‘Do we have a Pinoy team in the World Cup?’

“The World Cup experience is more than just the game of soccer. It's an event. And it will fly by faster than you think. It will end and you'll be saying, 'Wow, it's over already?' You have to remember to take it all in and enjoy it.”
--Cobi Jones

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- A lot of Filipinos not necessarily soccer fans have been asking me in person and through the Facebook messenger these past two weeks: “Do we have a team in the World Cup?”
We all know, of course, that we don’t have.
We never had a chance.
We have the Azkals (Street Dogs), our national football team that regularly competes in international football, but it did not--and could not--play in the World Cup.
Not even in 2022 Qatar, with due respect to our national players and the coaching staff.

The reason is because the Philippines has never qualified for the World Cup.
The farthest that the RP national football team has achieved, so far, was having been qualified in the AFC Asian Cup in 2019.
Its best trophy in a major tournament was second place to Palestine at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.
The Filipinos can’t even dominate its rivals in the Southeast Asian (SEA Games) and Asian Games.
There’s a drought of gold medal for the Philippine football team even in the regional invitational games.

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Without the Filipino-European and Filipino-American booters in Azkals, we can hardly beat Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia.
It was not too long ago when we were once the veritable “whipping boy” in the region.
Not anymore when the Azkals, now coached by Terry Butcher, was formed.
Even if we don’t play in the World Cup, our football has developed by leaps and bounds and our team is no longer a pushover.
Even before Uruguay became the first country in history to win the FIFA World Cup in 1930, the Philippines was already playing at the international level in 1913.
After 78 years, only seven countries, the so-called “Elite Seven”, have won the World Cup in 18 stagings: Brazil (five times); Italy (four times); Germany (three times); Uruguay (two times); Argentina (two times); England (once); and France (once).

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In the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, two of the four semifinalists (France, England, Croatia, Belgium) could join the Elite Seven.
If Belgium will beat France on July 10 and Croatia will defeat England on July 11, it will be a Belgium versus Croatia match in the championship.
Either Belgium or Croatia could become the eight country in history to bring home the World Cup.
But first they must hurdle their semifinal assignments.
If France and England will clash in the finals, one of them could win the World Cup only for the second time in history.
As we have been saying in the past weeks, the world is going crazy now that the final two teams are about to be unveiled this week.

Can Dorben Acap survive?

“When people are laughing, they're generally not killing one another.”
--Alan Alda

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- If it is true that those who wanted Iloilo City PO1 Dorben Acap dead were his own superiors, then he really has reason to panic and “feel helpless” as reported.
There is a popular saying in the underworld that if your bosses are your own “enemies” you can’t be rescued even by the ghosts in heaven.
Acap is reportedly under the watch list of those suspected to be engaged in illegal drugs in Western Visayas.
He denied it and swore he is not a rogue cop.
Acap has been talking to the media and even threatened to “tell everything” once he has fully recovered.
In a mob world, if the victim’s superiors ordered the hit and he survived, they usually consider the target as a “dead man talking” (Not to be confused with "dead man walking").

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Targets of assassination by a “big organization” (whatever it is) who survived usually are mowed down in the second or third attempt.
The harassment and assault, which have the “imprimatur” from “above”, will never stop.
This can be attested in the films made about mafia or big syndicates that exterminate their own men who either have rat against the group or have become “too big for their britches.”
Let’s hope this won’t happen to Acap especially if he is innocent and is actually a dedicated and honest police officer who leads a life as a role model to his children.
Acap is always presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
He could be a victim of mistaken identity or intrigues.
If Acap is really “notorious” whatever that means, he should be given his day in court and not subjected to gossip and summary execution.

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There was no evidence, however, that Philippine National Police (PNP) bigwigs in Western Visayas were behind the failed attempt to finish off Acap, who survived an ambush staged by motorcycle-riding gunmen while driving his car in Arevalo district June 26 afternoon.
It was not immediately established that the foiled attempt to kill Acap had something to do with President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to kill all drug traffickers, including village officials and “narco cops.”
Acap, however, insisted he was able to positively identify PO2 Melvin Mocorro as one of the three gunmen who was hit when he fired back.
Moccoro was placed under hospital arrest by Senior Insp. Mary Grace Borio, Arevalo police station chief, while confined for gunshot wounds at the Iloilo Mission Hospital in Jaro district, while Acap, assigned at Camp Martin Delgado Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, was treated at The Medical City in Molo district.
Both policemen will survive.

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It’s Russia versus Croatia and Uruguay versus France in the first waves of quarterfinals.
By the time this article comes out, we shall know the results of the remaining Round of 16 matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
These matches are: Belgium versus Japan; Brazil versus Mexico; Sweden versus Switzerland; and Colombia versus England.
This year’s World Cup has been touted as “one of the best” if not the best because of the series of upsets and surprises, not to mention the quality of performances executed by both the highly touted and not-so-great soccer players.
We are near the semifinals and the finals and the world is going crazy.

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP: Uruguay ousts Portugal and Ronaldo

A brace from Edinson Cavani saw Uruguay edge out Portugal 2-1 on Saturday at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi to secure a quarter-final place at the 2018 World Cup.

