Azkals vs Kuwait Live Streaming Updates

The 1st leg of the Philippine Azkals vs Kuwait Al-Azraq game in Round 2 of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification Stage is happening right now in Kuwait, and is being aired live on ABS-CBN Channel 2.

Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock have been suspended by the FIFA Disciplinary Commitee and aren't playing for the team after they incurred 2 yellow cards during their last game vs Sri Lanka. Jason Sabio and Jason De Jong fill in.

Here's the starting 11 line-up for the Philippine Azkals in their match vs Kuwait Al-Azraq:

#10 Phil Younghusband
#13 Chieffy Caligdong
#12 Angel Aldeguer Guirado
#7 James Younghusband
#8 Manuel Ott
#21 Jason De Jong
#27 Ray Jonsson
#2 Rob Gier
#4 Anton Del Rosario
#3 Jason Sabio
#1 Neil Etheridge

The Azkals are in white, while Kuwait team wears blue.

Game has started...at 12:30 AM (Philippine Time) being aired live on ABS-CBN Channel 2.

Angel Guirado hurt badly at 5th minute. Kuwait's player #4 was booked with a yellow card.

Player #20 Yousef Nasser of Kuwait scored 1st goal, at 17th minute.

Half-time stats:
Goals Scored - Kuwait 1, Philippines 0
Goal Attempts - Kuwait 7, Philippines 5
Corner Kicks - Kuwait 5, Philippines 2
Yello Cards - Kuwait 1, Philippines 0

Player #13 Musaed Neda of Kuwait scored the 2nd goal, at 68th minute of the game. #13 later got a yellow card at 75th minute, the 2nd yellow card for Kuwait.

Another goal scored for Kuwait at 85th min., by Player #11 Fahed Al-Ibrahim.

Extra time of 4 minutes, #5 Simon Greatwich subs in for Chieffy Caligdong. Greatwich was later booked with a yellow card at 93rd minute.

Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran, Player #14 of the Azkals, subs in for Angel Guirado.

Game ends...Kuwait 3-0 Philippines.

The Leg 2 of the Philippines vs Kuwait Match will be held this July 28, 2011 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Azkals vs Kuwait live at midnight on ABS-CBN 2

The Philippine Azkals will probably play its toughest game ever tonight as the team faces Kuwait in Leg 1 of their campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The "Azkals vs Kuwait" Leg 1 - 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will be held tonight, July 23, 2011, at the Qadsia Stadium in Kuwait.

It will be aired on ABS-CBN, with live coverage starting at 11:30 PM right after Banana Split Extra Scoop. 

Game kicks off at 12:30 AM, that's already a Sunday, July 24, 2011. So better not sleep yet tonight, or sleep early, then just wake up at midnight to watch the "Azkals vs Kuwait" game live on ABS-CBN 2.

The Kuwaiti National Football Team ranks 102nd in FIFA World Ranking while the Philippine Azkals is only ranked 159th.

While it's Azkals' first time to enter FIFA World Cup Qualification Stage and make it to this level (2nd Round), Kuwait has already reached 3rd Round during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification Stage.

The Philippines has never played in a main tournament of FIFA World Cup but Kuwait already did it in 1982.

But let's think positive, the Azkals will win vs Kuwait tonight.

If you can't catch tonight's game live on ABS-CBN, you can watch a replay tomorrow, Sunday, at 9:30 AM, still on ABS-CBN, then at 3:00 PM on BALLS channel and at 10:00 PM on STUDIO 23.

Mykiru Isyusero will also do live blogging updates of the Azkals vs Kuwait game tonight, so stay tuned!

Azkals vs Sri Lanka Leg 2 video replay

Azkals vs Sri Lanka Leg 2 Results: 4-0

The Azkals scored not 2 or 3 but 4 goals during its home match vs a goal-less Sri Lanka held Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

It was the 2nd leg of the Azkals vs Sri Lanka was held 4 days after the 1st leg in Sri Lanka, which resulted to a draw (1-1).

Their aggregate scores were 5 for the Philippine Azkals and only 1 for Sri Lanka.
Watch a video replay of how the Azkals scored the 4 goals during its game vs Sri Lanka:

1st goal scored by Chieffy Caligdong at 18th minute


2nd goal by Phil Younghusband during the 42nd minute (with "gf" Angel Locsin being shown at the crowd cheering for Phil's 1st goal)


3rd goal made by Angel Aldeguer Guirado at 50th minute


4th goal by Phil Younghusband again at 56th min. (Angel is shown again after Phil scored his 2nd goal)

The Philippine Azkals will now face a tougher football team from Kuwait on July 23 and 28 for the 2nd Round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Video uploads courtesy of tagailaya

Angel Locsin and Phil Younghusband for Century Tuna

Angel Locsin and Phil Younghusband reveal their sexier and healthier bods on their first TVC together as Century Tuna endorsers.


