Patrombon Barges Into Semis!

The competition is getting tougher and tougher but so is Jeson.

The Pinoy junior netter survived another grueling match, this time against Australian Nick Kyrgios, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Patrombon cruised during the opening set but found himself at the receiving end of several well-placed Kyrgios baseline drives to concede the second set.

He then buckled down to work and hacked out the victory from the baseline.

He goes up against Serbian Pedja Krstin in the semifinal round.

More of the story, here.

More March Madness Moments! (Fab Five)

They were young. They were skilled. And they were fabulous.

Michigan's Fab Five composed of Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson were the country biggest basketball sensation in the 1990's.

A Hazy Video Of The Ian Araneta Goal, Courtesy Of Aksyon 5!

More March Madness Moments! (The Shot)

With March Madness moving on to the Elite Eight, we take a look at some more magical March Madness moments.

For today, we'll take a look at what is considered the most memorable shot in the history of the NCAA Tourney.

Azkals Win Over Bangladesh, 3-0!

AZKALS GO ON TO THE NEXT ROUND! THEY HAVE MADE PHL FOOTBALL HISTORY!!!

CONGRATS AZKALS!

Azkals Go Up 3-0 On Bangladesh!

When the Bangladeshi dam burst, the Azkal flood swept everything in its path.

Angel Guirado lived up to his billing as a dangerous striker by scoring 2 successive goals against Bangladesh. His first goal was a beautiful header that completely flummoxed the Bengals goalie and his second goal was a strong kick from just outside the box.

Azkals are totally dominating the Bengals, who look like they've lost the will to play on.

Azkals vs Bangladesh Update! 1:0 At Halftime!

Ian Araneta's goal just changed everything.

The Bangladesh Bengals can no longer afford to sit back on defense. A loss to the Azkals automatically eliminates them so they have to push forward, the same way the Azkals pushed hard in the first half.

GOAL!!!! AZKALS 1, BANGALDESH 0!!!!

HOLY CRAP!!!!

Ian Araneta with the breakthrough goal!!!!

It all started with an Angel Guirado possession where he neatly maneuvered for a shot at goal. Guirado's shot was blocked but the ball bounced to Araneta who kept his composure and hit a nice shot which, despite being deflected, still went into the Bangladeshi goal.

Azkals vs Bangladesh Update! 0:0 After 30 Minutes!

Still the same story. Azkals are very aggressive, already logging in several dangerous crosses and around 2 or 3 decent attempts at goal. Still, the Bengals are holding.

On the other side, very few chances for Bengals to score but any time they bring the ball to Azkal territory is more time off the clock for the Azkals to attack. It's keepaway play for Bangladesh.

Araneta, Caligdong, Guirado and Lucena working hard. It's only a matter of time till we get another decent shot.

Azkals vs Bangladesh Update! 0:0 After 10 Minutes!

Azkals are very aggressive! Two opportunities already for them, Guirado hitting a long shot to Bengals goalie, Caligdong's dangerous cross to James Younghusband barely cleared by Bengals.

Ian Araneta, Ali Borromeo and Ray Jonsson all very aggressive too. Bangaladesh clearly on the defensive. We still need to break the ice though.

The Azkals' Starting 11!

Neil Etheridge
Anton del Rosario
Ali Borromeo
Jason Sabio,
Ray Jonsson,
Jerry Lucena,
James Younghusband
Anghel Guirado,
chieffy Caligdong
Ian Araneta
Yanti Barsalles

One Last Note Before The Azkal Play Bangladesh.

Bangladesh will employ one simple strategy: defend at all costs. Remember, if they draw, they move on.
So they will put 6, 7 maybe 8 players in front of the goal and just clear away all day long.

If the Azkals can score one goal, the Bengal tigers will be forced to go on the attack. If that happens, we will get more and easier opportunities to score. But as long as we are deadlocked, the Bengals will not move from their goal mouth.

Good luck, Azkals!

Bednarik In Hospital!

