Thursday, December 7, 2017

FIBA WORLD CUP 2023 : LET US MAKE #playlouderin2023 TREND ON DEC 8 AND 9

To help our joint bid to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas is again asking for our help. They will be presenting to the Central Board who will decide to whom they will award the hosting rights on Saturday, December 9. If last time, our #PUSO trended, they are again counting on us to make our new campaign slogan - #playlouderin2023 trend starting Friday, Dec 8 until Dec 9.


The Philippines is bidding again to host the FIBA World Cup after losing 2 years ago to China. Now, the country is in a joint bid with Indonesia and Japan. They are up against another joint bid by Argentina and Uruguay after both Turkey and Russia withdrew their bids last month. This will be the first time that more than 1 country will host the said event.

If we win the hosting rights, the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be played here at the Philippine Arena and the Filipino fans will get a glimpse of world class basketball in our home soil.

I really hope that the Pinoy fans support this like what we did 2 years ago. Let basketball come back home, to our home. Bring the 2023 World Cup to the Philippines.

#playlouderin2023

Monday, November 27, 2017

UP PEP SQUAD : HOW TO CHEER FOR UP!

The UP Pep Squad posted on their official Facebook page a video on how to cheer with them on December 2, 2017 during the UAAP Cheerdance competition:



[UPDATED] Lyrics:

Tak tak tak tak
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)
Unibersidad! Ng Pilipinas!
Unibersidad! (5 counts) Ng Pilipinas!
Unibersidad! Ng Pilipinas!
Unibersidad!

(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)
U!
U!
U!
Ahh.. Get readehh!!

Meron akong ano, meron akong kwento
Meron akong ano, Maroon akong ISKO
Meron akong ano, Maroon akong Kwento
Kala mo wala wala wala wala wala

Meron akong ano,meron akong kwento
Meron akong ano,Maroon akong ISKO
Meron akong ano,Maroon akong kwento
Pera ang wala wala wala wala wala

Ah wala wala wala na yang magagawa

Tapang Uno, Budget Singko
Ibalot ang kaba sa UTAK PUSO
Dagdagan! Ilala-ban!
Kwento ng Pa-ni-nin-di

Ganyan kaming, ganyan kaming- HA!
Ganyan kaming mga taga- HA!
Ganyan kaming mga taga-UP!
Ahh.. Get readehh!!!

Meron akong ano, meron akong kwento
Meron akong ano, Maroon akong ISKO
Meron akong ano, Maroon akong Kwento
Ah wala walang takot kaninuman
Kahit sugatan, UP! Laban! 

The UP Pep Squad will be back after a one year hiatus after their protests was not entertained after their questionable loss in 2015.

Good luck UP Pep Squad! #UPFight

Thursday, November 23, 2017

GILAS PILIPINAS : 12 MAN LINE UP FOR 2019 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER VS JAPAN REVEALED

The 12 man line up of Gilas Pilipinas that will go up against Japan for the 1st game of the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifier was announced this morning by Coach Chot Reyes via a live video streamed in the Kwentong Gilas Facebook page.

The 12 men who will be playing tomorrow are:

Jayson Castro
Kevin Alas
Kiefer Ravena
Roger Pogoy
Matthew Wright
Allein Maliksi
Calvin Abueva
Gabe Norwood
Troy Rosario
Japeth Aguilar
June Mar Fajardo
Andray Blatche

Here is the video posted in Facebook:


Gilas Cadets Mac Belo and Carl Bryan Cruz and Raymond Almazan will sit out in tomorrow's game.

The line up for Monday's game vs Chinese Taipei in Manila can still change depending on the needs of the team.

Goodluck Gilas!

Saturday, November 18, 2017

UP FIGHTING MAROONS : A GREAT END TO SEASON 80 FOR THE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

Last November 11 was a great end of the men's basketball team of the UP Fighting Maroons for Season 80.

The first game was a do-or-die game against the NU Bulldogs. The winner of that game will wait for the result of the second game between the FEU Tamaraws and the Adamson Falcons. If Adamson wins, the winner of the first game will force a play off against FEU for the last spot in the Final Four. If FEU wins, they automatically advance to the Final Four.

Before this game, the Maroons were really inconsistent. They won against FEU which boosted their chance to the Final Four but lost to Adamson in their next game by a huge margin. Then they went toe to toe with the then spotless Ateneo which broke our hearts by opening the game wide and eventually winning in the last few minutes of the last quarter, Their played better in that Ateneo game - with better player rotation and 3 point shooting in the 1st half but eventually lost their steam at the end game.

So we really did not know what to expect in this game against NU. We also watched their first round match where they lost by 7 points also just in the last few minutes of the game. We can all argue that it would have been a different story if Jun Manzo was not injured in that game. But it is what it is, The Maroons and the UP community just want to have a great win to end the season just in case it does end that night.

As expected, the UP faithfuls came in droves. Students, alumni and supporters were really there to watch the game and support the guys. It was safe to say that half of the fans in the Big Dome were UP fans. We were seated at the Adamson area and that side was dominated by UP fans as well. It was really a good atmosphere there.

I will not give  lengthy game by game narration of the game but the UP was able to get a statement win - a 106 - 85 win over the Bulldogs, still having a chance at the Final Four that the school last experienced in 1997 - a clear 2 decades ago. But 2 hours after, FEU was able to win over Adamson, sending the Maroons out of contention and just a win away from the semis, finishing 5th at 6wins and 8 losses. This is still a marked improvement from the past season where we finished sixth with a 5 - 9 win loss record.

I have tweeted this in my account but I want to congratulate the team for a good season despite falling short of the goal. Hats off to our four graduating players who played their last game. To Andrew Harris and Paolo Romero who served 7 years for UP and 5 playing years, despite getting limited minutes, you will still be known as the captains of this special group of guys. To Ibrahim Ouattara, one year in the UAAP might be short but your heart and the hardwork you showed is really commendable. To Rob Ricafort, the road to UAAP was never a clear one for you but the fight to #DontRobRob was worth it.


To our King Maroon, Paul Desiderio, we admire your tenacity in the court, always playing more than 30 minutes per game. Thank you for giving us those clutch 3 pointers that we never get tired of watching. Thank you for being our go to guy every time we needed that boost of energy. Thank you for giving us a new unofficial mantra - Atin To Papasok To - that will forever be in our hearts. We just want to say - One More Year King Maroon.