In her previous ad for Century Tuna, Angel Locsin was with hunk actor Derek Ramsay, and this time, she's with rumored boyfriend Phil Younghusband of the Azkals.

Did Phil replace Derek as Century Tuna endorser? Or Derek also has a new one coming up?

Even before this new ad of Angel and Phil, Derek has already appeared solo in a Century Tuna Paella TVC.

The new Century Tuna TVC featuring Angel Locsin and Phil Younghusband has already started airing on TV today and it's really hot.

And I super love this particular scene of Phil and Angel:

Kilig-much!

Watch the said TVC:


Behind-the-scene video:

Other endorsers of Century Tuna are real-life lovers Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion for "Corned Tuna" and Aljur Abrenica for Century Tuna Healthylicious Hotdog.

Azkals or Philippine Volcanoes: Who's hotter?

The Philippine Azkals are hot, that's a fact, but some people are saying that the men from the Philippine Rugby Team, who call themselves as the Philippine Volcanoes, are way hotter.

These pictures and video of the Philippine Volcanoes for Bench Body underwear would tell you why...

Kenneth Stern, Patrice Bolivier and Chris Everingham

Oliver Saunders and Nicholas Perry

Ned Stephenson and Michael De Guzman

Jake Letts and Francisco "Kit" Guerra IV

Darran Seeto and Chris Everingham

The Philippine Rugby Team behind-the-scene video for Bench Body:

But wait, the battle of hotness between the Philippine Azkals and the Philippine Volcanoes simply doesn't end up there. It's just starting actually as Bench has also released just last Friday a photo of Azkals' team captain Aly Borromeo also posing in a Bench Body underwear.

Is it just a teaser for more Azkals players stripping down to their Bench Body underwear?

Definitely, the rivalry between the Philippine Azkals and the Philippine Volcanoes has just started and is now heating up.

Azkals vs Sri Lanka Live Updates

The Philippine Azkals faced Sri Lanka in its first qualifying playoff for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The Azkals (Philippines) vs Sri Lanka football match happened at the Colombo Sugathadasa Stadium with live coverage on Studio 23 which started at 5:20 PM and the game kicked off at 6:30PM.

LIVE SCORE UPDATE: Sri Lanka 1, Philippines 1
Sri Lanka's Chathura Gunarathna scores first goal 4 minutes before 2nd half of the game (41st minute)
Not giving his best performance, Phil Younghusband was replaced by Fil-Am Nate Burkey before halftime.
Burkey scored the first goal for the Philippine Azkals 4 minutes after the 2nd half (at 49th minute). He was later replaced by Ian Araneta.
Azkals' players who got 1 yellow card each were James Younghusband, Stephan Schrock and Aly Borromeo.
Sri Lanka also received 3 yellow cards. One each for Anton Nimal Fernando, Nadeeka Pushpakumara and Safraz Kaiz.
Game ends in a draw with 1 goal each for Sri Lanka and Philippines.

Here's the Philippine Azkals' line-up on today's match vs Sri Lanka:

Team Captain: Aly Borromeo
Goalkeeper: Neil Etheridge
Strikers: Phil Younghusband, Angel Aldeguer Guirado, Misagh Bahadoran, Ricardo Bicete
Midfielders: James Younghusband, Emilio "Chieffy" Caligdong, Manuel Ott, Jerry Lucena, Stephan Schrock, Nate Burkey
Defence: Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario, Rob Gier, Ray Jonsson, Roel Gener, Jason Sabio

The Azkals' starting 11 line-up included Etheridge, Borromeo, Gier, Phil and James Younghusband, Caligdong, Guirado, Mulders, Ott, Shrock and Del Rosario while Sabio, Bahadoran, Araneta and Burkey were subsitutes.

Other qualifying matches for Asian countries are also happening simultaneously with the Philippinez vs Sri Lanka June 29 match being held in different venues, such as Cambodia vs Laos, Nepal vs Timor-Leste, Afghanistan vs Palestine, Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Mongolia vs Myanmar, Vietnam vs Macau and Malaysia vs Taipei.

But the Philippines vs Sri Lanka playoff was predicted to end up as among the 3 most interesting from those 8 matches.

The 2nd leg of the Azkals vs Sri Lanka will be on July 3 to be held at the Rizal Memorial Football Field.

Phil Younghusband only met KC del Rosario once, says Phil's brother James

Phil Younghusband is reportedly dating not only actress Angel Locsin, but also a non-showbiz girl identified as KC del Rosario.

