Dog days are over. Tonight we liveblog the Azkals! (Updated with bribes for the cosmos)
Azkals AFP photo. Shorts too long.
Make sure you’re near a television tonight at 8 when the Philippines takes on Indonesia in the semifinal of the AFF Suzuki Cup. The game will be aired on Channel 23.
Visiting Azkals hope to upset Indonesians at home
We will liveblog the match! If you’re online, join us in cheering for the Azkals and supporting each other as we threaten nervous breakdowns with every possession. See you in the Comments section!
* * * * *
The Pre-Show
We asked the esteemed Couch Kamote for his thoughts on the underdog Azkals’ chances in Jakarta. Couch Kamote has been waxing poetic on the national futbol team, even confiding that Philippines’ goalkeeper Neil Etheridge is “dreamboat billboard material” and confusing his chromosomes.
LeK: Can’t go octopussy against our own. Hoping for and would be happy with nil-nil, but it may be 0-2. Ngek.
JZ: What! Have you no faith in Neil honey and the Azkals??
LeK: Have. But Indon, in Jakarta, can run amok. Our backline may not sustain the Big D for 90 minutes of mounting frenzy. Would be happy to be proven wrong.
JZ: Then I’d better start hexing the competition. Kulamin!
LeK: Sige, me too. Sacra ng draco ko sila.
* * * * *
Random messages and long-distance dedications:
Chus: I love you, Neil Etheridge!
JZ: Well they’re not even supposed to have gotten this far. Life is randomness. There is always a chance.
* * * * *
2000hrs. The match has begun.
Apparently there are 90+ million Filipinos and only one football commentator. Yes, it’s still that guy. Is it 1974?
Chus: OMG, (verb redacted) ang (noun redacted) ni Neil!
JZ: For crying out loud pretend to watch the futbol.
2015. LeK: So far so good. We have majority of possession, and are on the offensive surprisingly.
Aaaaaa! Almost.
Aaaaaaa! Another almost.
Hey the Azkals are attacking attacking attacking. Surprise!
LeK: Ang galing natin. Inspirado.
!@#$%^ my internet connection. Continuing in Comments.
Defensive lapse. Etheridge comes out to stop the ball, Jonsson bumps into him, ball flies past them, bounces, bounces off the post and into the net. Indonesia 1, Phils 0.
* * * * *
The Azkals are fired up and dangerous. Our strikers need room to work. Stop going on and on about the miscommunication, there is plenty of time.
We do dwell on our mistakes.
LeK: At the risk of fulfilling my prediction, attack more in the second half but judiciously, without giving up defense. If we tie we demoralize the Indons. But. The Indons have so many more strikers and could turn up the heat in the second half.
* * * * *
Second half.
Two minutes to go. The Azkals have not had many chances. Three minutes added.
Indonesia whiles away the time. They win, 1-0.
Chus: Neil, darling, don’t blame yourself. You’ve been great throughout the tournament and it was just bad luck. You have another game on Sunday. Win that by a two-point differential and you’re in. The final. Since you are already in my heart.
LeK: A 0-1 defeat in Jakarta is okay, an achievement. I am proud of our boys.
It was a fantastic effort. We can still make the final! Chus and I will be back on Sunday with our pointless commentary on non-football matters. Join us! Hey, we should all watch the game in a bar.
* * * * *
Turns out we didn’t have to put up with the martial law throwback doomsday commentator on channel 23 because Star Sports or ESPN is airing the RP v Indonesia semifinals live hahaha!
Chus and I will watch the live telecast on cable on Sunday at his house because we need space for all the voodoo paraphernalia and alcohol. Join us for the liveblog this Sunday at 8pm!!!
LeK: I would give up (something important) for an Azkals 1-0 squeaker and then Neil saves two penalty kicks in the shootout and we kick in 4!
JZ: I will rename my eldest cat Koosalagoopagoop (Koosi) Galadriel Ivanisevic O’Brien-Etheridge if the Azkals make it to the final!
Not just a cat, The Mighty Kooshball!
Koosi: You forgot “goddess”.
Not just a cat, The Mighty Goddess Kooshball!
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
December 16th, 2010 at 22:42
# Jessica – Uyyyy! Pero tumataas ang ranking ni Harry sa most read posts off all time dito sa blog mo. Rank numbers 7 and 8 na siya!
May liveblog ulit sa Sunday?
December 16th, 2010 at 22:52
Jessica — Oo nga eh, ratsada yung mga comments. Sarap ng ganoong adrenaline rush.
Harry, don’t be upset! You still have the most number of comments sa JWAB at 300 + comments. See, both of the posts that have you in them are on top rank. Bravo!
December 16th, 2010 at 23:04
Caught the match on Studio 23. It wasn’t that single goal that ruined the match for me (though I wish the ball had missed the goal entirely), but Ronnie Nathanielsz and his doom and gloom. Will somebody just please stop hiring that guy for once and get someone who doesn’t concede the match a full hour before game ends?