To our super rookies - Juan Gomez de Liano and Jun Manzo who defied all odds and showing us that you need that be afraid even if you are a newbee. For Jun Manzo, thank you for all the amazing spin moves, great floaters and superb playmaking for this season, your connection with Paul Desiderio really made wonders this season. To our Rookie of the Year Juan Gomez de Liano, you sure proved that you are a blue chip rookie - scoring at least 20 points in a couple of games and playing like a veteran in your rookie year make us wonder what you can develop into in the next years after gaining experience this season.

To the best bench in the UAAP, thank you for all the contributions to the team, whether you are starting or not, you are always ready when your name is called. Thank you Javi Gomez de Liano, for the great defense this season and your connection with your younger brother Juan really is exciting to watch, Thank you Jarrel Lim and Kyles Lao for always being there to stabilize the team in times of panic. Thank you Jan Jaboneta for the amazing 3 pointers during the DLSU first round game. Thank you Noah Webb for those chase down blocks but also for the unforgettable reactions you gave us at the sidelines. Thank you Jerson Prado for those hustle rebounds and good defense you played despite having quite a disadvantage at the center position. Thank you Gelo Vito for those crucial shots you gave the team at crunch time. Thank you Diego Dario for being the 3rd guard in the rotation and despite the limited minutes, you still get to deliver especially during the Ateneo second round game. Thank you Enzo Battad that despite having limited minutes, you did well in your rookie year and we know that you have worked hard and deserved that last spot in the roster.

To the coaching staff, Coach Bo, Coach Ricky, Coach Rodney, Coach Poch, Coach Mark, Coach Alex, Coach Joe and the other coaches and staff, this will not be possible if you guys were not there to guide these guys.

To the UP community, the best fans in the UAAP this season. It was an honor to be a part of this community and to cheer with all of you guys whether we are #TeamMOA or #TeamAraneta or #TeamBahay or even #TeamLivestream at the car or at the office. You definitely gave these guys a boost by always believing in the UP Fight spirit.

We all believe that the future is bright next season not just beacuse Bright Akhuetie will be playing for us but because we have proven one thing this season, We might not made it to our goal of entering the final four but what we have proven this season is that we are not the push overs anymore. We are here to compete and we are here to win.

Just like what Jun Manzo posted in Twitter :


Nothing is indeed impossible. From that 0-14 season in Season 76 and that single win in Season 77 that prompted us to have bonfire after ending that long losing streak, we really have come a long way. Thank you for making this happen, for making the UP community believe again.

We can't wait for the next season. Hoping it will be our time - and we believe that our time will come.

FIBA 3X3 WORLD CUP : 2018 FIBA 3X3 WORLD CUP WILL BE HOSTED BY THE PHILIPPINES

It's confirmed! FIBA announced through the FIBA 3x3 official Twitter account that the hosting of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup has been awarded by none other than basketball crazy Philippines!


The event will be held on June 8 to 12, 2018 with venue still to be announced. Being the hosts, the Philippines will also be awarded outright slots in the event for both the men's and women's division.

With this schedule, the finals will be held on June 12 - a national holiday of the Philippines (Independence Day) which will give a chance for the fans to troop to the venue and watch the games.

To the basketball fans, mark your calendars as early as now. I am really hoping that this is just a prelude to the announcement that we will be co-hosting the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Let's pray for this to happen.

ASIA'S GOT TALENT : NEIL GOT ROBBED AGAIN OF THAT GOLDEN BUZZER

Neil Llanes again got robbed of that elusive golden buzzer at the first live semifinals show of the hit talent show Asia's Got Talent.

After performing too late, just after the last Golden Buzzer was given away by judge David Foster, Neil again stepped it up in his live show performance for the semifinals. In last year's audition, he mixed 5 sounds, in this year's auditions, he mixed 6 sounds, for the live show, he was able to mix together 7 sounds which still was not enough to convince the judges to give him the golden buzzer even after getting a standing ovation after his performance. You can watch his performance below as posted in the show's YouTube channel :


Another Filipino talent, Deniel Sarmiento of Boracay also impressed the judges with his flexible body contortions mixed with contemporary dancing. Here is his performance as well:


So, we will again settle for the harder way to get to the finals. Please vote for both Neil and Deniel through Facebook and Google, You can follow theinstructions in the video below:


Meanwhile, 2 more Filipino acts will perform in the second live semifinals night - comebacking Fitri Cerado and dance group DMX Comvalenoz.

Let's help these Filipino acts to the finals. Good luck Neil and Deniel.

X FACTOR UK : ALISAH BONAOBRA MEETS THE END OF HER X FACTOR JOURNEY

Filipina singer has met the end of her journey at the talent show X Factor UK - and now I think it is for good.

Alisah was picked as the wildcard for the Girls Category mentored by Sharon Osbourne. She already survived 2 live shows and is already part of the top 12 of the show.

Last Sunday, the show paid tribute to the late legend George Michael. Alisah performed a relatively unknown hit of the singer - "Praying for Time." Here is her performance as posted in the show's YouTube Channel :


After the votes, it was Alisah who got eliminated :


It is already the 4th time she got the cut - first in the bootcamp where her perseverance convinced the judges she deserves a second chance; second in the 6 chair challenge where the audience pushed Sharon to give her another chance and she did not disappoint with her "Bang Bang" performance and in the judge's house where she was not part of the 3 that Sharon choose before she got in as a wildcard.

Good luck Alisah in your next adventure! You made the Philippines proud!

Friday, November 10, 2017

ASIA'S GOT TALENT : PHILIPPINE ACTS IN 1ST SEMIFINALS WEEK - DENIEL SARMIENTO AND NEIL LLANES

Eventhough Philippines did not get any of the golden buzzer slots in the 2nd season of the hit talent show Asia's Got Talent, the Philippines will be well represented in the first semifinal show next week.

Among the 8 semi-finalists revealed last night that will be performing next Thursday, two strong Filipino acts will have their chance to earn tickets to the finals.