Charles "Chuck" Bednarik, a Hall of Fame center and nose tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles, was taken to a Pennsylvania hospital for medical concerns.

Bednarik, also known as "Concrete Charlie, was the last of the "sixty minute men" football players who played both offense and defense at a time when specialization was already in vogue.

Rob Gier's Message To Azkal Fans!

Courtesy of Teampilipinas.info


Hi all,

As some of you may have heard I won't be taking part in the final game against Bangladesh. My wife, Emma, is 4 months pregnant back in the UK and things are a little delicate at the moment. For this reason I agreed with coach Weiss that I would only take part in the first 2 games and then return home to look after her. I hope that you will all understand my decision. It was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make, but I feel I have made the right one. I have total faith in the rest of the squad and the players that will come in and I'm sure that the rest of the guys will achieve the result we are all hoping for. Thank you to all the Azkals, coaching and managing staff, and our fans for being so understanding.

-Rob

Rob Gier To Miss today's Match against Bangladesh!

Rob Gier, one of the Azkals more experienced defenders, flew back to England yesterday to attend to his wife, Emma, who is experiencing a delicate pregnancy. This would be the first child for the Giers.

The Azkal defensive back initially has second thoughts about coming to Myanmar to play but came to an agreement with Coach Hans Michael Weiss to play in the first 2 games in the hopes of scoring a win.

A few of the Azkals tried to convince Gier to stay on but Gier rightly decided that family came first.

To Rob and Emma, our prayers.

More of the story, here.

Patrombon Foils Upset Bid Of Gutsy Mexican!

Down by one set, Patrombon could either slink out in defeat or rise to the occasion.

The Pinoy Wonder Boy decided to do some rising.

Jeson Patrombon came from a set down to defeat gallant Mexican Luis Patino, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, who is seeded number 14. He was actually leading in the first set 4-1 when Patino made his move. Unable to keep pace, Patrombon conceded a hard fought first set.

The Simple Math Of The Azkals!

How big is our chance of advancing to the next round?

That seems to be the question of the day posed to the Azkals. After 2 successive draws to Myanmar and Palestine, the Azkals sit at third place in our group, in danger of missing a seat at the next round of the AFC Challenge Cup.

Many people seem to be jumping to erroneous conclusions, swinging like a pendulum from overflowing confidence to doomsday naysayer. So, here's the simple mathematical breakdown of our Azkals' chances at advancing.

Smart Gilas Finally Loses!

First, they lost Marcus Douthit to an ankle injury. then they lost the game in overtime.

The Nationals finally fell to a PBA team, namely the B-Meg Derby Ace, 98-90, in a game where the team with the more dominant big men won.

In the first three quarters, that was Smart Gilas. In the last quarter, it was B-Meg.

Patrombon Wins First Match!

It wasn't the smoothest of starts but the ending was just as sweet.

Jeson Patrombon bucked his rough start and went on to defeat German Patrick Elias 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the next round of the 22nd Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Championships.

Elias, who is ranked 103rd in the juniors world, briefly held a 2-1 lead over Patrombon before succumbing to the hard hitting Pinoy. Patrombon delighted the partisan crowd with his power and touch from the baseline.

What The Azkals Draw With Palestine Actually Means.

Win or go home.

That is the predicament that the Azkals find themselves in, after the 0-0 draw with Palestine's Al Fusan. It was a hard fought battle the entire match, with Palestine dominating the first half and the Azkals returning the favor in the second half.

The Palestinians feasted on the right side of the defense, where speedy Ismael Alamour absolutely owned Rob Gier. Etheridge once again showed world class skill and talent in keeping the Palestinians goalless while the Azkals had few opportunities to test the Palestinian goalie.

The draw puts the Al Fusan in first place of the group with 4 points. The shocking victory of Bangladesh over Myanmar puts them at 2nd place with 3 points. The Azkals are at 3rd with 2 points while Myanmar, surprisingly, is last with 1 point.