Cavani applied a fine finish to Rodrigo Bentancur's pass in the second half to seal the win. He had earlier linked up expertly with Luis Suarez to head La Celeste in front after seven minutes, only for Pepe to head home a corner after the break to level proceedings.

Uruguay will be sweating on Cavani's fitness for the next round after he left the match midway through the second half with an injury, though.

Even before the tournament began, Suarez and Cavani stood out as one of the World Cup's deadliest duos; they scored a combined 71 goals last season for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.

CHEMISTRY

What makes them even more effective for Uruguay is their chemistry, which they showcased by linking up superbly for Cavani to hand their side the lead just seven minutes in.

Suarez and Cavani have both found the net in three consecutive World Cups, and they have five goals between them here in Russia.

After Cavani limped out of the match in the 73rd minute—having been helped from the field by Cristiano Ronaldo—all eyes will be on his fitness for the quarter-final against France.

Suarez is still a threat on his own, but the understanding up front between he and Cavani makes a world of difference to Uruguay in the final third.

It's fair to say Ronaldo did not have his best game on Saturday. Against Uruguay's organisation and tenacity, the forward cut a frustrated figure, per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan.

There was little to no improvement in the second half, in which he also picked up a yellow card that would have seen him suspended for the next round.

His missed penalty against Iran now looks even more costly, as it would have set up a last-16 tie with Russia instead of Uruguay.

The Selecao talisman will be two months shy of his 38th birthday come the next World Cup, so this may be his last appearance at one, but his legacy for Portugal is already secured.

HAT-TRICK

His hat-trick against Spain and decisive goal against Morocco played a key role in their progression to the knockout phase, and the strikes also left him on 85 goals for Portugal, making him the second-highest international goalscorer of all time.

Along with his indisputable record, he also helped the Selecao win their first major international trophy at UEFA Euro 2016. Despite suffering an injury early on in the final, Ronaldo remained on the sidelines alongside manager Fernando Santos to motivate the team.

His failure to take Portugal further at the World Cup will hurt, but he's had a significant impact on their fortunes in his career.

Mooted as dark horses before the tournament began, Uruguay did little to live up to that tag as they scraped through their first two matches against Egypt and Saudi Arabia, respectively, with unconvincing 1-0 wins.

However, after dispatching hosts Russia 3-0 in the final group game to become one of just three sides to take a maximum nine points and their resolute performance here, no one will want to play them.

Quarter-final opponents France scored some superb goals in their 4-3 win over Argentina earlier in the day, but Uruguay are capable of going all the way, particularly if they get Cavani back. (Christopher Simpson)

Imagine if Filipinos were the ones who upset Germany

“The first World Cup I remember was in the 1950 when I was 9 or 10 years old. My father was a soccer player, and there was a big party, and when Brazil lost to Uruguay, I saw my father crying.”
--Pele

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Imagine if it were the Filipino soccer players who pulled the rug from under the 2018 FIFA World Cup defending champion Germany in the group stage opener on Saturday morning (June 17) in Moscow, Russia.
"Dutertards" and "Yellowtards" would have instantly halted their mudslinging activity; Filipino Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages would have been inundated with soccer melodrama; and delirious Filipino fans would have caused not only a minor but major “earthquake” simultaneously in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao like what happened in Mexico when the underdog Mexicans upset the mighty Germans, 1-0, courtesy of Hirving Lozano.
Some of the heroic Pinoy soccer players would easily be clinching elective positions in the next elections.
A soccer player would likely be the next Senate President or House Speaker. Only in the Philippines.
Any win registered by any country in a World Cup match actually becomes a national festival even if it isn’t a championship; the booters are considered as real celebrities and heroes.
Soccer itself is a mystical sport. 

FIFA World Cup is the biggest and most popular outdoor sporting event known in the universe.

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If the Philippines did it, offices and classes would be suspended; traffic would be halted; politics would be thrown in the backseat; stock exchange trading would be held in abeyance, crimes would deteriorate; malls would be abandoned as the entire nation celebrated the World Cup stunner.
The Filipinos would have rejoiced like they won their first Olympic gold.
But I’m sorry to cut short this fantasy and vainglory.
Winning against a powerhouse team like Germany is like bordering on megalomania.
In the first place, the Philippines can’t play against any soccer superpower in America and Europe in a World Cup match for the simple reason that the national team has never been qualified for FIFA World Cup despite its reputation as one of the oldest national teams in Asia.
The Philippines has been playing at the international level since 1913, but the farthest that it has achieved, so far, was having been qualified in the AFC Asian Cup in 2019.

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The Filipinos’ best finish in a major tournament was second place to Palestine at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup.
We can only share the great moments with the Mexicans who resemble like Filipinos in height, talent and other physical features.
It was only Mexico’s second win against Germany in 12 World Cup matches since 1968.
The Germans bundled them out six times and drawn their matches four times.
It’s a long way to go and Germany can either bounce back and win its second title or Mexico will continue its giant killing spree or even pocket its first World Cup crown.
Or both of them will be eliminated.
Let’s continue to enjoy watching more explosive World Cup matches.