First is dancer Deniel Sarmiento from Boracay, who also was a semi-finalist in the fifth season of Pilipinas Got Talent. He wowed the judges by his unconventional dance style and his flexibility. Here is his audition video as posted in the show's YouTube channel:


The other Filipino performing next week is Neil Rey Garcia Llanes of Davao City, who also auditioned last season with 4 yes votes but failed to make the cut to the semi-finals. Neil is a beatboxer and was really stepped up his game compared to last season. I think he deserved the Golden Buzzer but got to perform too late in the audition that all judges already used the Golden Buzzer. Here is Neil's audition from the same YouTube channel :


Good luck Neil and Deniel! Hope both of you will get into the finals.

To all Filipinos, please help both of them reach the finals by voting next week

PHILIPPINE AZKALS : AFC ASIAN CUP QUALIFIER AGAINST NEPAL TO BE TELECAST LIVE BY ABS-CBN SPORTS+ACTION

After several away games of our Philippine Men's National Football Team - the Philippine Azkals - not being broadcasted live in Philippine TV, ABS-CBN will again broadcast the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier game live.

The Azkals will be up against Nepal on November 14 next week. Broadcast will be live both in TV and in livestream at 4:15pm Manlia time. A win in this match means we will qualify already to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

This is confirmed in this tweet in the Azkal's Twitter page:


In their first meeting, the Azkals won over Nepal, 4-1 with goals from Phil Younghusband, Iain Ramsay and Javier Patino. After this, the last game of the Azkals will be on March 27, 2018 against Tajikistan to end the 3rd round of qualifications. Only the top 2 teams per group will advance.

If we advance, this will be the first time that the Philippines will qualify in the Asian Cup.

Good luck Azkals! Get that win!

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

AFC CUP 2017 : VOTE FOR IAIN RAMSAY'S GOAL AS GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT

Please vote for Ceres Negros player and Philippine Azkals mainstay Iain Ramsay's goal as the Goal of the Tournament. The goal was made during Ceres Negros' game against Singapore's Tampines Rovers. You can see this goal in this video posted in the AFC Hub YouTube channel :


You can vote in AFC Cup's Facebook and Twitter page. I took the liberty to post both of it here:


Hope we can go out and vote and support our players. 

Good luck Iain! Hope you win this one. 

Monday, November 6, 2017

PHILIPPINE AZKALS : PFF ANNOUNCES LINE UP FOR THE UPCOMING ASIAN CUP QUALIFIER

The Philippine Football Federation announced the 23 men called up for national team duty for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup Qualifier on November 14, 2017 in the ANFA Complex, Kathmandu, Nepal.

In this third round of qualification with only 2 games left per team, the Philippines needs this win to formally qualify to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. They will be up against Nepal on November 14 and against Tajikistan on March 27 next year.

The 23 man line up is posted in this tweet in the official page of the Azkals:


Good luck Azkals! Get that win and the 3 points to qualify to the Asian cup for the first time!

REINA HISPANOMERICANA 2017 : WINWYN MARQUEZ WINS CROWN

In less than 24 hours, the Philippines was able to capture 2 beauty pageant titles. After Karen Ibasco won this year's Miss Earth 2017 crown, miles away in Bolivia, another Filipina wins another crown. Teresita Ssen Marquez won this year's Reina Hispanomericana crown.


Winwyn is the child of showbiz personalities Joey Marquez and Alma Moreno. She is the first Filipina and Asian to join and also win the beauty pageant since it started in 1991. The pageant promotes Spanish culture and values.

Congratulations Winwyn!

Sunday, November 5, 2017

ALAB PILIPINAS : FIRST HOME GAME WILL BE FREE TO THE PUBLIC

The Philippine team in the ASEAN Basketball League or ABL, the Tandiuay Alab Pilipinas  announced yesterday that their first home game on November 19 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena will be free to the public. This is a big treat to all of their fans.


So to all basketball and Alab fans, this is a good chance to watch the newly revamped team, catch Dondon Hontiveros play again, watch Jimmy Alapag's coaching debut and get a glimpse of Christian Standhardinger live in actin as part of the Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions team.

So guys, mark your calendar and see you there on November 19 (which is coninceidentally my birthday as well)!

MISS EARTH 2017 : PHILIPPINES WINS 4TH MISS EARTH CROWN

The Philippines won its fourth Miss Earth crown last night after Karen Ibasco got the crown in front of the home crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Ibasco bested 85 other contestant in this beauty pageant that advocates the preservation of the earth. I think Ibasco has the best answer in the final Q&A though the answers were somewhat similar but Ibasco was able to construct the clearest answer.

Miss Earth - Air went to Miss Australia Nina Robertson who is half Filipino, Miss Earth - Fire was Miss Russia Lada Akimova and Miss Earth - Water was Miss Colombia Juliana Franco.

The other semifinalists in the Top 8 were contestants from Czech Republic, Netherlands, Thailand and Venezuela. The other girls making the first cut as Top 16 were the girls representing Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Guatemala, Switzerland, Tonga, USA and Vietnam.

This is the Philippines' fourth crown after the country won 2008 (Karla Henry), 2014 (Jamie Herrell) and 2015 (Angelia Ong).

I really hope this will be a good trigger of the Philippines getting more pageant crowns since almost all the pageants will be happening this month.

Congrats Karen!

Photo is by Danny Pata as posted in the GMA news website as linked here

Saturday, November 4, 2017

GILAS PILIPINAS : 23 MAN POOL FOR THE 2019 FIBA WORLD CUP QUALIFIER REVEALED

Just a few hours after their first practice, the 23 man pool of Gilas Pilipinas for the Asian qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup was revealed in a post in the official website of FIBA.

The line up is a mix of veterans and cadets with 11 of the 12 Gilas players who joined the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup making it to the list, which may help the team chemistry having played which each other in a FIBA tourament already. Only 2017 PBA Rookie Draft first pick Christian Standhardinger was omitted in the list mainly because of his commitment to his club team in the ASEAN Basketball League, which is in the country as well to have some tune up matches against some PBA teams.

Leading the team are 4 time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and 2 time Asia's Best Point Guard Jayson Castro. The 23 man pool is as follows (pic is from the same post in the FIBA website) :



Notable names is the list includes Mac Belo and Russell Escoto who are both coming from injuries, Kevin Alas who was part of the cadets team before and was named as reserve in Gilas 2.0 and Kiefer Ravena - the only non-PBA player in the roster technically since he was just drafted last week. Andray Blatche, who was sent home by his team in the CBA due to injury will be our naturalized player. I do hope that he has recuperated from his injury and is in good shape.