Only the top 2 teams will move on to the next stage and for the Azkals to be one of those 2 teams, they need to win tomorrow.

Azkals Draw With Palestine Al Fusan, 0:0!

Final score 0:0. Both team had chances. Both could not capitalize. The analysis, tomorrow.

Azkals Vs Palestine Update! Last 10minutes!

Tightly fought match. Neither side is giving way. More Azkal opportunities to score but so far, Palestinian defense is holding.

On the Azkals side, Etheridge is playing a hell of a game. He's been able to keep the Al Fusan off the socreboards almost by his lonesome.

Kapit, mga kapatid!

Azkals Vs Palestine Update! 0-0 after 65 minutes!

Philippine Azkals and Palestine Fighters going toe-to-toe. Ismael tests Etheridge again but Etheridge palms his shot away. Guirado finally with a realistic chance from a corner but he heads it over the bar.

Yanti Barsales comes on for Ian Araneta while Yannick Tuason comes in for Simon Greatwich. Azkals immediately feel the change as they come up with another close attempt near the goal mouth. Azkals seeing some cracks in the Palestinian defense.

Etheridge gets tested on a 1-on-1 and comes away victorious once again. But we can't keep relying on him. Azkals defense have to step it up.

Azkals Vs Palestine Update! 0-0 At Halftime!

Etheridge got tested again by Murad Alyan but was perfectly positioned for the kick. Another Palestine corner came dangerously close but Etheridge punched it away. so far, Palestine has had about 5 shots on goal, with the crossbar denying 2 Palestinian goals.

On the other end,  the Azkals have nothing to show. Good movement from  Araneta, Caligdong. Greatwich and Guirado but they are having a hard time dealing with the very physical Palestinians. James Younghusband needs to get into the fray.

Good job so far by Etheridge and the strikers. Jonsson seems off his game, needing Ally Borromeo to rescue him time and again.

Halftime is at 0:0. Let's hope the Azkals get something going in the second half.

Azkals Vs Palestine Update! 0-0 after 35minutes!

Palestine getting the upper hand in their match against Azkals! Palestine almost scores a long goal from midfield but hits bar instead. Azkals still without any attempt at goal.

Simon Greatwich gets yellow card for diving in penalty box, Chieffy Caligdong and Angel Guirado shwoing signs of life near Palestinian goal.

Azkals Vs Palestine Update! 0-0 after 22 minutes!

Still a pretty even match. Azkals probe Palestine defense with Guirado flicking a long ball to Greatwich who passes to James Younghusband in the corner who fails to reach ball before it goes outside.

Goalkeepers exchange kicks. Hehehe. Defense on the right side still a problem. Palestine trying to capitalize, with Ismael terrorizing Ray Jonsson.

Guirado, Younghusband and Lucena must put more pressure on Palestine defense.

Azkals Vs Palestine Update! 0-0 after 16 minutes!

Azkals are playing possession football and Palestine is letting them. Palestinians seem to favor a counterattack strategy so they are waiting for the Azkals to lose the ball before they launch an attack.

The Palestinians have already tested Etheridge with a corner and a free kick with just 10minutes gone so that's a concern. On the other end, Guirado and company can't seem to overcome the physical play of the Palestinians, falling to several challenges already.

Palestine test Etheridge again! Ismael Amour's shot is deflected out. Murad Alyan's corner hits post before being cleared!

Pacquaio Deletes Twitter Account Amidst Criticism.

Who knew that the only blows that could make Manny Pacquiao quit were the online blows from Twitter?

Pacquiao deleted his Twitter account @congMP after getting into a semi-serious argument with netizens. Several people tweeted Pacquiao, commenting on his absence from Congress, after he announced on Twitter his "No" vote on the "Merci" case.

After a deluge of angry and indignant tweets, the congressman from Saranggani announced he would be closing down his account. Several hours later, the account was deleted.

Read more, here.

Exit Parade For Pinoy Junior Netters!

Six Pinoy junior netters fell by the wayside in the first day of the 22nd Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Championships.

