Positive #1: The Philippine Football Federation requirement that each club revise its name to identify it with the local community with which it is associated is something I have long wanted to see. Hence, clubs formerly known as Ceres-La Salle, Stallion, Global, and Loyola Meralco Sparks are now Ceres-Negros, Stallion-Iloilo, Global-Tacloban, and QC Meralco. I've always felt that fan support for clubs in the top tiers of Philippine football have been hindered by their failure to solidly identify themselves with local communities. It is unrealistic to expect masses of fans to flock towards teams identified solely by their connections to capitalist corporations, when the game itself thrives firmly rooted in grassroots communities and egalitarian principles.
Caution #1: I don't think the PFF should stop there. Football clubs the world over customarily do not name themselves after the corporate sponsors emblazoned on the front of their kits. This is why Manchester United is known as Manchester United and not Chevrolet-Manchester United, Bayern Munich is not T-Mobile-Bayern Munich, and AC Milan is not Emirates-AC Milan. This in my opinion is the next step in the evolution of the Philippine football club. Keep Ceres on the jersey, but free yourself from your dependence on corporate entities and proudly call it Negros FC so that your fanbase is the entire Negros community independent of corporate sponsorship. Likewise, QCFC to me has a more attractive ring to it, divesting the club's identity from the capital's power company often at odds with its own customers. FC Biñan, Cebu City FC, and Taft Avenue FC (once Green Archers) have the right idea. Independent of any corporate affiliation, clubs can accept bids for kit sponsorship and make the most capital from it for their organization. Beyond that, it is possible for independent F.League clubs to search for sponsorship contracts only with reputable companies, further enhancing their popularity.
Positive #2: Chieffy Caligdong's continued activity in domestic Philippine football is tremendously exciting to this crackpot blogger, who is advocating for him to one day be proclaimed a National Hero. Pure-blooded Chieffy, produced NOT in multi-million-dollar facilities in some swank European city but by the playgrounds of the Philippines' footballing hotbed of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, was captain of the Philippine national team a decade or so ago that inspired the country to rediscover its football passion, propelling the game back into the country's collective sports consciousness after decades of complacency. His venerated status gives domestic Philippine football a depth of credibility, withstanding whatever condescending language may be brought by imports from youth systems abroad. Moreover, Chieffy's captaincy of Taft Avenue United FC is particularly thrilling to this crackpot blogger, who will now consider the soon-to-be-renamed club his home side, as my Manila address is just four blocks from the Vito Cruz LRT Station on Taft Avenue. We will have a full-on top-tier club closely associated with our neighborhood and lead by none other than the most revered domestically-produced player since Paulino Alcantara. I now have a bonafide Manila club to cheer for.
Caution #2: In order to ensure their success, these F.League clubs need to do what it takes to cultivate their relationships with the local communities with whom they are now associated and expand their fanbase accordingly. In the United States, Major League Soccer clubs such as my fave the Houston Dynamo are highly visible in the city, very active in their support of local non-profit organizations, with star players regularly visiting schools and doing charity work with underrepresented sectors of the community, going so far as to have among their jersey sponsors an environmentally-conscious recycling company. At each home match, the Dynamo organization features a different local charity in the BBVA Stadium announcements, granting them a free concession where fans can get information. The Dynamo Youth Academy searches for the best players in the city, offering scholarships to those from economically disadvantaged communities. In Manila on the other hand, UFL clubs are barely visible in the local community. When I visit schools, walk around poor neighborhoods, read the newspapers or watch the local news, there is no evidence of activity by any football club, even within just a block from Rizal Stadium. That has to change. Football is the sport of the masses, and the F.League needs to embrace and promote it as such. When the fruits of the game are limited to the upper classes, Philippine football will be doomed to return to its dark ages when the country languished in the world's bottom 10 percentile, back when the game was accessible only to those behind the barbed-wire fences of Manila's elite schools.
Positive #3: The entry into the F.League by two of the biggest clubs in Europe, Manchester City as 40% owners of Cebu City FC and Barcelona partnering with FC Biñan, can only be seen as a positive with unlimited potential. FCB and Man City bring a wealth of organizational resources and expertise into which Philippine clubs can presumably tap. City's establishment of an MLS franchise has already made a huge impact on the quality of competition just four weeks into NYCFC's maiden season, bringing the likes of Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, and David Villa into North American stadia and giving us a preview of what could happen in Rizal Memorial and Panaad. That they chose expansion locations in provincial bases outside of the National Capital Region may demonstrate that these clubs sincerely desire to remain true to a mission of development. Expansion into these regions holds great potential for the F.League to create opportunities for the people and could attract other clubs from around the world to do the same.