It is just comforting to see a pool of familiar names with a mix of youth and veterans. Coming from limbo where Filipino fans do not know who will play and will they be allowed to play, at least now, it is clear - we have a team that will compete. Only having three weeks to prepare and Andray Blatche coming in on November 12, I hope this will be enough for us to get the 2 wins in this playing window.

Friday, November 3, 2017

GILAS PILIPINAS : INITIAL POOL FOR THE 2019 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS REVEALED BY COACH CHOT

A day after the confusing events regarding the PBA commissioner, oue team, the Gilas Pilipinas finally started its preparation in the upcoming Asian qualifier for the 2019 FIBA Wotld Cup in China.

As committed by the governors of the PBA teams, they will be supportive of the national team and will be releasing their players to the pool. For this practice 13 players attended from various PBA team.

Leading the group are 4 time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beermen and 2-time best point guard in Asia Jayson Castro of Talk N Text Katropa. Also present are Gabe Norwood and Raymond Almazan of Rain or Shine, Alein Maliksi and Mac Belo of Blackwater Elite, Troy Rosario and RR Pogoy of TNT Katropa, Matthew Wright of Phoenix Fuelmasters, Calvin Abueva and Carl Bryan Cruz of Alaska Aces and Japhet Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra. Star Hotshot's Jio Jalalon also attended but did not join the drills.

Coach Chot Reyes also tweeted the list of players who attended tonight plus some more players that will be joining:


Apparently, KR is Kiefer Ravena who I think is currently on vacation (he posted a picture of sunset and palm trees in his Twitter account) and TR is Terence Romeo who is in the Middle East until November 4 for a brand he is endorsing. AB is I think Andray Blatche who is surprisingly playing after news that he is injured.

Counting all the players mentioned, there just 16 players, which is still 8 short of the required 24 man pool. As reported, deadline to submit the 24 man line up will be on Tuesdy, November 7.

This is such a good development since at least now, we have an initial line up since we have not seen names before today. This is a good sign that despite what is happening on our professional league, the national team pool is still rich in talent. Despite the other teams having prepared earlier than our team, I am still optimistic that we will be able to contend despite only having 3 weeks of preparation. This line up is almost the same guys who trained for the FIBA Asia Cup and the SEA Games and they already know the system.

Gilas Pilipinas will start their campaign thru a game against Japan on November 24 in Tokyo and will go back home and host Chinese Taipei in Araneta Coliseum on November 27.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

ABS CBN CHRISTMAS STATION ID : JUST LOVE RECORDING VIDEO RELEASED

The much awaited Christmas station ID song of ABS-CBN (recording version) has been released earlier today in the YouTube channel of ABS-CBN Entertainment which you can see below:


Spread the love this Christmas! Can't wait for the actual music video!

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

UAAP SEASON 80 : SO WHERE IS THE UST CROWD?

Over the years, one of the most recognizable cheer is definitely the Go USTE cheer of the University of Santo Tomas or UST. They always have that unbelievable crowd that seems to be synched every time they use this cheer.

I have watched several volleyball games and a basketball game where UP was up against UST and their fans are really united in cheering and supporting their team.

I had the chance to watch the first round game of UP versus UST last month and their crowd didn't disappoint. They were greater in number compared to us, the UP crowd but we really tried our best to keep up to their cheers. Fortunately for us, Paul Desiderio gave us the win with his now infamous line "Atin 'to, papasok to" and the game winning 3 point shot.

From there, UST piled up losses after losses - making this one of their worst season in UAAP history. Last October 25, UST lost their 11th straight game this season. After the game, as customary, they sang their school hymn to an almost empty UST side of the arena. But there is this only one student clad in UST uniform singing with them. This picture as posted in Twitter has become viral ever since:


This guy was later named as Isaac Coloma, a graduating student making the most of his last year in UST by supporting the Tigers in as many games as he can watch, Players from the team such as Jordan Sta. Ana and Steve Akomo praised him for his support to the team despite their losing streak. Akomo even gave a free ticket to Coloma in their game against DLSU last weekend. The Alumni office also gave him free tickets to all the volleyball games next year.

So where is the UST crowd? The crowd that we always envy. The crowd that is always loud and proud to support the Growling Tigers?

In several tweets that I have seen (one is now deleted as of the time of posting), the UST crowd's non-appearance in the games is their protest against the continuing coaching of their head coach Boy Sablan. The crowd will only watch the games again if Sablan will be sacked or will resign.

Is this fair to Coach Boy Sablan? Definitely not. Coach Boy is making the most of what he has in his line up. They are pegged as one of the team that might pull out surprise win before the season started yet they have not impressed except for some close calls especially on their first UP game. Several players also opted to sit out this season to further improve their skills and come back next season. Notably in this bunch is Renz Subido who is a key cog in last season's team. Embons Bonleon almost transferred to Arellano.

But I get the point of the UST community, they need effective game plans, they need effective coaching and more importantly - they need to see results in form of wins. If Sablan will be sacked, it will be up to the management and clamour of the community must always be considered.

Is this fair to the players? Defintely not. The players are student athletes. They are balancing their studies, trainings, games and personal lives to represent their school. Do we only support them when they win games? Do we abondon them when they lose games? Of course not. The lyrics of the song Welcome to my Life of Simple Plan simply puts it into perspective:

To be hurt, to feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one there to save you

The players are definitely in their lowest morale right now with no win to boast of and not seeing any supporters watching their games is really a big blow to the low morale and making it lower. It in now that they need your support, your presence and your cheers. They need you - UST community.

The UP community is very much familiar with what the UST community is experiencing. We have been considered the team we can beat for so long. Remember Season 76 where we ended the season winless? The only difference is that we never abandoned the players. Even though the numbers dwindled, it never came to a point where the UP side is as empty as this. Remember our infamous bonfire in Season 77? Yes, in that season, we ended a 27 game losing streak. It is nothing to be proud of. We ended the season with a single win. Yet for us, that single win symbolizes a start of change - a new beginning. We have improved every single season after that but we are still in our quest for that elusive final four slot.