According to an SNN report last Tuesday, June 7, there's a rumor that Phil Younghusband already has a girlfriend (KC) who was once linked to Kapamilya actor Matteo Guidicelli.

It even showed one photo of KC with Matteo which was posted here on Mykiru Isyusero last year. (View: Matteo Guidicelli pictures with rumored girlfriend)

When asked about KC during a media launch for his new endorsement (VitWater Power drink), the SNN report showed Phil making no comment and walked out of the venue which led the viewers to think that there may be some truth to the rumor.

SNN host Boy Abunda reacted on the report and seemed unhappy about Phil making no comment and his "walkout" scene.

However, a report on abs-cbnNEWS.com the next day stated that Phil did make a comment about KC during the presscon. "I don't know. I don't know who KC is," Phil told the press, "I don't know anything. I don't know anything about it."

On Twitter (@PhilYHusband), Phil responded to a question from a fan and said that he's not close to anyone named KC.

He also made it clear that he didn't walk out, "To all those who came in the vitpower launch last tue,tnx for coming.sorry wasn't able to stay longr had to leave for training.tnx so much."

So maybe there was just a misunderstanding. Phil had to leave and maybe some people (mis)interpreted it as a walkout.

KC del Rosario meanwhile also posted on Twitter (@kcskyy) last June 8 possibly a reaction to the SNN report about her:

On tonight's newscast of TV Patrol, Phil's brother James was interviewed about Phil and KC during the Azkals Send-Off party organized by ABS-CBN and there James admitted that he knows KC because she's a schoolmate of his girlfriend (Fiona Faulkner) and Phil already met her once.

But he stressed that Angel Locsin is the only girl in his brother's eyes.

“KC goes to the same school as my girlfriend. Just to clarify, Phil met KC once. Angel is only in Phil's eyes,” James said, as reported on TV Patrol.

It's not the first time that Phil got involved in an issue like this one.

Last March, there was also the same kind of rumor that he already has a girlfriend named Denisse Oca and a month after, Phil was also rumored having a child to a woman from Iloilo.

Can't wait for the next rumor.

Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011: Bench Fashion Show Models Line-up

Bench Clothing has revealed the line-up of celebrity models who will participate in the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011 scheduled on May 8, 6 PM, at the SMX Convention Center Halls 1 & 2, Seashell Lane, Mall of Asia Complex.

A total of 40 Bench celebrity models will walk the fashion ramp this May 8 and leading the pack of hunks who you love to see modeling for Bench are Diether Ocampo (who is always present whenever there is a Bench fashion show), Dingdong Dantes, Piolo Pascual, Zanjoe Marudo, Gerald Anderson, Coco Martin, Rafael Rosell, Jake Cuenca and many more.

Nice to see Azkals' Fil-European player Mark McMahon being part of the line-up as one of the newest Bench models. You'll love him more after the fashion show.

Here's the full Bench line-up for the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011:

(in alphabetical order)

Albie Casino
Angelica Panganiban
Barbara Baretto
Borgy Manotoc
Carl Guevarra
Carla Abellana
Christian Bautista
Coco Martin
David Chua
Diether Ocampo
Dingdong Dantes
Ejay Falcon
Enchong Dee
Franco Daza
Jake Cuenca
Jason Francisco
Johan Santos
Jon Avila
Joseph Marco
Julia Montes
Karylle
Kathryn Bernardo
Kim Chiu
Kris Bernal
Lovi Poe
Maggie Wilson
Mark MacMahon
Melai Cantiveros
Paul Jake Castillo
Paulo Avelino
Piolo Pascual
Rafael Rosell IV
Rayver Cruz
Regine Angeles
Rocco Nacino
Ron Morales
Sam Pinto
Sarah Lahbati
Steven Silva
Zanjoe Marudo

I'm sure AJ Perez, who was also a Bench model before he died, was supposed to be part of the Bench Fashion Show in the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011. He's one of the newest Bench models introduced this year along with his "Sabel" co-star Joseph Marco who, as you can see, is part of the line-up in the PFW Holiday 2011.

Had it been AJ is still alive, this upcoming Bench show in the PFW will be AJ's first fashion show for Bench.

***

Want invites for the Bench event in the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011?

Here's how you can get one:

For every P800.00 single-receipt net purchase from Bench, Human and Kaschieca stores at SM Mall of Asia, a customer gets a Fashion Week invite for free. A maximum of two (2) invites only per receipt (meaning, if you have P3,000+ worth of purchase, you'll get up to 2 invites only)

The promo has started yesterday, May 3, and will end on May 8.

***

The Bench, Human, Kaschieca Fashion event on May 8 is the first event in the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011, which runs from May 8 until May 15.

