JAPAN?S SOCCER VICTORY OVER SPAIN IS AN EYE OPENER
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 Jul 2012
Last Tuesday in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom?s third largest city located by River Clyde in the country?s west central lowlands, Japan?s national soccer team pulled an almost miraculous if not unexpected victory over the heavily favored national team of Spain manned by their ?under-23? national players.
Spain?s national team, if we would recall is the current world champion and the European champion as well. Their ?under-23 team? is backed up by some over-aged players from the national team.
Japan?s 1-0 victory is monumental.
Not too many countries are expected to duplicate the Japanese because Spain truly is a world class soccer power house.
In fact, in spite of the defeat, Spain may still win the Olympic gold medal in soccer.
Japan?s victory therefore is very significant and a huge eye-opener for other countries, particularly the Philippines.
I for one refuse to admit that the Filipino soccer players are forever relegated to be in the bottom section in so far as raking in world soccer is concerned.
Filipinos possess raw talent in athletics and proper sustained cultivation of such talent can produce spectacular results.
It would not be too far fetch to say that Filipino soccer players have a better chance in winning international games compared to our basketball players where most money is now being spent. This is because size and height in not that much of a game changing factor in soccer.
So why then can?t we compete with other soccer power houses?
Here is why.
Lack of proper support from the powers-that-be in Philippine athletics!
Period!
Most especially, lack of long term sustained subsidy from the government and from the business sector.
The latter would rather pour millions in basketball in spite knowing that our basketball players will never be world class beaters.
In fact, we can?t even win regional games without fielding the ?hafers? and ?naturalized players. Our local bred of players just don?t have the training and support to get the job done.
Unless the attitude of the powers-that-be is changed, government included and unless we drop the stupid petty politics and ?power struggle? amongst our purported ?leaders?, we will never see a headline like we saw yesterday from Great Britain.
But then again, maybe no one in the country really cares.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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