What I am pointing out here is that we should support our players win or lose. Winning games is not just about the players and the coaches. There is so many factors coming into the equation - training, academics, and yes - crowd support. The so called 6th man of the game is always important. It provides an added boost when the team is down and can do wonders to the team. The crowd should be there win or lose. We don't abandon the team, we don't leave in the middle of the fight. After all, they are representing not just their team but the whole school and the community.

I have seen some campaign in social media for the community to show up full force in the Tiger's last game on November 12 against UE. I really hope the UST community answers to this call. Let Isaac Coloma serve as an inspiration that they are behind their players back win or lose. They are already out of contention for the Final Four but let this be their preparation for Season 81. Give the players a good last game and hope that momentum will carry them to a better season next year,

So where is the UST crowd? They are still watching, they are waiting. But I hope they show up on November 12. You can do this UST community! We will be cheering for you, we always cheer for the underdogs - Go USTe!

Monday, October 30, 2017

UP FIGHTING MAROONS : THE GAME WE ALMOST DIDN'T WATCH

When the UP Fighting Maroons Men's Basketball team lost two Sundays ago, my sister and I had second thoughts about watching the game last Saturday live. We planned to watch it live at the MOA Arena as part of my birthday gift to her since she celebrated her birthday a few weeks back.

The loss was hard. We expected the team to fair well against UE since we beat them easily in the first round. The trend is somewhat happening again, we had a good start and lose steam in the end - just like last year, and just like what happened with the Women's Volleyball Team last season.

We parked the idea of watching the game for a while but I needed to decide before the morning of last Tuesday. My sister needs to file her undertime leave since she has work on Saturdays.

Why am I having second thoughts? I do not want to see the team lose again live. This season, we went to watch live the first round games against UST and DLSU which we both won. The 3rd game we watched was the first round NU game which we lost in the last few seconds. It was heartbreaking. I don't want to experience it again - especially if we will lose by a large margin - which happened in the first round game against FEU.

But we know we need to support the team, after a tough loss against UE, the guys needs as much support from the UP crowd. So we decided to go and watch. It was our first time to buy Patron tickets and we really hoped it will be worth it.

We arrived early and even got those foam thing from Piattos that we really were looking for the previous games. We caught the first game which was really quite predictable with Ateneo getting an easy win over UE. I actually can't remember the details of the game since I was more engrossed in looking at my Twitter feed about an org event I missed to watch the game, reading tweets of support to the UPMBT and getting surprised by the news that Coach Tai is no longer coaching Ateneo.

Then, it's time for UP's game against FEU. The UP crowd was noticeably smaller compared to the previous game that we watched live. But deep in our hearts, these UP loyals will cheer our hearts out. In fact, even with our smaller crowd, we still out numbered the FEU fans. Saying our own prayers just before game time so that divine intervention can happen. The team started quite sluggish with FEU getting a double digit lead midway in the 1st quarter. Good thing we had a small run towards the end, only down by 4 at the end of the first 10 minutes.

The second quarter was a different story. The Fighting Maroons came in aggressive, starting the quarter with a 17 - 0 run spanning from the end of the first quarter up to the start of the second. They outscored FEU, 18 - 7 in this quarter and ended the half up by 7.

The 3rd quarter was the most excruciating quarter I have watched live. It was as if the basket is covered. Almost all the shots are not going in. The team was only able to score 5 points - the least any teams scored in a quarter this season. The quarter ended with the team down by 10.

Early in the fourth quarter, both teams were trading baskets but at some point, FEU was already ahead by 12 points with about 8 minutes left. The time is definitely not our side. Miraculously, our zone defense was working and FEU's basket are not going in and we even forced several turnovers. Thanks to the superb defense of Ibrahim Ouattara and getting shots on the other end, 4 straight points from Juan Gomez de Liano, Gelo Vito's put back from a Desiderio miss and a 3 point shot and Jun Manzo's floater, we had a 13 - 0 run to get the lead, 56 - 53 with less than a minute left.

When Jasper Parker got that 3 point shot to tie the game, we were just hoping for a sure 2 point shot or overtime. This was also the same wish we had when we were down 2 points at the end game of the UP - UST first round game. We know that Paul Desiderio will still be the go to player and we really hope that he still is the clutch that we witnessed in our first game of the season.

When the first play where Manzo missed the shot and the ball was said to be going to FEU, we were praying hard - Lord give us this win. We know that this win can really help our Final Four bid this season. After reviewing the tape, it was decided that UP keeps the possession. Then they fouled on the next play - leaving us 6.2 seconds to get the winning shot.

Lord, give us this one. We need this win.

Juan GDL inbounded the ball to Manzo who immediately passed the ball to Desiderio. With a step back shot, Desiderio released the ball on our vantage point, it seems to be going in. It seemed slow motion - that 2 seconds seems eternity. The shot went in and the UP crowd was ecstatic! With 1.1 clock ticks left, the inbound was stolen by Juan GDL and we get the win!

Yes, we got the win... Yes, we won! Our Final Four Dream is alive!


I was shaking after the game. I was shaking when we sang with pride "UP Naming Mahal". I was shaking when I took the team photo seen at the bottom of the picture above. I was still shaking after all of this. We literally had to settle down before we left the arena. We were so proud of the team and this win.

We were really happy we watched this game. At the end of the day, we support the team - win or lose. It turns out that the game we almost did not watch was the game we will surely remember for years. It was a good win. It was a team win. It was a win that takes us to the right direction - towards the goal of that elusive Final Four.

We went home and still watched the replay. We can't get over that last 6 seconds and the second game winning shot of Desiderio this season. We were these. We witnessed it live. We believe in this team and we will support the team - whether we get to the Final Four or not.

Sunday, October 29, 2017

UP FIGHTING MAROONS : UP MBT ALUMNI JETT MANUEL AND DAVE MORALDE GOT PICKED AT THE 2017 PBA ROOKIE DRAFT

Two UP Men's Basketball Team alumni got picked in this year's rookie draft of the Philippine Basketball Association or PBA.

Former King Maroon and team captain Engr. Jett Manuel and energy man Dave Moralde got picked from a pool of 44 aspirants this year.

Jett Manuel who is still fresh from his stint with the Chooks to Go Pilipinas team that competed in the 2017 FIBA Asia Champions Cup got picked by the country's favorite team - Barangay Ginebra San Miguel as the 12th over-all pick and the last pick in the first round.I really think that his stint with the Chooks To Go Pilipinas team along side 2nd over all pick Kiefer Ravena, 3rd over all pick Raymar Jose and 5th over all pick Jeron Teng really helped him build his stock before the draft.