Azkals vs Sri Lanka, 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Match

The Azkals vs Sri Lanka Qualifying Match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup is happening on June 29 at the Sugathadasa Stadium, in Colombo, Sri Lanka and on July 3 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium here in the Philippines.

And thanks, Studio 23 will be airing the said Azkals vs Sri Lanka home-and-away games.

A teaser for the said qualifying match has been airing already starting today on Studio 23. Watch!
Whoever wins between the Philippine Azkals and Sri Lanka in their match will advance to the next round of the Qualification Stage and will face the football team from Kuwait on July 23 and 28. Can't wait!

Phil Younghusband sings for Angel Locsin on "The Sharon Cuneta Specials"

Phil and James Younghusband's guesting on The Sharon Cuneta Specials was finally shown last night, April 17, 2011.

And there, James proudly revealed again that he has a girlfriend. "She is half like me as well." was how he described the girl. (Photo of James and girlfriend HERE)

Phil was asked by Sharon who his ultimate crush and as expected, he answered Angel Locsin. It was so cute how he said Angel's name. He was a bit shy to admit it.(Parang teenager lang haha)

When asked about their favorite song? James answered "The Bright Side" by The Killers while Phil's fave song was "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles.

The two Azkals players also performed in the show when Sharon asked them to sing their favorite love song. James sang "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" while Phil chose a Tagalog song, the Apo Hiking Society classic hit "Ewan", which was dedicated to his crush, Angel Locsin.

"Mahal kita, Mahal kita, Hindi 'to bola. Ngumiti ka lang di sana ako'y nasa langit na..." (I'm having a last song syndrome over here)

Watch videos of Phil and James Younghusband guesting on The Sharon Cuneta Specials, April 17, 2011:




Video upload courtesy of notes1011

Phil and James Younghusband, guests on 'The Sharon Cuneta Specials' this Sunday, April 17

Phil and James Younghusband of the Azkals are Sharon Cuneta's guests this coming Sunday, April 17, on her musical show 'The Sharon Cuneta Specials'.

The Younghusband twins will be performing for Mega and the viewers, and as seen in the teaser, Phil sang the classic APO hit "Ewan".

It was not shown in the teaser if James sang the same song, but reportedly he sang a different one, an English song.

Watch teaser video:


Also guesting are Kathryn Bernardo and Julia Montes of Mara Clara, Jovit Baldivino, Angeline Quinto, Yeng Constantino, SpongeCola and Nina.

The Sharon Cuneta Specials airs every Sunday night on ABS-CBN right after Rated K.

Video upload courtesy of tiamaria0305

1st Barkada Choice Awards (2011) winners: Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Sarah Geronimo and more

The 1st ever Barkada Choice Awards was held earlier tonight, April 7, 2011, at the C3 Events Place in Greenhills, San Juan.

Kim Chiu and Enchong Dee were big winners with 2 awards each.

Here's the complete list of the winners:

FIRST READ HERE!!!


Choice Male Icon of the Year - Gerald Anderson
Choice Female Icon of the Year - Kim Chiu
Choice Actor of the Year - Enchong Dee (MMK: Parol)
Choice Actress of the Year - Kim Chiu (Till My Heartaches End)
Choice OPM Artist of the Year - Sarah Geronimo
Choice Breakthrough Artist of 2010 - Enchong Dee
Choice Tweet Idol - Anne Curtis (@annecurtissmith)
Choice Kabarkada - Robi Domingo
Choice Hollywood Star of the Year - Angelina Jolie
Choice Asian Pop Band of the Year - SS501
Choice Music Artist of the Year - Justin Bieber
Choice Teen Icon - David Archuleta
Choice Sports Celebrity of the Year - Azkals
Choice Loveteam - Zanessa (Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens)


As the Choice Teen Icon winner, international singer David Archuleta thanked his Pinoy fans on Twitter for the recognition:

The 1st Barkada Choice Awards were presented by Studio 23's The Wrap to mark their first anniversary celebration.

The telecast of the awarding ceremony will be this coming April 18 and 19 on Studio 23.

Lauren Young covers Garage Girl, Spring / Summer 2011 issue

Rising star Lauren Young, who plays Via in "Mula Sa Puso" remake, appears on the cover of Garage Girl Spring / Summer 2011 issue.

Garage Girl comes free when you buy Garage Magazine April - May 2011 issue with Azkals hot striker Phil Younghusband as its cover guy.

Get your copy now! You'll love Phil's shots in the said issue as he wears TopMan's Summer 2011 Collection.

Azkals vs Bangladesh Results: Azkals wins, 3-0, advances to AFC Challenge Cup 2012

The Philippine Azkals have made us so proud when they won earlier vs Bangladesh with a score of 3-0, during their final match in the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Qualifiers.

