To show our support, the embassy hosted a lunch for the Azkals with the Filipino community. Mongolian food and other Pinoy party staples were served, like pancit, bbq and lumpia. The team arrived to a rousing welcome, and they were so gracious in allowing everyone to take pictures with them. They barely got to eat their lunch with all the picture taking! =P
Here they come! Neil Etheridge, James (winger) and Phil Younghusband (Striker)
It was so great to see Anton after sooooo long! Anton Del Rosario is the Right-back of Azkals/Philippine National Team
With wonder-goal keeer, Neil Etheridge
With Central Defense of the Azkals/Philippine National Team, Rob Gier
MANY more photos after the jump!
With Christopher Camcam, 15 year old 3rd string goalie
With Team Captain and central defenderf, Aly Borromeo
With the amazing Army and Airforce Men (bottom L-R): Roel Gener, Ian Araneta, Mark Ferrer, Nestorio Margarse Jr., Yanti Barsales. To my the right of me on the top row is Peter Jaugan.
With Neil Etheridge (Goalie) Anton Del Rosario (Right-back)
With strength and conditioning coach, Josef Malinay
Aly Borromeo (Team Captain & ), Neil Etheridge (Goalie), Anton Del Rosario (Right-back), Chris Greatwich (central midfield) and half-icelandic Ray Jonsson (left-bak)
Another photo with Anton’s beautiful mom!
With James Younghusband and Jason de Jong who is half dutch
With Neil Etheridge (Goalie) and Anton Del Rosario (Right-back, Azkals/Philippine National Team)
Of course I just had to have a pic with the good-looking half-British brothers James Younghusband and Phil Younghusband. They gladly obliged my request. How nice is that?
With Head Coach Simon McMenemy. Ladies, did you know that coach is only 33 years old?
Azkals group shot
Too bad I couldn’t get a shot from the center! Too many people =P
Fun pic with everyone
I was also thrilled to finally meet their press officer, Rick Olivares of Bleacher’s Brew, since I am a fan of his blog. Too bad I didn’t get a pic taken with him. There were so many more members of the team that I wasn’t able to take a pic with or am unable to post (this entry would be WAY too long if I did!). I really wish I had but we couldn’t really keep em from eating and lunch had to be kept short since they had other plans after too!
My apologies ifthere are any typos or if I am missing anything! I’m in quite a hurry since we’ve tennis and I’m running late! TD is bugging me to get dressed already.
Don’t forget to support the Azkals in tomorrows second game with Indonesia by watching it wherever you might be in the world! I will provide a link to the website where you can get live streaming on my twitter @diplomaticwife tomorrow!
Note: If you would like to reblog any of the photos on my blog, kindly link photo to this post and also place this below the image: “Source: thediplomaticwife.wordpress.com“
I love your photos! Is Simon McMenemy half Filipino or something? =)
no he is not.
Hi MK! Thanks! My husband was my willing photographer as he is an even bigger fan of the Azakals than me! He taught me how to appreciate football. Simon is not at all Filipino. He was the head coach at that time.
How exciting!! Everyone looks happy. How wonderful that the Embassy hosted a party to show support. Congrats for the great pictures!!
Thanks the players were amazingly nice to everyone! Even after the game they lost last Sunday – no matter how tired and disappointed they looked, when the Indonesian fans crowded them to take pics, they obliged and smile for the cameras. Despite all the booing and fingers they got from the Indonesian fans before and during the game! Aren’t they so nice! I am so proud to have a team like them!
I’m drooling over Neil Etheridge. Thanks a lot for posting these never seen photos. =)
@MK: Coach McMenemy is British. But the rest of the Azkals are either pure Fil or half-foreigners.
You are most welcome! It was a fantastic experience meeting the team. They are such a nice bunch of boys! Who were very patient with all the excited pinoys who wanted to take pics with them.
But even more amazing is how gracious they are to the Indonesians, who hounded them yesterday for pics. They accommodated all of it, despite booing them during the first game, despite how they must have needed to rest before the 2nd game, and even after it when they must have been tired and disappointed! They were still awesome enough to smile and pose with the Indonesian fans!
Nice to know the Phil Embassy in Indonesia gave them enough support. Phil looks soooooo angelic in that photo……………. Neil is made up of 100 percent sex appeal…………….. and James got the most adorable face and smile…………… You just want to hug him forever!