On the other hand, Dave Moralde had to wait for the 3rd round to get picked by Talk N Text Ka-Tropa as the 10th pick in the 3rd round or 33rd pick over-all.



Congrats Jett and Dave! Represent the Maroons well! Hope both of you can get slots with your respective teams.

UAAP CDC 2017 : PERFORMANCE ORDER AND SEAT PLAN RELEASED

The order of performance of the different pep squads and the seat plan arrangement of the schools was released this morning through the UAAP Cheerdance Twitter account.

Defending champion NU Pep Squad will be performing first, followed up by the DLSU Animo Squad. Third to perform is last year's third placer Adamson Pep Squad. Performing in the middle of the order are last year's runners up FEU Cheering Squad and the UE Pep Squad. Performing 6th are the come backing UP Pep Squad followed by the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe. Rounding up the performances is the Ateneo Blue Babble Batallion.

Here is the Tweet from the account:



The seat plan was also released as follows:


The cheerdance competition will be held on December 2, 2017.

X FACTOR UK : ALISAH IS BACK AS A WILDCARD!

Alisah Bonaobra's X Factor journey just refuses to end. She's back in the show again!

After being nearly eliminated in the bootcamp, in the 6 chair challenge and eventually eliminated at judge's house, the young Filipina singer was voted back to the competition as a wildcard for the girl's category mentored by Sharon Osbourne.

In the live show last yesterday, Alisah performed Jordin Spark's winner's song from American Idol, Here is the video as posted in the show's YouTube channel:


After all acts from the girls and boys category performed, one act will go home. Here is the elimination video as posted in the same channel:


So, Spencer Sutherland is eliminated. Alisah will perform again next week!

Good luck Alisah!

Sunday, October 22, 2017

X FACTOR UK : ALISAH'S X FACTOR JOURNEY ENDS AT JUDGES' HOUSE

The last Filipino act in the X Factor UK has fallen at judges' house.

Unfortunately, Alisah Bonaobra's X Factor UK has ended last night after mentor Sharon Osbourne did not pick her to advance to the live show.

Last seen as one of the finalists in here season in The Voice Philippines, Alisah sang in front of her mentor and Jack and Kelley Osbourne with Sam Smith hit "Lay Me Down". Here is the video of the performance as posted in the show's YouTube channel:


Sharon's concern in Alisah is really her being dated and not current, which was also raised during the 6 chair challenge. But with Alisah singing Bang Bang in the sing off and a Sam Smith hit now convince her that she deserves to get to the next round? Apparently not.



Sadly, no Filipino acts advances to the live show - after all the other acts were eliminated - JBK, Loverine Fermino, Elysa V and Gaga Lord.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

ALAB PILIPINAS : DONDON HONTIVEROS AND RICO MAIERHOFFER REINFORCES ALAB PILIPINAS

Alab Pilipinas just got stronger this coming season of the ASEAN Basketball League which will start next month.

In a press conference held this morning at the Shangri La Hotel at the Bonifacio Global City, the new roster which has been partially revealed over the past few weeks has been officially announced - though not yet complete. The new coach - Gilas legend Jimmy Alapag definitely has a good team at his hand.

Previously revealed in the line up are Alab Pilipinas hold overs Rayray Parks, Robby Celiz and Lawrence Domingo. They will be reinforced by former Talk N Text import Ivan Johnson.

Also joining the team are Chris Sumalinog, Josh Urbiztondo, Pamboy Raymundo and former NU Bulldog Pau Javelona. Just this morning, it was announced that PBA veterans Dondon Hontiveros and Rico Maierhofer are also joining the team.


With this, 10 players of the roster has been revealed and 2 more to named soon. I am so excited to know the complete line up of Alab Pilipinas and I think based on the initial names, they will be more competitive as compared to last year and will give the other teams a run for their money.

The team will also be known as Tanduay Alab Pilipinas, having Tanduay as the team's major sponsor.

Their first game was also announced to be on November 19 at the MOA Arena and will go up against the defending champions Hongkong Eastern Long Lions.

Good luck Tanduay Alab Pilipinas!

UPDATE : As of this afternoon, reports say that Reggie Okosa will be the other reinforcement of Alab Pilipinas this season. He has played against Ivan Johnson in the Korean Basketball League.

Monday, October 16, 2017

UAAP CDC 2017 : LOOK WHO'S BACK!

Look who's back in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition this year! After 1 year of absence in the competition after the controversial competition in 2015, the UP Pep Squad is back this year! This is confirmed with this post in their official Facebook page :

The competition will be interesting this year. Will UP get back the title and edge UST with the most number of titles? Will NU make history as the second team to have a 5-peat championship? Will UST finally take home a title after 11 years?

The competition will be held on December 2, 2017 at the MOA Arena.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

SPORTS 5 NOW BECOMES ESPN 5

Sports 5, the sports division of TV 5, will be transitioning to ESPN 5. The partnership between the 2 networks - TV5 and ESPN - was announced last Thursday in a press conference.

Here is the video teaser of the partnership as posted in Sports 5's YouTube Channel:


Can't wait to see how this changes the televised sports landscape in the Philippines. Cheers to you ESPN 5!

X FACTOR UK : JBK FAILS TO GET TO THE JUDGES' HOMES; AND SURPRISE - A FILIPINA IS IN THE OVERS CATEGORY

Filipino boyband JBK almost made it to the judges home, but lost their seat in the final sing off and just missed the cut.

JBK actually started strong by singing the Boyz II Men classic "I'll Make Love To You" and most of the judges even said that they had the best vocals among the groups tonight. After their performance, mentor Simon Cowell gave them Chair number 1.

Here is JBK's performance posted in the show's YouTube channel:


At the end of the challenge, Simon decided to give the New Girl Band a seat and ordered a sing off between JBK and Lemonade. Here is what happened:


All of the other judges thinks JBK needed to stay, but Simon thinks otherwise. He sent JBK home and gave the last seat to Lemonade. This upsets Nicole and she walks out and tells Simon not to talk to her.

