Wednesday, January 03, 2007 Negrense midfielder rejoins national team By Henry C. Villalva
UNIVERSITY of St. La Salle varsity standout and former national men's football squad campaigner Arie Pasinabo left for Manila last Sunday to rejoin the RP men's national side.
He left together with former La Salle teammate and keeper Archie Bayquin who was earlier tapped to reinforce the national goalkeepers already in the lineup preparing for the next leg of the Asean Football Championship scheduled to kick off January 12 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Pasinabo, MVP of the 2006 Philippine Football Federation (PFF) men's open national championship, which USLS also won. The school was then representing the Negros Occidental Football Association (Nofa).
He also saw action for the national side during the 2005 Southeast Asian Games (Seag) men's football competition held here in Bacolod City at the Panaad Sports Complex pitch.
Together with Nofa teammates Bayquin, Jayson Panhay and Joel Ballo-allo, they are reported to be joining the national side prior to the November 12-20, 2006 Asean Football Championship qualifiers here. But the announcement made by RP team head coach Aris Caslib never materialized.
However, reports from Manila indicated during the Christmas break that Pasinabo was one of the several standouts being eyed to make a comebacks stint with the nationals following reports that the team's ace striker, Philip Younghusband, has decided to skip the Thailand series.
The Fil-Briton, who tallied six goals for the Philippines during the AFP qualifier here last November enabling the RP squad to qualify for the next round along with Laos, is reportedly being asked by officials of his English Premier League Club Chelsea to concentrate on his career.
Bayquin told Sun.Star Bacolod Tuesday night the RP team is expected to be in Singapore on the first week of January but said they are not privy to whatever changes in the lineup if ever.
The nationals are slated to take on Thailand, Malaysia and Myanmar in Bangkok on January 12, 14 and 16 although the absence of the younger Younghusband may have put a dent on their scoring chances against their more formidable opponents.