That's more than what we've expected right?

The Azkals vs Bangladesh match happened at Myanmar's Bogyoke Aung San Stadium, 3:30 PM, (5:00 PM Manila Time) and despite having no live TV coverage, the live updates from ABS-CBN's Dyan Castillejo and Inquirer's Cedelf Tupas were enough to keep us updated with the game. (Read live updates HERE).

And definitely, they're more than enough for us to celebrate with the victory of the Azkals, who now qualifies for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

The Azkals indeed played amazingly, most especially Ian Araneta who scored the first goal and Angel Aldeguer Guirado who scored the next two goals. The deliveries of the goal were reportedly so much impressive!

Group A Final Team Standing:
1. Palestine (2 wins, 1 draw) 7 points
2. Philippines (1 win, 2 draws) 5 points
3. Bangladesh (1 win, 2 losses) 3 points
4. Myanmar (1 draw, 2 losses) 1 point

And so far, these are the teams who have already qualified for the 2012 AFC Challange Cup:

Group A: Palestine and Philippines
Group B: India and Turkmenistan
Group C: Maldives and Tajikistan
Group D: (still to be determined)

And what's more amazing is that, the Philippines is the only one so far from among the 8 lowest-ranked teams (those who went through the pre-qualifiers) who has already qualified for the final tournament.

A well-deserved "hero's welcome" awaits the Philippine Azkals as they come back to Manila this Sunday.

AZKALS' TWEETS AFTER THEIR HISTORIC WIN AGAINST BANGLADESH

@Jsabio3 (Jason Sabio) "What a feeling! Thank you to all the Azkal fans!! This win was for y'all and for us. Pinoy Pride! Let's celebrate this historic moment!! :)"

@anton_delro (Anton del Rosario) "Great win, good feeling, priceless!!! Thank you all for the support, couldn't have done it without you guys!"

@alybor11 (Aly Borromeo) "On to the final 8.. What a sweet victory! History in the books once more!! Thank you everyone for your undying support! :)"

@Neil38Etheridge (Neil Etheridge) "Heya all! Thank you for your support! Massive win! The team played well! Celebrations!"

Azkals vs Bangladesh Mar. 25 live updates here

Azkals' last chance to qualify for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup is happening at 3:30 PM in Rangoon, Myanmar (5 PM in Manila).

On the bottom of this page, Mykiru will blog the live Twitter updates from ABS-CBN reporter Dyan Castillejo (@DyanCastillejo) and Inquirer reporter Cedelf Tupas (@cedelfpt) who are both in Myanmar to cover the exciting match of the Philippine Azkals and the Bengal Tigers from Bangladesh.

The Azkals MUST win this game to be able to advance to the next round.

Just like in the previous two matches, last Monday and Wednesday, there will be no live streaming again or a live TV coverage of the Azkals vs Bangladesh.

So we have to settle with the live updates from Ms. Dyan and Mr. Cedelf.

***

AZKALS' STARTING 11 LINE-UP FOR ITS MATCH VS BANGLADESH:
Neil Etheridge
James Younghusband
Aly Borromeo
Anton Del Rosario
Ian Araneta
Ray Jonsson
Jerry Lucena
Chieffy Caligdong
Jason Sabio
Angel Guirado
Yanti Barsales

No more Rob Gier in the line-up as he has returned to England to be with his wife who's 4-month pregnant with his first child.

“My wife is ill and she needs me,” Gier tells Inquirer's Cedelf Tupas. "As much as I wanted to play for the Philippines, my family is my priority as of the moment.”

Simon Greatwich is also removed from the line-up. Some say he got suspended from playing in the Bangladesh match. But he's in fact a substitute player for this crucial match.

Other substitute players are: William Espinosa, Roel Gener, Patrick Hinrichsen, Nestorio Margarse, Eduard Sacapaño and Yannick Tuason.


***

Here we go... Live Blogging the Philippines (Azkals) in blue vs Bangladesh (Bengal Tigers) in red and green.

[Highlighted are the times that a team has scored a goal. Just scroll down!]


4:55 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Players are on the field now. Wearing all blue. Laban #azkals!

