Younghusbands, celebrities to star in football match

MANILA -- Brothers James and Phil Younghusband will go separate ways on August 25 for a friendly football match featuring athletes from different fields, college players and celebrities.

Growing and learning football together since their childhood days in England, James said he is excited to go against his brother for the first time.

“Of course, I’m willing to tackle him,” James said in a press conference Monday for the so-called “Dream Match” sponsored by Clear shampoo.

The brothers, who are members of the national team Azkals, were recently signed as endorsers for Clear, putting them in the same league as Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Aside from the Younghusbands, celebrities tapped for the match are United Football League (UFL) stars Anton del Rosario, Nate Burkey and Freddy Gonzales; college standouts Miko Mabanag (Ateneo de Manila), Patrick Deyto (La Salle) and Miko Mabanag (Ateneo de Manila); and Andrew Wolfe and Eric Tai from the Philippine rugby team Volcanoes.

Possible players also include Brazilian-Japanese models Daniel Matsunaga and Fabio Ide, television host Paolo Bediones and members of Boys Night Out show on radio Magic 89.9.

Game time is set at 6:30 p.m.

Entrance to the match venue University of Makati is free, Clear Philippines brand manager John Imperial said, as he asked fans to book tickets through their Facebook page.

The game will be for the benefit of the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation, the 18-year-old organization known for sending a football team to the Homeless Cup, a tournament for poor, orphaned individuals.

“We have a commitment of around two or three years to the foundation. During the period, we are also planning to renovate their pitch,” Imperial said. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)