The victims included Clarice Patrimonio, daughter of four time PBA MVP Alvin Patrimonio, who succumbed to Nadia Ravita 6-2, 6-2.

The top seed in the tournament, Jeson Patrombon, plunges into action today.

More of the story, here. 

Azkals Versus Palestine: What To Expect

The Azkals face Palestine tomorrow in what could be the pivotal match of this stage. If either team logs a win tomorrow, entry to the second round is almost assured. A draw, on the other hand, means both teams must win in the final match.

For the Azkals, it might be an easier assignment to win against Bangladesh. For Palestine, Myanmar would be a lot tougher.

Here are some things to watch out for in tomorrow's match.

Pacquiao Defamation Law Suit Against Mayweather Pushes Through!

The defamation lawsuit filed by Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao against American Floyd Mayweather is all set to go.

US District Judge Larry Hicks has ruled that court proceedings can start after finding that there was sufficient evidence of malicious acts when Mayweather, his uncle and a host of other embittered foes accused Pacquiao of using performance enhancing drugs (PED's).

Patrombon On Quest To Win Local Junior Title!

After runner up finishes in his last 2 tournaments, is Jeson Patrombon ready to win?

If he does, he can make history as the first local to win the 22nd Mitsubishi Lancer International Junior Championships.

As the top seeded player, Patrombon gets a first round bye. He plays the winner of the GaoXin (China)-Patrick Elias(Germany) match.

More of the story here.

Should We Be Disappointed By The Azkals Draw With Myanmar?

Hell, no. And I can give you four reasons why we should be happy about the draw.

One, we managed a draw against the home team. Traditionally, home teams enjoy a significant psychological advantage over the visiting team. Being cheered on gives you an extra boost of adrenaline that can be the difference between a win and a draw. This was especially evident with the Burmese side which used that home crowd boost to score a last second goal and salvage a draw.

March Madness Moments!

March Madness has started in the US but we Filipinos will probably notcie only when we get to the Final Four. (We are just in the Sweet Sixteen phase).

That being said, I'd like to pay tribute to this great tournament by showing you some of its greatest moments.

Myanmar Scores Goal In Stoppage Time, Salvages Draw With Azkals!

Three minutes too many.

Myanmar averted what would have been a a national disaster with a last second goal to salvage a draw with the Azkals.

Azkals Update! Azkals Up 1-0!

Azkals up 1-0, courtesy of a James Younghusband penalty kick!

Angel Guirado in the forefront of the Azkals attack! This one's a keeper!

Espinosa "Unimpressive" says Azkals Coach

Uh-oh. That doesn't bode well for the Azkals.

William Espinosa, one of the new players that the Azkals were hoping could soften the blow that Phil Younghusband's injury wrought on the Philippine National Football Team failed to impress Azkals Coach Hans Michael Weiss.

Patrombon Loses To Whittington!

It's another heartbreaker for Jeson.

Patrombon suffered a finals defeat the hands of Andrew Whittington, 4-6, 6-7(3), at the 17th Sarawak Chief of Ministers Cup Tennis Championships.

Azkals Go Up Against Myanmar Today!

We may be the highest ranked team in our group but that doesn't mean going to the next round is a sure thing.

This is the sentiment of Coach Hans Michael Weiss, who cautioned Pinoy fans from thinking that our qualification for the next round is a done deal.

All the other teams in the Azkals' group have a better football history than the Azkals. In fact, the Azkals have not yet beaten Myanmar, drawing both of their games against them. Myanmar also placed third in this tournament last year while Palestine booked a quarterfinal seat back in 2006.

We also have to take into consideration that Phil Younghusband will not be playing in this stage. That is a huge blow to the Azkals cause and we can only hope that William Espinosa and Angel Guirado are as good as advertised.

Read more on this story from the Inquirer article.

The Loss of a Striker, The Return Of Another.

You win some, you lose some.

That was definitely the case for the Azkals as they went through a rollercoaster of emotions with regards to their roster.