BTW, I’m hating that twit from an indonesian fan about Neil and someone named Kiki Amalia…………… I googled her and found out SHE RECENTLY GOT MARRIED TO INDO STRIKER MARKUS so I don’t know what’s going on here???? Is this some kind of a joke???? Do our players have individual hotel rooms? Maybe Neil only gave in to a photo request because as far as I’m concerned, her husband is also billeted in the same hotel. Is that girl up to something or is someone just making things up in desperate attempt to link their names to our boys????? Call me jealous but I’m not liking that rumor/twit one bit…………………… I hope our boys, especially the hearthrobs choose the girls they are going to hang out with carefully especially NOW. BEWARE OF LEECHES AZKALS! I was about to use another word but had to censor myself……………LOL! I really hate rumors………..
They are so cute and they do look like nice young men. It was great of you guys to host a lunch for them. Thanks for the pictures. I am urging my young nephew (age 9) to take up soccer as a sports, with the Azkals high profile it will not be hard to convince him. Wishing team Azkals all the best and to you too.
@pixieFIL… i can relate. We’re just being possessive of the boys. Come to think of it, our Azkals team we’re the only good team in AFF and they played so damn well. They have charm, appeal, and looks that could melt polar caps. And they’re scorching hot, too!:-) there are good looking goalies esp. Iker Casillas but he just don’t have that appeal like Neil Etheridge.. I think the boys should just be careful where fans asked for photo oppurtunity.. And by the Markus is Indonesia’s goalie. I wonder why the husband permits his wife to have a pic taken with the opponent and even make up a nasty rumor to go with it. Do their men are willing to sell out their wife just to ruin the opponent’s refutation. If Markus isn’t aware of the foolishness of his wife, he should slap her silly. It should serve her well.
Solid Defense from the Azkals
Hope to see more next year! Neil ‘the bus’ Etheridge rapidly evolves into goal keeping monster! just few years ago , he is not that good! And another good thing FIFA now recognize the PFF new president ! and we should reconstruct , upgrade or remake not only the national stadium. but also the PFF seal. it looks like a common provincial seal!
great pics. it’s an incredible show of pinoy hospitality. it’s very nice to see the awesome support our embassy extended to the azkals`:)
Thank you! It was an honor for us to meet our amazing miracle team! =)
ohh, that’s jason de jong. what a handsome boy he is. stalk-worthy. hahaha!! thanks for posting this up.
You’re welcome Steph! It was my pleasure! Not only is he handsome, but he is incredibly nice and friendly as well!
Hi Diplomatic Wife,
Aren’t you one lucky gal to be at the right place at the right time! 🙂 I would probably have passed out at the sight of all these goodlooking lads all together in one room! Thanks for sharing your photos with us! I have been a sports fan since I was a school girl. I am just overjoyed now that we a a football team to cheer on!
Another feather to the Azkals’ cap is winning the Fair Play Award at the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup! Not only are the Azkals’ a sight to behold, they also got an award for playing clean football! Keep it up guys!
Yes I really was one lucky gal… and my husband was so sweet and game to be my photographer. 🙂 He’s really the best. Yes they are the nicest bunch and we can be so proud of how they played. For example, in Vietnam and here in Jakarta Neil also experienced being targeted by lasers and though coach McMenemy complained about it nothing came of the complaint. Despite this the team went on to beat Vietnam and were also gracious in defeat here in Indonesia. They didn’t make any excuses. They did their best and focused on playing football! They were graceful in victory and graceful in defeat. Now THAT is a team we can be so proud of!
ang galing talaga ng pinoy!!!!!!!!!!!!
gogoggogogogoogogogogo!!!!!!!!!!!!azkalzzzzzzzz
ang cute ng mga players nyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
ur so fortunate girl!!!!!!!!!
you deserve it !!!!!!!!!!
ang ganda ng mga pics nyo!!!!!!!
fabulous!!!!!!
Hi Jayson, thank you! My husband was super game in taking pictures. I agree he totally did such a great job!! We felt fortunate to meet the entire team, not only the handsome and nice players, but also the management and training team who are A-MA-Zing!
Goodtime with the Team! Rooting for them! I like your photo-documentation although why blur out the photos? 🙂
I like your pictures! They’re so awesome 😀 But how cum your faces in some pics were blurry? 😀 Hehe.
I blur my face a bit bec there are security issues in being a diplo wife moving to a new country every few years. Oh and sometimes not all my reviews or experiences are positive (not all blog posts can be positive or I lose credibility all together) and I want to be honest about them. Unfortunately there are some people out there who cannot take any criticism or take it personally as an attack on their entire country =( so sometimes I do get hate comments, etc. So I’ve to protect myself against that too. Sadly.
Thank you so much for your kind comment!