Welcoming the new Azkals Coach
Photo Credits: ASEAN Football
Disclaimer: The author’s piece is based solely on her opinion and does not reflect the views and opinions of Eat, Sleep, Breathe Football gang.
Just a few days after posting my first opinion piece for ESBF, here I am again, giving another unsolicited opinion regarding the new development involving our Men’s National Football Team, the Azkals.
The announcement of a new Head Coach made a buzz on all the social media platforms of the Azkals, of course, such news got everyone talking, especially those who are all eyes on the ins and outs of the Philippine Football scene.
In line with that, I’d like to assume that there are four different kinds of reactions that a football fan might be feeling at this very moment. First off are the pensive ones, the ones who are probably saying “Oh, another Head Coach again. Another change of style and system.”
Second are those who are worried about how it may affect the team as a whole, now that they are preparing for a training camp outside of the country.
Third are those who are also excited about what this new coach will bring to the table, perhaps twice as excited about how his style of coaching will make a mark on the players and if it will transcend well on the team’s performance.
Finally, the fourth one - the ones who are hopeful that this coach may be “the one.” And when I say “the one” meant the person that we’ve been looking for the past decade or so to bring the Men’s team to greater heights, far better than where Coach Thomas Dooley had taken the Azkals.
Of all the reactions that a fan might be feeling now that a new coach is going to take the helm of the Azkals, I’d join the group of hopeful ones. It doesn’t matter if it seems as if we’re back at the starting line, in the race to claim at least Southeast Asian supremacy.
I’m hopeful that the new coach will be able to make use of the pool of talents that he has in the National Team to the best of their abilities and will not just focus on the ones who are doing good in leagues abroad. I’m hopeful that the new coach will also make efforts to hone the skills of the local players that he’ll be calling up in International fixtures so that they can be all the more competitive.
I’m hopeful that the new coach will bring out the best in every player that will don the national colors and that somehow, this will help the pensive and the worried ones to fully support the team that he’s trying to build.
But more than being hopeful about the new coach, the other side of me thinks about the former Azkals and how are they doing.
Former Azkals meant the ones who have long retired and were part of the Thomas Dooley team that almost made a Miracle in Hanoi 2.0 about nine years ago. Is there anyone from that batch of Azkals already eligible to coach the Senior’s team?
Why am I thinking about them all of a sudden? Because we’ve already seen Chris Greatwich and Nate Burkey do their wonders in the sidelines as deputies to a foreign Head Coach and I believe that it’s about time that we see more former Azkals do the same thing.
Imagine our Senior team being coached by the ones who know every hard-earned victory and heartbreaking defeat the same way that the players do because they were once in their shoes, playing in the same competition that they used to join during their time. Wouldn’t it be nice?
Imagine seeing our very own Azkals having the likes of Jerry Lucena, Chieffy Caligdong, Phil and James Younghusband, and Rob Gier on the sidelines, calling the shots, won’t it be a dream team?
I feel that kind of coaching staff, along with current young guns like Sandro Reyes, Jens Rasmussen, and Jarvey Gayoso would be lethal.
But again, that’s just my ideal coaching staff, which, I think, is not far-fetched.
Going back to the new coach, I hope that his fresh ideas will finally put an end to our struggle in beating regional giants like Thailand and Vietnam. With my two fingers crossed, I hope he’s the one who can weave the magic in finally breaking this long-time spell.
May he also be an instrument to bring back fans to fill up the Rizal Memorial Stadium, and may he enforce more friendlies for the team so we can all see that the team is developing for the better.
I’m hopeful that after all the disappointments and setbacks in recent years, the Azkals are still going to give us the good news and the better performance that we, football fans, have long been looking forward to seeing.
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