CHELSEA players do Philippines Football proud

http://www.tribune.net.ph/

RP booters blast Cambodians
By Olmin Leyba
Saturday, 11 26, 2005

BACOLOD CITY— It was just fitting Emelio Calidgong, an Ilonggo from this football-crazy region, capped a huge effort by the Philippines to end a harrowing 10-year slump in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games with a 4-2 triumph over Cambodia Friday.

Caligdong, from Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, conspired with Filipino-British recruit James Younghusbands and Philip Greatwich and team captain Ali Borromeo in scoring the goals for the Filipinos before a jubilant sellout crowd at the Panaad pitch. Cambodia absored its second loss in as many games.

With the triumph, the country's first since a 1-0 escape act over lowly Brunei in the 1995 Chiangmai Games, the hosts kept their chances for the next round alive with a 1-0-1 win-draw-loss card and two points.

The Filipinos need no less than a win against Malaysia on Nov. 29 to join expected Group A topnotcher, defending champion Thailand in the cross over semis.
“The players really wanted to win,” coach Aris Caslib said, whose wards dropped a 0-1 loss to the Thais last Wednesday.

The Philippines broke out of a 2-2 standoff when Greatwich followed up Borromeo's botched cabezada off a free kick with a header of his own that sailed past Ouc Mik in the 83rd minute.

Caligdong, who checked in only in the second half in lieu of Fil-Italian Philip Braggio, kicked in a looper over the Cambodian goalie five minutes later to seal the win before a crowd of 15,000 that included Cambodian princess Norodom Buddhapong, Norodom Chakrasping, and Norodom Ranariddh.

The four goals could be the most production in recent memory for the Filipinos, who did not take part in the 2001 and 2003 editions because they had weak chances.

“I think it's a good score. They were good goals, deliberate goals,” Caslib said.
Younghusband, whose credential as a Chelsea reserve made him an apple of the eye here, started scoring for the Filipinos with his cannonball from 50 yards at the 11th minute.

The lead was short lived as a lapse in defense inside the penalty box allowed an unmarked Srey Veasna a header four minutes hence.

The hosts again seized the upperhand as Borromeo scored on a header off a corner kick in the 65th.

A similar scramble inside the box again allowed Cambodia to peg the score, this time on a short roller in the 75th.

The game had its tense moments in the second half when a jockeying for position between RP's Arenl Pasinabo and Veasna resulted to an altercation and shoving match involving more players, including Mic. The Cambodian keeper was issued a yellow card.

Meanwhile, the Philippine women's football team hopes to regroup against Indonesia at 6:30 tonight while defending champion Vietnam will also aim for its first victory when it goes up against Thailand at 4 p.m. Both matches will be held at the Marikina pitch.

Women's team manager Cathy Rivilla claimed nothing much should be done on the already improved plays of the Pinay booters despite their 1-0 defeat to Thailand the other night.

“We'll just continue what we did,” Rivilla said. “If you saw our game against Thailand, maganda 'yung naging depensa natin, and in the offense nakita mo naman we had so many scoring opportunities.

“We just have to sustain that, and refocus na lang, naging emotional kasi 'yung mga players because it's the first time that they played in front of a big crowd,” Rivilla added.

The Filipinas, however, expect to play before a capacity audience again with Rivilla reminded her wards not to feel the pressure although they are expected to emerge as victors here since the Indon gals are almost of contention following a 0-5 loss to Myanmar.