4:56 PM: @cedelfpt: The Bangladesh keeper Mamun is as tall as Neil Etheridge

4:58 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Just sang our national anthem. Game`s going to start soon

5:00 PM @cedelfpt kick off

5:01 PM @cedelfpt Bangladesh with one striker, Ameli. An early injury stoppage Zahid

5:02 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO bangladesh playing defensive no 7 down from bangladesh

5:04 PM @cedelfpt first attempt by Angel long range striker straight to the keeper. 4 mins

5:06 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO throw in bangladesh

5:06 PM @cedelfpt Chieffy floats dangerous cross for James but keeper clears 6th min

5:12 PM @cedelfpt Zahid with a shot on goal. brilliant stop by Neil Etheridge 12th min 0-0

5:13 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Ray J. steals ball from bangladesh

5:13 PM @cedelfpt Araneta went for glory, despite his poor position and his shot goes way wide 13th min

5:15 PM @cedelfpt free kick Bangladesh from 35 yards easily collected by Neil

5:17 PM @cedelfpt Chieffy eludes 2 defenders and delivers low shot from tight angle saved by Bang keeper. stil 0-0 17th min

5:18 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Neil taking free kick

5:19 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Recieved by James with a header but Araneta didn`t recieve

5:21 PM @cedelfpt another cross from Chieffy for Ian but Bangladesh clear again 21st min 0-0

5:23 PM @cedelfpt long range strike from Angel easy save by Bang keeper. James earns foul for 25-yard free kick

5:24 PM @cedelfpt Chieffy takes it,shot bounces off the wall.

5:25 PM @cedelfpt Araneta well-marked cant get a touch on those crosses. Chieffy working overtime on the left flank 25th min

5:26 PM @cedelfpt Zahid with an ambitious effort on the counter. shot goes over the bar

5:29 PM @cedelfpt Lucena dispossessed but recovers ball from Zahid. 29th min.

5:30 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO 30 minutes, 0-0

5:32 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO good passing bangladesh. well, im nervous, they are keeping the balls well

5:33 PM @cedelfpt Araneta threatens to break but flagged offside. 33rd min. 0-0

5:34 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO bangladesh if they draw have good chance of qualifying as long as myanmar doesnt win by more than 3 -0. bangladesh taking time

5:37 PM @cedelfpt free kick for James from the right, Anton takes a shot that gets deflected for a corner.

5:38 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO another corner kick philippines chiefy another chance tall bangladesh goalie jumps up catches

5:39 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO 39 minutes gone 0--

5:41 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO GOAL BY ARANETA!!! Philippines 1, Bangladesh 0

5:42 PM @cedelfpt Barsales started move from right, passed to Angel who finds space for a shot that was blocked.

5:43 PM @cedelfpt ball falls kindly to Araneta, Keeps his composure 2 beat keeper

5:44 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO corner kick for azkals

5:45 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO 1st half just ended

5:46 PM @cedelfpt 1 min of injury time. that was araneta's 9th int'l goal and his first since hat-trick vs Timor in Suzuki Cup qualifying last yr

5:47 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO pinoy flags waving here!!! rejoicing 15vminute break then 45 mins if we win even 1 -0 phils makes history qualifying for challenge cup

6:00 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO 2nd half about to start

6:02 PM @cedelfpt Bangladesh also has around 20 to 30 fans here at Aung San Stadium. 2nd half starts #Azkals

6:04 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Foul called for Lucena

6:05 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO foul by angel

6:06 PM @cedelfpt quiet start to the 2nd half for #azkals. ian gets into dangerous area but loses ball.aly intervenes on a couple of through balls

6:08 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO bangladesh player fouls angel

6:09 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO anton takes free kick

6:10 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO james passes to Ian and Ian heads the ball. ALMOST got another goal!

6:11 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO anton throw in

6:12 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO GOAL BY ANGEL!!! GREAT HEADER. Philippines 2, Bangladesh 0

6:15 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO NOW 2-0, 55 minutes. LETS GO AZKALS!

6:16 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO ref calls off side for bangladesh

6:17 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO foul for bangladesh. Anton takes the kick

6:19 PM @cedelfpt Shouldve been 3-0. quick counter attack Angel releases James on the side, Bang keeper saves shot with his legs. 59th min

6:21 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO yellow card for bangladesh player

6:23 PM @cedelfpt ian hits post on volley, but hes also marginally offside. 63rd min. still 2-0

6:29 PM @cedelfpt Bangladesh shot from outside the box goes wide.

6:31 PM @cedelfpt great through ball from James for Anton, who sends a low cross from the right but keeper quick to collect as Ian rushes to get a touch.

