Saturday, May 10, 2008 Villaflor: The view from there By Noel Villaflor Footnote
APRIL was a whirlwind month for football, locally and overseas. May shouldn’t be any different. But there’s no such thing as an overdose of football, is there?
In every Pinoy fan’s football list is the Asian Challenge Cup this May 13-20 in Iloilo, where the Philippine National Team will face Brunei, Tajikistan, and Bhutan. That’s three days from now.
It would be a shame to miss this tournament, so I beg of you: iron out your schedules and book a flight to Iloilo. If you call in sick, your manager will understand. This is football, so other trivial pursuits such as work must give way.
Also in the list is the title race in the English Premier League going down to the last match day of the season, with Manchester United and Chelsea tied with 37 points apiece at the top of the table.
Incidentally, the two top English teams will be facing each other for the Uefa Champions League final on May 21.
These two sets of fixtures mean half of England will be peeing in their pants on two different occasions.
Whatever the results are, the English can brag that they now have the best league in Europe, never mind if their squad failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
They can kick their shins 27 days from now when Europe’s best national teams gather in Austria and Switzerland.
RED READER. It’s a bit early to speculate on the Moscow club finals, so allow me instead to discuss some issues on the semis concluded just recently.
This time, football fans who follow this column will provide this space some points to ponder.
Judy Ann Serrano, a Liverpool fan who “likes my column,” sent me an e-mail saying she doesn’t hate me for cursing Liverpool before their big semis match against Chelsea last April.
Being a fan, she understands that very well, how we, spectators, get carried away by the weight of the moment.
“I think Manchester United are the real devils. They’re mean.” she said.
You’re right, Judy, the Red Devils are mean on the pitch — mean enough to make the Blues weep in Moscow.
Even if you’re heart is with Liverpool, don’t miss this one.
CERTIFIED. Football is a heartbreaker. And I don’t see anyone as inconsolable as Xavier “Chevy” Dy-Dael, shortly after Manchester United edged Barcelona at Old Trafford.
“You see, I’m a certified ‘cule’ — which means that blaugrana is the color of my blood —- and have been a Barca supporter since the early eighties,” he said in an insightful e-mail sent right after the semis first leg.
He was hoping for a Barcelona and Chelsea final in Moscow, and hearkened to their classic first round knockout wars in 2005 and 2006.
“Considering the history of great Chelsea-FCB ties, wouldn’t it be just right to have it again in club football’s biggest stage in Moscow this May?” said the namesake of Barca midfielder Xavi Hernandez.
That would have been a cracker, Xavier.
But Scholes and company had other plans, particularly a trip to Moscow to relive the Spirit of ‘99 when they lifted the cup at the Nou Camp.
CHANGE. Another certified fan, Denis Medilo, welcomed this column by saying, “It’s nice to know there’s at least one person who writes about football for a change.”
Like Judy, he’s a Liverpool follower, and he saw through me when he said: “I presume you’re a Chelsea fan.”
In his e-mail written shortly before the second leg of the semis, Denis admitted he didn’t expect a Liverpool win in London.
“Regardless of the outcome, I’m thrilled that it’s going to be an all-England final, first time in Champions League history,” he said.
With his side out, who does he pick between Manchester United and Chelsea?
“I’d like to see the latter lift the silverware instead of Sir Alex’s. Sir Alex had his party in 1999, Chelsea’s yet to pop theirs.”