I think this is bound to happen since JBK was rarely seen in the boot camp edits. They did not even show any performance of the group at bootcamp. Simon might be concerned on how to market JBK to the UK audience since they are always singing classics and old songs. I think they should have sang a more current song in the sing off - just what Alisah Bonaobra did last week to prove that they are new and current and can be related to by the audience.

This ends JBK's X Factor Uk journey but I really hope they bring back the Judges's wildcard from last season where a judge chooses a wildcard for another judge to join them at judges' home. I really hope Nicole chooses for Simon and she chooses JBK.

With that Alisah is the only Filipino act in the competition - oh wait, there is really another Filipina in the overs category!

Sorry for missing her out but apparently, Loverine Fermino is in the six chair challenge in theovers category of Nicole! She was the winner of Birit Queen before of Eat Bulaga! Here is her performance during the round where she sang Jennifer Holliday's "I Am Telling You":


She gets a seat from Nicole and let's wait tomorrow if she gets to stay in the seat and into the judges' homes round.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Nicole decided to send home Loverine as well, leaving Alisah as the only Filipino act in the competition.

Saturday, October 14, 2017

AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR : JERICHO IS THE SOLE SURVIVOR

Australian Survivor just crowned its 4th season's sole survivor - and it is Filipino Jericho Malabonga!

Jericho beat stay home mom Tara in the final tribal council with a jury vote of 6 votes to 3. Jericho officially becomes the first Filipino to win an international franchise season ever.

As I predicted in my last blog post, Jericho's social game and under the radar strategy won over Tara's gameplay of flip flopping and risk taking. Jericho even won the last immunity challenge, outlasting Tara and Peter in the endurance challenge after more than 5 hours.

Here is the post from the show's Twitter page:

With the win, Jericho will take home $500,000.

Congratulation Jericho!

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

PINOY BIG BROTHER : WILL NEW SEASON BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK?

Will Pinoy Big Brother announce a new season this week? Your guess is as good as mine.

The PBB Lucky Season 7 finale aired last March 2017 and after 7 months off the air, a teaser was posted on the show's official Facebook page saying that there will be a big announcement with in the week. This is the typical teaser that they post before they announce audition dates for a new season.

Here is the teaser posted:


Let's wait and see!

AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR : WHO WILL BE THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR?

It's the finale night of Australian Survivor tonight and after a season full of blindsides, great game moves and hard challenges, who will emerge victorious tonight?

First of all, I just want to say that this is the first season that I followed Australian Survivor and I am really impressed on how this is similar and yet different from the US version. First of all, 55 days in the wild is brutal and at the same time, you have 23 other castaways to go against, this is just hard. I also like the challenges, some were also from the US version but some are original so I really like the challenges here.

So who will win tonight?

Let us look at this in 2 ways. First, let us analyze how each of the three remaining players played the game and then second, let us look at how I think the jury members will vote.

So first, let's look at the players.

JERICHO

I have a bit of bias on Jericho mainly because he is Filipino and a survivor fan as well.

Jericho I think played a good social game. Everyone likes him. He hasn't have any serious confrontation with anyone all through out the season except probably for Michelle in the last stretch before the last tribal council. He is very likeable and has created strong bonds with the other castaways.

He also has good game play. He used his cookie temptation to his advantage by getting Luke, Henry and Sarah's loyalty. He and Luke has orchestrated some of the blindsides in the season - notable once are the Jarrad and Tessa blindsides. I also think he did the right choice in eliminating Tessa since he knows she will always vote for Peter in the final two.

He also speaks well during tribal councils. He always says what the jury needs to hear - being always ready for war, doing what is best for your game and fear nothing. For me, I think he did enough to win the title.

On the other hand, he has a disadvantage on the jury since he never switched tribes until merge. He is in the Asaga tribe from the beginning and he will be in the final 2, he will be against an original Samatau and the jury will be composed of 5 Samatau and 4 Asaga. Some of the Samatau guys known him for only a short time.

Also, being the strongest physically, he will definitely be a target of both Tara and Peter and if he does not win the individual immunity tonight, he will definitely be the last jury member.

PETER

Peter is a nice guy but did he play enough to really win the title? To tell you honestly, I cannot remember a single game move that would put Peter as the mastermind. Yes, he was the swing vote in several occassions but I will not put him as one of the guys who dictated the outcome of the tribal council.

He is also a likeable person and has also made strong bonds with other contestants. As I have said, Samatau has a numbers advantage in the jury. His chance also suffered when Tessa was eliminated from the jury by Jericho - which should have been a sure vote for him.

I also don't think he will be able to beat Jericho in an endurance challenge. I do not see him winning the immunity tonight. But will he reach the final two? Yes, I think it will be the best interest of both Jericho and Tara to bring Peter into the final two because they can both beat Peter.

If he wins immunity tonight, I think he will have a better chance against Tara since she flipped a lot and that might be her downfall.

TARA

Tara also had a good game considering that she should have been voted out by Samatau in episode 8 where the first tribal swap happened. She found her niche in the Asaga Tribe. She constantly worked her way up the ladder and was the swing vote in several occasions.

Knowing her performance from previous challenge, I would not bet on her winning the endurance challenge for the final immunity. It would be wise for her just to outlast one of the boys and make a deal to give the immunity but make her safe.

She is also in a disadvantage in some of the jury members. I would definitely think Jarrad, Anneliese and Ziggy would probably not vote for her to win. Her social game is definitely has not been at par with Jericho's and will definitely play a lot in the final tribal council.

Next, let us see how I think the jury will vote based on their alliances, voting history and relationships with the remaining castaways:

Jarrad will vote for Peter if he stays. If not he will vote for Jericho.
Annelise will vote for Jericho if he stays, If not she will vote for Peter.
Henry will vote for Jericho if he stays, If not he will vote for Tara.
Sarah will vote for Jericho if he stays, If not she will vote for Tara.
Luke will vote for Jericho if he stays, If not he will vote for Tara.
Ziggy will vote for Peter if he stays, If not she will vote for Jericho.
Locky will vote for Tara if she stays, If not he will vote for Jericho.
Michelle will vote for Jericho if he stays, If not she will vote for Peter.

With that said, I think JERICHO will win this season.

But as we know, there will be a lot of surprises come the final tribal council. I am so excited to watch it tonight!