6:32 PM @cedelfpt Gener getting ready to come in #Azkals

6:33 PM @cedelfpt James with another shot from the edge of the area but the Bangladesh defender gets a block. 75th min

6:34 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO bangladesh player fouls James. Aly takes free kick

6:34 PM @cedelfpt it's also worth mentioning the stellar job of the backline of Aly and Sabio,Anton,Ray and Lucena as def midfield #Azkals

6:35 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Gener sub for cheiffy

6:36 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO great steal by Lucena

6:37 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO ANGEL GOAL AGAIN. Philippines 3, Bangladesh 0

6:40 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO SImon Greatwich in Barsales out

6:44 PM @cedelfpt sub Tuason getting ready to come in for James Younghusband 89th min

6:48 PM @cedelfpt 2 min injury time. it shouldnt be long now. celebration time. James gets a round of applause

6:49 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Yannick Tuason in James YH out

6:51 PM @DYANCASTILLEJO Final score Philippines 3- 0 Bangladesh


Congratulations to the Philippine Azkals! They finished 2nd in Group A and now qualifies along with Palestine for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

Azkals safe in Myanmar following the strong 7.0 earthquake

The Azkals have experienced the strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar just last night, March 24, 2011.

But thanks God, they're safe.

The Philippine Azkals who are still in Yangon, Myanmar for one more match in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers are reported safe, courtesy of ABS-CBN reporter Dyan Castillejo who's also in Myanmar to cover the Azkals matches.

Azkals player Anton Del Rosario shared on Twitter that they were on the 9th floor of a hotel in Myanmar when the earthquake happened and had to rush down using the fire exit.

"Felt the earthquake in the hotel, thought it was vertigo lol," Anton tweets. "Team ran down 9 stories. Seems like quakes are following us!"

The Azkals were also in Japan when the 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the country last March 11, 2011.

Azkals ranks behind Palestine and Bangladesh so far in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers

Azkals only ranks 3rd so far in the Group A Team Standing of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Qualification (Group) Stage.

After the team's failure to win the last two matches, which both ended up in a draw, the Philippine Azkals was only able to earn 1 point for each match.

The Palestine Fighters is leading so far with 4 points. The team earned 3 points for the match they won against Bangladesh last Monday and another point for the 0-0 game yesterday against the Azkals.

The Bengal Tigers from Bangladesh is now in 2nd place after they won against Myanmar White Angels yesterday, which gave them 3 big points. They earned no point for the game they lost to Palestine last Monday.

The Philippines is ranked 3rd as of Wednesday, with 2 points, while Myanmar, the host country, is at the bottom, with just 1 point.

Now this is crucial for the Philippine Azkals.

There's one more match left for them in the AFC 2012 Challenge Cup Group Stage and it will be against Bangladesh tomorrow, March 25.

If the Philippine Azkals loses that game or even serves up a draw, the Filipino football team won't advance to the next round and will be eliminated.

They really need to win that match to be able to earn 3 points and ranks on top or 2nd in the team standing.

Goodluck Azkals!!!! You can do it!

Azkals vs Palestine Live Updates, Mar 23 Match, AFC Challenge Cup 2012

The Azkals vs Palestine match under Group A of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Qualification Stage is happening right now, March 23, 2011, in Myanmar.

Read on for live updates from Twitter:

*The Philippine Azkals' Starting Line-Up:

Neil Etheridge
James Younghusband
Aly Borromeo
Ian Araneta
Ray Jonsson
Rob Gier
Anton Del Rosario
Chieffy Caligdong
Simon Greatwich
Angel Aldeguer
Jerry Lucena

*From Cedelf Tupas: [5:01 PM] Nat'l Anthem playing now. Azkals in new white kits. Neil wearing all-blue. Palestine in red.

*From Dyan Castillejo: [5:00] Game starts.

[5:01] Throw in Anton

[5:02] Long kick Palestine, Jerry heads it to Phil, now in possession and gives it to Anton

*From Cedelf Tupas [5:04] Azkals have most of the ball from 2 minutes, but Palestine earns 1st corner

[5:07] Pal's Ashraf wd dangerous run after dispossessing Angel, but striker Murad offside. 0-0, 7th minute.

*From Dyan Castillejo: [5:08] Foul by Aly

[5:09] Good catch by Neil after Palestine's free kick

[5:10] Foul by Simon

*From Cedelf Tupas: [5:11] PAL conservative style hoping to catch us on counter, following Azkals to play possession

[5:12] Angel still feeling effects of muscle strain, going down easily on soft tackles.

[5:13] PAL difficult to break down wd 5 man midfield. Azkals settling for long balls.

[5:14] 13th min first corner for Azkals cleared by Palestine

[5:18] First chance from PAL Ismael shot deflected side netting. Murad hits post on d ensuing corner. 18th min still 0-0.

[5:20] Neil struggling wd placement of his free kicks

[5:22] PAL wing play on right causing problems for Azkals

[5:23] PAL's Ismael has already beaten Jonsson twice on d right flank. Aly clears.

[5:25] Ian chests down Anton's long pass at the edge of area, plenty of space but no one is there to shoot

[5:32] Chieffy earns free kick left side. James wd delivery ball bounces on Ian and Rob's head and out for throw-in.