Caution #3: The ultimate benefit of City's and Barca's F.League participation is NOT the potential influx of foreigners, although one would hope that players they farm out to their respective Philippine affiliates would be of higher quality than an overwhelming majority of imports currently populating UFL clubs (see my blog from January 19, 2016 Time to Weigh in on the UFL). It's not their players that I would be after - it's their coaching. The true treasure that Filipinos must insist upon harvesting is the integration of those clubs' youth academies into the country's national development system. Man City and Barca run youth development systems that are among the most prolific in the world, consistently producing player after world-class player from the working-class neighborhoods of their inner cities and beyond. If these clubs can help the nation improve our youth system, creating opportunities for kids of all socio-economic classes, then they are a welcome presence. But if they actively seek only players from the Filipino privileged class who would be able to afford a club tuition, then they would just be buttressing the archaic social model that keeps Philippine society in the feudal state perpetuated by its ruling classes. It is my hope that the PFF leadership recognizes the power of this game to create social change and enacts policies towards that purpose. Therein lies the real beauty of the beautiful game.
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| Under the new F.League, the Loyola Meralco Sparks-Global rivalry becomes QC-Meralco FC vs Global-Tacloban. But if this blogger had his way, it would be QCFC vs Tacloban United... |
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| ...And what was once Kaya FC will be renamed Kaya-Makati... |
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| ...though this blogger thinks "Makati Kaya" has a better ring to it. |
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| A strong association with a local community deepens fan loyalty to a club. This blogger's new home side is now Taft Avenue United, formerly Green Archers, taking over representation of the old capital city from the disbanded Manila Jeepney FC. |
(All photos by Kokoy)
Kokoy Severino has coached junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for 21 years. He holds several coaching licenses from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, including a National Youth Diploma, as well as two certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master in Educational Leadership degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk students. He returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and conducts soccer training sessions for economically disadvantaged youths. He is now Associate Principal at Hyde Park Schools in Austin, Texas, where he has established the first soccer program in school history at the middle and elementary levels. Kokoy attended a total of 52 matches in 2015, excluding the ones in which he was coaching. He has been documenting through photography every match he has observed since 2012 in the United States, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore. Check out the archives of Kokoy's Women's College Soccer Blog.
- And please consider helping me help my friend Rose as she fights to break the cycle of poverty that her family has been trapped in for generations. She is the first in her family to finish at least one semester of college. I hope you find this cause worthy of your assistance. Your prayers for our success will help too... THE ROSE BATISTER COLLEGE TUITION FUND
Kokoy's most recent UFL Photo Albums:
Saturday March 21, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 2:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Saturday March 21, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 5:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Saturday March 21, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 8:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Saturday July 11, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Sunday July 12, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 5:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Sunday July 12, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Sunday July 19, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Wednesday July 22, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 5:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Wednesday July 22, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Thursday July 23, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League Division 2 (Philippines)
Wednesday July 29, 2015 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
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KOKOY'S 2016 SOCCER MATCH PHOTO ALBUMS
(Click the links to view Kokoy's photos.)
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 12:30 pm
2016 Women's Olympics Qualifying tournament
Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
Sunday February 14 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 3:00 pm
2016 Women's Olympics Qualifying tournament
Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football
Sunday March 6 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 1:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday March 12 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:15 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday March 19 -
@ Houston Sports Park, Houston, Texas 3:00 pm
National Women's Soccer League vs Big XII Conference, NCAA Division I (USA)
Preseason training scrimmage
Sunday April 10 -
Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders FC
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 2:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday April 16 -
Houston Dash vs Chicago Red Stars
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas kickoff time TBA
National Women's Soccer League (USA)
Tuesday April 26 -
Kaya FC vs Kitchee SC
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:30 pm
2016 AFC Cup
United Football League (Philippines) vs Hong Kong Premiere League
Asian Football Confederation
Saturday May 7 -
Houston Dynamo vs Sporting Kansas City
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:15 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
OR
San Antonio FC vs Rio Grande Valley Toros FC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday May 14 -
Houston Dynamo vs Real Salt Lake
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:15 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday May 21 -
San Antonio FC vs Oklahoma City Energy FC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday June 4 -
Brazil vs Ecuador
@ Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California 7:00 pm
Copa America Centenario Group B
Sunday June 5 -
Mexico vs Uruguay
@ University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 5:00 pm
Copa America Centenario Group C
Saturday June 11 -
Colombia vs Costa Rica
@ NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Copa America Centenario Group A
Monday June 13 -
Mexico vs Venezuela
@ NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:00 pm
Copa America Centenario Group C
Saturday June 18 -
Houston Dynamo vs DC United
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
OR
San Antonio FC vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Sunday June 19 -
Houston Dash vs FC Kansas City
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas kickoff time TBA
National Women's Soccer League (USA)
Tuesday June 21
1A or 2B vs 1D or 2C
@ NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Copa America Centenario Semifinal
Thursday June 23 -
San Antonio FC vs Orange County Blues FC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday July 23 -
San Antonio FC vs LA Galaxy II
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
OR
Houston Dynamo vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:15 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Sunday July 31 -
Houston Dynamo vs San Jose Earthquakes FC
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday August 13 -
Houston Dynamo vs Toronto FC
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday August 20 -
San Antonio FC vs Seattle Sounders FC II
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday August 27 -
Houston Dynamo vs FC Dallas
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday September 3
FC Dallas vs Portland Timbers
@ Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
OR
Houston Dash vs Orlando Pride
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas kickoff time TBA
National Women's Soccer League (USA)
Sunday September 4 -
San Antonio FC vs Arizona United SC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 6:00 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday September 10 -
FC Dallas vs Colorado Rapids
@ Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
OR
San Antonio FC vs St. Louis FC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Sunday September 11 -
Houston Dash vs Boston Breakers
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas kickoff time TBA
National Women's Soccer League (USA)
Saturday September 17 -
San Antonio FC vs Tulsa Roughnecks FC
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday September 24 -
Houston Dynamo vs Portland Timbers
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:15 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Sunday September 25 -
Houston Dash vs Seattle Reign FC
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas kickoff time TBA
National Women's Soccer League (USA)
Saturday October 1
FC Dallas vs LA Galaxy
@ Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday October 8 -
Houston Dynamo vs Colorado Rapids
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:15 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Sunday October 16 -
Houston Dynamo vs LA Galaxy
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 5:45 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
More to come...
