The Real Azkals

MASTER BLASTER

Neil Bravo

The 2-goal scoreline may not reflect the gallant effort of the Philippines’ very own Azkals in their win Wednesday night over Mongolia. But a win is a win. And this is football.

The wild celebration and the shrieks that wrapped the entire Panaad Stadium in Mansilingan, Bacolod City was simply electric. Some elixir it might have been for a country wrought once more by controversy, a string of terror and criminalities and a mysterious death of a former military general.

Forget that President Aquino, despite the earlier press release of his attendance, did not make it as the country’s cheerleader in the likes of Indonesian President Susilo Bambamg Yodyohono. The important thing is the expression of unity and national pride among Filipinos whose passion is in mass-oriented sports and not flashy cars.

True enough, the Azkals are the next big thing after Manny Pacquiao. And they are truly, our homecourt heroes.

No offense for Manny’s contribution to our national pride, we have submitted to the reality that Manny will be fighting up to his last fight elsewhere. Like Alexander the Great, he is a world conqueror. The Azkals are far from that. But the way the Azkals have brought this kind of national celebration, they have pricked our hearts from the orphaned mongrels that they were to the cuddly canines they are now.

Emelio Asada Caligdong, a 5-foot-5 winger from Pototan, Iloilo, is perhaps just a native name before Wednesday’s big game. His name does not ring a bell that is why I understood it when he pointed to his jersey’s back to introduce himself to everyone after scoring the Azkals’ ice-breaker in the 42^nd minute.

That spectacular goal by the 28-year old Chieffy was a poetry in motion. He took a long cross from James Younghusband from the other corner, caught the ball with his chest just enough to drop it right in fromt of his left foot, flipped it back in a loop, then rammed the pigskin hard it bulleted past between the Mongolian keeper’s legs. In street sports lingo, you call it “between the eggs.”

The keeper’s wife better thank Chieffy’s marksmanship. The shot was like threading a needle. One inch higher would have been a disaster. I swear it was so strong it could blast a generation of Mongolians.

The morning after when Chieffy was interviewed, he talked about the goal and he said he had two options. One is to hit it high, and the other to hit it low. He took the second option so as not to get deflected.

That was not my worry, Chieffy. Imagine if Chieffy hit it high, it would have separated the keeper’s head from his wide body.

The Caligdong goal somehow loosened an otherwise tight Azkals crew. They were obviously tentative and tight in the early goings. Too cautious not to make mistakes before the homecrowd. As soon as they loosened up, they started to make the long attempts and got more aggressive. From that point, we have seen the new Azkals—more aggressive, attacking relentlessly and having fun in the field.

The final goal laid the trappings of a story cut out of the movies. With only the remaining garbage time left, Jason Sabio hesitated coming in then flicked a pass to Phil Younghusband on top of the penalty area. Phil, enjoying rock star attention since the Azkals’s march to glory last year, got deflected on his first blast, then caught the bunce with his left for a curling spinner to the right corner of the goal, just an inch swerving inside and puncturing through the keeper’s outstretched arms.

The goal was like a cut and paste template out of Phil’s goal against Singapore last November. Soon as the ball hit the back of the net, he cartwheeled before dashing to the corner of the field, sliding on his knees and stretching his arms like a lover pleading before a beloved damsel.

Yes, Phil. You have captured not just the hearts of all the single ladies in the crowd. You have also earned the respect of a nation.

And yes, you the rest of the Azkals and our new head coach Michael Weiss, you have once again made us proud even for a day.

Even on my couch, I watched with pride as the skies exploded with firecrackers in Bacolod City. Our nation’s flags were waved and proudly worn.

That reverberating win also pierced the hearts of the fighting Mongolians so hard that they will have to knock Genghis Khan, he the brave one who built the Mongol Empire, rising from his grave.

Elsewhere, not so much may be said of a dead general whose casket is wrapped with the country’s flag. His family is mourning, and some officials of the land viciously unrelenting. The tragic end of his life left an equally tragic endless clamor for questions yet unanswered.

Thank God for sports. They spend less around here. No millions to plunder. Chieffy Caligdong, for all his heroics, earns a measly monthly salary from his enlistment with the Philippine Air Force. Phil Younghusband may do well doing movies or modelling clothes.

Despite these heroics, there’s not even a few millions to spare for poor Philippine sports. In fact, it remains the one true Azkal in a park where some privileged bloated wolves feed in gluttony over slabs of pork.