[5:33] Greatwich yellow card for simulation / diving inside the box. 0-0.

*From Dyan Castillejo:
[5:34] Another attempt by PAL way over goal post

[5:35] Foul by PAL first one, ball to PH. Neil kicks long to Angel.

[5:36] Oh my God! Long kick by PAL almost went in. Thank God it hit goal post, Neil leaped up to post and he is now down, oh no.

[5:37] Ok Neil is up. Long kick now.

[5:40] Corner kick for PAL.

[5:41] So many defenders, Chieffy down, got hit in bad spot

[5:42] Another attempt by PAL. Neil gets it. Yes!

[5:45] 45 mins gone, 2 mins extra now.

[5:46] Corner kick for PH

[5:47] Ok, it's half time. 15 min. break.

*From Cedelf Tupas: [6:02] 2nd half starts. No change for Azkals.

[6:04] Attempt: Angel wd back header too high after free kick from Ray. 46th min.

[6:11] Great defending Gier. Ashraf trying to cut inside from left but Rob gets a touch for a goal kick.

[6:13] Attempt: PAL stinging shot from 30 yard, Neil easily saves. 56th min.

[6:18] Sub Yannick Tuason for Greatwich. 61st min.

[6:19] Angel wd a header off Anton's free kick saved by PAL's Abdallah. 62nd min.

*From Dyan Castillejo: [6:23] Corner kick for PAL

[6:26] yellow card for player 41 of PAL

[6:35] yellow card for Anton

[6:39] 0-0 still. Lots of attempts so far by the Azkals

*From Cedelf Tupas: [6:40] The pacy swinger Ismail of PAL is substituted. Both teams just lack quality to finish.

[6:48] 3 min. injury time. Rob Gier's header from Anton free kick straight at Abdullah

[6:49] Palestine in no rush. Look like they'll be happy wd a draw.

FINAL SCORE: 0-0

Azkals vs Palestine: no live streaming | Studio 23 will give live updates instead

The Philippine Azkals' match vs Palestine is happening this afternoon, March 23, 2011, in Myanmar (at 5PM Manila time).

And just like the Azkals' match against Myanmar last Monday, don't expect a live streaming online of the Philippine Azkals' match vs Palestine as it's really not possible.

Thus, just be contented with the live real-time updates to be given by ABS-CBN Sports on TV, radio and on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

They promised to give us live updates via ABS-CBN, Studio 23, ANC and also thru radio via DZMM 630.

Possible line-up of the Azkals for today's match:

Neil Etheridge
James Younghusband
Aly Borromeo
Ray Jonsson
Rob Gier
Anton Del Rosario
Chieffy Caligdong
Simon Greatwich
Angel Aldeguer
Jerry Lucena

Fil-Danish Jerry Lucena (photo) just came straight from Denmark and will be playing for the Azkals for the first time. (Am excited!)

Photo courtesy of hellyeah-azkals.tumblr.com

Azkals vs Myanmar March 21 match replay video airs on Studio 23

Azkals' game with Myanmar yesterday, March 21, 2011, for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers (Groups Stage) at the Thuwana Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar will finally be aired tomorrow, March 23, on Studio 23.

ABS-CBN Sports has confirmed in a statement that they finally have the video of the game yesterday between the Philippine Azkals and the White Angels from Myanmar, which resulted to a 1-1 draw.

They're going to air it Wednesday evening, with a replay on Thursday afternoon.

But they're telling us not to expect a good quality of the video.

ABS-CBN Sports' Official Statement:
"Barring any flight delays, ABS-CBN Sports will air MYA-PHL match tom. at 10:15 p.m. (replay on Mar. 24, Thurs., 3 p.m.) on St. 23. Video quality is far from the best as it was shot by MRTV."

It's okay! At least, we're going to see it, rather than never.

And also, don't expect that the next two matches of the Philippine Azkals in Myanmar will also be aired live.

Yesterday, ABS-CBN Sports wasn't able to air live via satellite the Azkals vs Myanmar match. (Read: Azkals vs Myanmar Live Streaming / Live Feed on Studio 23 not possible)

Tomorrow (March 23), the Azkals will battle against Palestine then versus Bangladesh on Friday (March 25).

So far, the football team from from Palestine is the one leading in Group A of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Qualification Stage. They now have 3 points, after they won the match against Bangladesh yesterday.

Philippines and Myanmar tie in 2nd place with 1 point each (since their match ended up in a draw) while Bangladesh is ranked last so far with no point assigned since they lost to Palestine.

To make it sure, the Azkals need to win their next two games to be able to advance to the next round.