Monday, October 9, 2017

X FACTOR UK : ALISAH BONAOBRA SURVIVES 6 CHAIR CHALLENGE

Filipina singer Alisah Bonaobra almost got eliminated - again - but survives the six chair challenge round and is advancing to the judge's home round of the 14th season of the UK version of the hit show the X Factor.

For this round, Alisah sang the Celine Dion classic "All by Myself". After her performance, judge Nicole Scherzinger said "That is how you do it, that is how you fight for those seats." Judge Louis Walsh commented that he will give her 2 seats. Lastly, the Girls category coach Sharon Osbourne said that "your style is very dated, it''s very Cabaret for me." But she still opted to give her a seat. This is her performance as posted in the official YouTube channel of the show :


But later on in the show, Alisah had to give up her chair for Grace Davies who performed an original song. After Alisah left the stage, the audience really forced Sharon to give her another chance. So she decided to have a sing off between Alisah, Rai-elle Williams and Scarlett Lee. Alisah, who was the last to sing, out of nowhere performed Jessie J's Bang Bang - which was the audition song of another Filipino act, Fourth Impact, two seasons ago. She really addressed Sharon's concern on being dated and Cabaret-ish. She sang a current upbeat song and even rapped. Here is the clip also posted in the show's YouTube channel:


In the end, Rai-Elle and Alisah got the seats and Scarlett was eliminated. Another close call for Alisah.

Unfortunately, the other Filipina in this category - Elysa V - also got cut.

The only other Filipino act left is the boy group JBK in the Groups category which will be mentored by Simon Cowell.

UAAP SEASON 80 : MEN'S BASKETBALL 2ND ROUND SCHEDULE

The second round schedule for the men's basketball tournament of UAAP Season 80 has been released this afternoon. The 2nd round will immediately start this Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with a double header.

Games will be in Araneta, FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan and in the MOA Arena.

Here is UP's round 2 schedule:

Oct 11, 2pm (Wed) - vs UST (Araneta)
Oct 15, 4pm (Sun) - vs DLSU (San Juan)
Oct 22, 4pm (Sun) - vs UE (San Juan)
Oct 28, 4pm (Sat) - vs FEU (MOA)
Nov 5, 4pm (Sun) - vs ADU (Araneta)
Nov 8, 4pm (Wed) - vs ADMU (Araneta)
Nov 11, 2pm (Sat) - vs NU (Araneta)

Here is the complete schedule as posted in the UPMBT Twitter account:

Hoping for more wins for UP in the 2nd round. #UPFight

Saturday, October 7, 2017

ASEAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE : ALAB PILIPINAS SCHEDULE FOR 2017 - 2018 SEASON

The schedule of Alab Pilipinas in the 2017 - 2018 season of ASEAN Basketball League is now out. The schedule for November to March play dates was posted in the official Twitter account of the league this evening.

This season, Alab Pilipinas will have a new head coach Jimmy Alapag. Rayray Parks, Robby Celiz and Lawrence Domingo will be back together with former PBA Chris Sumalinog. The team will be reinforced by former Talk N Text import Ivan Johnson.

Alab Pilipinas' schedule for the season is as follows:

Nov 19, 8pm - vs Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions - TBA
Nov 29, 8pm - vs Singapore Slingers - TBA
Dec 13, 8pm - vs Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions - Souther Stadium, Wan Chai
Dec 16, 3pm - vs Formosa Dreamers - Changhua Stadium, Changhua City
Jan 3, 8pm - vs Westports Malaysia Dragons - TBA
Jan 7, 4pm - vs Singapore Slingers - OCBC Arena, Singapore
Jan 10, 8pm - vs Singapore Slingers - TBA
Jan 14, 7pm - vs Mono Vampires - Stadium 29, Bangkok
Jan 20, 7pm - vs CLS Knights - GOR CLS Kertajaya, Surabaya
Jan 28, 5pm - vs Saigon Heat - CIS Arena, Ho Chi Minh City
Jan 31, 8pm - vs Nanhai Long Lions - TBA
Feb 4, 4pm - vs Singapore Slingers - OCBC Arena, Singapore
Feb 7, 8pm - vs Mono Vampires - TBA
Feb 11, 7pm - vs CLS Knights - GOR CLS Kertajaya, Surabaya
Feb 18, 7pm - vs Formosa Dreamers - TBA
Mar 4, 2:30pm - vs Westports Malaysia Dragons - MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur
Mar 11, 7:30pm - vs Nanhai Long Lions - Nanhai Gymnasium, Nanhai
Mar 14, 8pm - vs Saigon Heat - TBA
Mar 21, 8pm - vs CLS Knights - TBA
Mar 25, 8pm - vs CLS Knights - TBA

Good luck Alab Pilipinas!

Monday, October 2, 2017

AFC ASIAN CUP 2019 QUALIFIERS : AZKALS ANNOUNCES 23 MINE LINE UP FOR CLASH VS YEMEN

The Philippine Men's Senior National Football Team - The Philippine Azkals has announced the 23 man line up for the upcoming game versus Yemen in the 3rd round of qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2019.

The following players has been called up to play for the Azkals:

Dylan De Bruycker (Davao Aguilas)
Carlos de Murga (Cere Negros)
Dominic del Rosario (Global Cebu)
Patrick Deyto (Global Cebu)
Curt Dizon (Meralco Manila)
Neil Etheridge (Cardiff City)
Harry Foll (Hansa Rostock)
Kevin Ingreso (Ceres Negros)
Sean Patrick Kane ( JPV Marikina)
Jesus Joaquin Melliza (Stallion Laguna)
Hikaru Minegishi (Global Cebu)
Paul Mulders (Global Cebu)
Jim Junior Munoz (Ceres Negros)
Nicholas O'Donnell (Davao Aguilas)
Manuel Ott (Ceres Negros)
Mike Rigoberto Ott (Angthong United)
Stephan Palla (Wolfsberger)
Iain Ramsay (Ceres Negros)
Simone Rota (Davao Aguilas)
Daisuke Sato ( Horsens)
Dennis Villanueva (Global Cebu)
James Younghusband (Davao Aguilas)
Phil Younghusband (Davao Aguilas)

The game will be played at Saoud bin Abdulrahman Stadium, Al Wakrah in Qatar on October 10. The Azkals is currently on top of Group F after wins against Nepal and Tajikistan and draw against Yemen.