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KOKOY'S 2015 SOCCER MATCH PHOTO ALBUMS
More to come...
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KOKOY'S 2015 SOCCER MATCH PHOTO ALBUMS
(Click the links to view Kokoy's photos.)
Saturday March 7 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Friday March 13 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 6:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday March 21 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 2:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Saturday March 21 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 5:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Saturday March 21 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 8:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Friday March 27 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Liga MX (Mexico)
Saturday March 28 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Friday April 10 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
National Women’s Soccer League (USA)
Saturday April 11 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday April 25 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Friday May 1 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Tuesday May 5 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday May 16 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Thursday May 28 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Dynamo Charities Cup
Major League Soccer (USA) vs English Premiere League (England)
CANCELLED DUE TO UNSATISFACTORY PITCH SURFACE CAUSED BY STORM
Friday June 5 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday June 6 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
National Women’s Soccer League (USA)
Wednesday June 17 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 4th round
Major League Soccer vs United Soccer League (USA)
Saturday June 20 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
National Women’s Soccer League (USA)
Saturday June 27 -
@ Toyota Field, San Antonio, Texas 7:30
Friendly
North American Soccer League (USA) vs Primera Division (Costa Rica)
Saturday July 11 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Sunday July 12 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 5:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Sunday July 12 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Sunday July 19 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Wednesday July 22 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 5:15 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Wednesday July 22 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Thursday July 23 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League Division 2 (Philippines)
Wednesday July 29 -
@ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines 7:45 pm
United Football League (Philippines)
Saturday August 8 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Friday August 14 -
@ Mike A. Myers Stadium, UT, Austin, Texas 7:30 pm
Friendly
Big XII Conference vs Southland Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Saturday August 15 -
@ Holloway Field, Rice, Houston, Texas 7:00 pm
Friendly
Conference USA vs American Athletic Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Sunday August 23 -
@ Holloway Field, Rice, Houston, Texas 1:00 pm
Conference USA vs Mountain West Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Sunday August 23 -
@ Alexander Durley Stadium, TSU, Houston, Texas 7:00 pm
Southwest Athletic Conference vs Red River Athletic Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I
vs National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (USA)
Friday August 28 -
@ Mike A. Myers Stadium, UT, Austin, Texas 7:00 pm
Texas Longhorns Invitational Tournament
Big XII Conference vs Atlantic Coast Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Saturday August 29 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 8:00 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Sunday August 30 -
@ Mike A. Myers Stadium, UT, Austin, Texas 1:00 pm
Texas Longhorns Invitational Tournament
Big XII Conference vs Big X Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Friday September 4 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
International friendly
Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (South America)
Saturday September 5 -
@ Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex, Round Rock, Texas 7:30 pm
United Soccer League (USA)
Sunday September 6 -
@ Holloway Field, Rice, Houston, Texas 7:00 pm
Conference USA vs Southeastern Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Saturday September 12 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Sunday September 13 -
@ Carl Lewis Field, UH, Houston, Texas 1:00 pm
American Athletic Conference vs Southland Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Sunday September 20 -
@ Lewis-Chen Family Field, SEU, Austin, Texas 1:00 pm
Heartland Conference vs East Coast Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II (USA)
Wednesday September 23 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Saturday September 26 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:30 pm
Major League Soccer (USA)
Sun October 4 -
@ Alexander Durley Stadium, TSU, Houston, Texas 1:00 pm
Southwestern Athletic Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Friday October 9 -
@ Sorrels Field, HBU, Houston, Texas 5:00 pm
Southland Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Saturday October 10 -
@ BBVA Stadium, Houston, Texas 7:00 pm
Dynamo Charities Cup
Major League Soccer (USA) vs Liga MX (Mexico)
Sunday October 11 -
@ Mike A. Myers Stadium, UT, Austin, Texas 4:00 pm
Big XII Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Sunday October 25 -
@ Mike A. Myers Stadium, UT, Austin, Texas 4:00 pm
Big XII Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I (USA)
Saturday October 31 -
@ Rouse High School, Leander, Texas 5:00 pm
American Southwest Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division III (USA)
Sunday November 1 -
@ Lewis-Chen Family Field, SEU, Austin, Texas 2:30 pm
Heartland Conference
National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II (USA)
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