://www.mapsofworld.com/2006-fifa-world...d-rankings.html

Both PHI. and PUR. near the bottom of the list.

we play soccer? that is news to me.

Paulino Alcántara Riestrá (born October 7, 1896, Iloilo City, Philippines - died February 13, 1964, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) was a former Filipino-Spanish football player and manager who spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona. He also played for the Catalan XI, the Philippines and Spain. Alcántara made his senior debut for FC Barcelona at the age of 15 and remains the youngest player ever to play or score for the club. He also scored a remarkable 357 goals in 357 matches, making him the club's all-time leading goalscorer. Alcántara is also the first Filipino and Asian player to play for a European club.

i know a lot of Filipinos here in the UK who are really good in football (soccer). i have nothing against basketball cos i play it as well, but i feel our country can produce good soccer players, given the chance and investment.

heck, i used to play soccer for my school when i was younger and i was a very good player!

Embracing Football: The sport has become a gateway to a better life for kids


BAROTAC NUEVO, ILOILO - Children of this town learn to play football many years before they get to wear football shoes.

Only 11 years old, Alena Rose Araneta has been playing the sport for several years and is a member of the town's 11-and-under girl's football team.

Her father, Lurix Araneta, was a member of the national team from 1976-1983. Her brother Ian plays forward with the Philippine Air Force team.

This town, 30 km northeast of Iloilo City with a population of around 46,000, has produced batches upon batches of football players earning it the title "Football Capital of the Philippines."

In a basketball-crazed country, football is not just a sport but a passion for Barotacnons.

Training Center in Barotac NuevoResidents of this town are not going gaga over basketball superstars Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant. Kids here instead dream of football stars Ronaldinho (Gaucho) and Ronaldo (Luiz Nazario da Silva) both of Brazil and David Beckham of England.

Parents take pride in children who play the sport especially those who have been recruited to the national team or drafted into the Army and Air Force teams.

For many, excelling in the sport means free tuition in college and a chance to be in the national limelight.

"It has become a gateway to a better life for kids here," said Pablito Araneta, general secretary of the Philippine Football Federation, which groups around 35 football associations in the country.

Araneta said the town has become the main source of players for the national team since the 1970s.

"At one time 15 of the 20 players in the national team were Barotacnons," said engineer Duffie Botavara, general secretary of the Iloilo Football Association and the Barotac Nuevo Football Club.

It is also the main source of collegiate players of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Their love and mastery of the sport comes with the early training, opportunity to play and exposure to the sport.

Botavara said children in elementary school are taught the basics of the sport like knowing the rules, how it is played and basic skills like ball dribbling. The children, group in teams of four or five players, also engage in "scrimmage" or practice games.

Many children are also part of "Kasimbulan" an ongoing national football development program of the Football Federation of the Philippines (FFP) for children aged 6-12 years old.

In this program, football associations and clubs teach football in schools, train teachers, hold tournaments and select a pool of players for further training.

Potential players also get valuable exposure in competitions joined by teams from all over the country and from players who come here to train.

Football has come a long way when the sport was first introduced to this town in the 1920s by the Monfort brothers.

The brothers embraced the sport while studying at the Colegio de San Agustin (now University of San Agustin) in Iloilo City where it was played by the friars.

Though introduced by young men from a prominent family, football ultimately became the town's passion regardless of social status.

Most Barotacnons are "football literate" or are familiar with the rules and how to play the game. Players who play below par get criticized by their townmates.

"Most people here, kids and the elderly, know what an offside is," said Araneta, referring to a form of violation committed by an offensive player.

Botavara said familiarity with the rules is essential in developing and sustaining interest in the game.

"Football is not as fast-paced as basketball. Many times the game ends without a goal being scored and if you do not know how it is played, you'd easily get bored," he said.

He said this could also be the reason why the number one sport in the world is not that as popular to Filipinos compared to basketball.

"We're still a basketball country and it's only in Barotac Nuevo and in other few areas in the country that football has a following," said Botavara.

Araneta said the town has a key role in bring the sport to a higher level and achieving the strategic goals of the PFF.

Barotac Nuevo is home to the P10-million National Football Training Center at Barangay Tabucan put up by the Federation Internationale de Football (Fifa) and PFF in 2003.

The three-hectare football center, the only one in the country, has a dormitory that can accommodate 30 persons for trainings and lectures. The center also hosts courses for coaches and officials.

With the Philippines now ranked 170th in the world and 7th in Southeast Asia, the PFF aims to be more competitive and be in the top four teams in Southeast Asia by 2009 and among the top 16 in Asia in 2015.

Araneta said the key is to strengthen football associations and local programs. "That's where everything starts," he said.

But he said a main hindrance is the lack of equipment and funding for the programs for players and coaches.

Kids who cannot afford a pair of football shoes costing at least P1,500 play barefoot.

Botavara recounted what has become a traditional practice of players from the Southridge School, an exclusive and elite school for boys.

After every tournament, the players of Southridge leave their football shoes and donate these to Barotacnon children.

While the passion for the sport may defy the limitations, Barotacnons hope that this enthusiasm may be matched by government support.


http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/12/em...e.for.kids.html

so true.

why dont we support our intelligent inventors instead of these athletes :/

so true.

why dont we support our intelligent inventors instead of these athletes :/

it's because of the corrupt politicians.

soccer is for wussy euros

can somebody please tell me how supporting soccer is gonna get us somewhere...
don't we have a lot of other more important things to think about other than sports?

Filipinos can excel more in sports that doesn't require height as an advantage like soccer & baseball.

FIFA – football’s world governing body – has 208 member countries and the game has fanatical following in 80 of those countries and is amongst the top three sports in all the other member nations. it is played and followed by approximately three billion people from china to england, africa to south america, throughout asia and europe. the world cup brings whole nations to a standstill, especially in europe, south america and africa.

so, soccer or as we say in england, football... is hardly a game for "wussy euros" now is it? dumbass.
considering almost every human being on this planet play some form of sports, soccer being the most popular not to mention can be very rewarding financially speaking if taken by european clubs, i feel that filipinos can be more successful in this sport as opposed to basketball.

yes, philippines has a lot more important things to think about, but you can say about that with basketball and other sports. well, at least with soccer, it can help philippines become "known" throughout the world - just take a look at these obscure south american and african countries who produced some outstanding players and became an ambassador for their own respective countries. let's exclude maradona shall we.

Yeah! The Azkals are the oldest soccer team in Asia. We were the first Champs in Asia.