Etheridge. Bigyan na ng libro ‘yan.
December 16th, 2010 at 23:35
#101 yorkie85: Yes, Chus and I will watch the match together instead of texting each other frantically while I update the post and try to say something intelligent about futbol and reply to readers’ comments with a USB dongle that claims to be running at high speed when it’s taking five minutes to load a page. Join us online!
December 17th, 2010 at 00:25
I missed all the excitement. I was zonked out from impromptu-hosting a joint Christmas party of six offices. It’s exhausting yakking while the audience are distracted by the seafood lauriat. Worse, I never had the chance to gorge on the large crabs.
I will miss the excitement again this Sunday because I’ll be hauling my stuff and stash them somewhere.
December 17th, 2010 at 01:15
O.M.G.! Ok, not to gush, but, yeah, I think I could love me some Neil… Oh dear, oh dear…
December 17th, 2010 at 01:24
Conversation with PJ from Lifestyle Asia
PJ: Would you like to write an article for the most eligible people issue?
Me: I volunteer to write about Neil Etheridge.
PJ: Let me ask for his contacts. . .
Me: I volunteer to write about Neil Etheridge.
PJ: Ok, I’ll get back to you.
Me: I volunteer to write about Neil Etheridge.
See, I am working on that Jock With A Book feature. (And Chus’s happiness. And LeK’s if he really intends to switch sides. And I wouldn’t be unhappy either.)
December 17th, 2010 at 01:52
O.M.F.G! Neil Etheridge on the next Jock With A Book?! I think I am going to drown in a pool of my own drool just thinking about it… O.M.F.G!!!!
December 17th, 2010 at 02:03
Quick, somebody change his wiki pic, it’s not doing any justice to his hotness. >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Etheridge
December 17th, 2010 at 02:33
clearly, defense and communication are immediate concerns but i hope the coaching staff would also vary the combination of plays. for obvious reasons, the team would go for an aggressive offensive game this coming sunday but i’m sure indonesia wouldn’t mind assuming an offensive play either to secure their slot for the finals. the offense shouldn’t revolve around younghusband. he’s already marked. azkals need to surprise the indonesians. just as what greatwich did in the previous rounds.
first, we must rest.
December 17th, 2010 at 09:21
Aww our team looked really tired in the second half. Lanta na. Sana fresh na uli sa Sunday.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:47
— # 108 2Qt2BSTR8
Heto, I think you can use this number:
(632) 304-3000
Trunk line ng DPWH. In case of emergency, alam na. Watir ba kamo? Alam na.
“Hey, we should all watch the game in a bar.”
Lavet Madame, we should all watch the game in a bar. Puwede kayang mag-table dun sa bar na yun?
Wahaha, muahness from Pasig Cireehh!
December 17th, 2010 at 13:38
I really do hope we could watch the game in a bar this Sunday because I’m tired of screaming and cheering alone in the house.
December 17th, 2010 at 14:35
#113 i agree. carbo-loading carbo-loading!
December 17th, 2010 at 16:09
Go Jessica!!! You’ll get that interview with Neil Etheridge! You’ll get that interview with Neil Etheridge!!! Woohoo!!!
December 17th, 2010 at 18:19
are you really watching in a bar?
December 17th, 2010 at 18:43
#112 Momelia – Hahaha! If you do that you might get barred from that bar. Or worse, you might be put behind bars.
December 17th, 2010 at 20:28
ang cute ni koosi ang laki ng tummy..she looks like a mommy cat..and voodoo, hilarious..
December 17th, 2010 at 23:10
i’m planning to buy a persian or an egyptian mau next year..trade tayo ms z? kidding..
December 17th, 2010 at 23:40
friday night gimmick at the office. naisipan kong basahin muli ang liveblog. nagulat ako, may isang napakagandang pusa. i miss my cats.
December 17th, 2010 at 23:56
Ang taba taba ni Koosi!!! Para shang puputok hehe soooo cute!!!
December 18th, 2010 at 10:34
Aw, I was looking forward to watching it in a bar wih you guys. Anybody still interested to go to a bar in Makati?
December 18th, 2010 at 13:36
#122 miss_o: but where in makati?
December 18th, 2010 at 14:06
@ # 112 Momelia: Hillu DPWH, my watir bag juz browk. LOL.
December 18th, 2010 at 14:59
#123 atomic_bum: Would national sports grill at greenbelt 3 be ok?
December 19th, 2010 at 14:27
#125 mis_o: sorry, haven’t read your response. already made plans. thought you did, too. i’m sorry again.
December 19th, 2010 at 23:34
#125 atomic_bum: no worries, we still have a chance to watch them again by Feb for the Challenge Cup :D