No doubt, the Olympic Games and the Soccer World Championships are on the top of worldwide popularity. In 2002, the Soccer World Championship lured a billion-public to watch the boob tube for hours on end and the favorites have been encouraged passionately. Soccer boomed especially in Japan and Korea and became an issue of national importance. In this context perhaps some people wondered, why the Philippines did not appear on this worldwide platform ?

To anticipate the answer, the Philippines left very early the Asean qualification competition. Group opponents in starting position were the Oman, Syria and Laos. In this qualification round the Philippine team could not win any play, merely the game against Laos recorded a tie. The team received in the total round 29 goals and shot two goals. The play against Syria for example was lost catastrophically with O - 12. Still a second fact must be added to this hopeless balance: While the printing media reported on the championship, not even one TV-station took up the risk, to broadcast a play in overall length. The soccer on Philippines is up to now an elitist sport of marginal interest.

On the other hand the situation of the soccer on Philippines has also some positive aspects. The Philippines are on place position 174 in the FIFA world ranking list, which lists 203 national teams. Pakistan, Mongolia, Niger or Puerto Rico for example, have a higher ranking place. And the representatives of the Philippine Football federation (PFF) - always on the search for a bright spot – are emphasizing again and again, that the Tiger Cup - comparably the European UEFA Cup – showed also some glimpses of hope. In 1998 a play against Cambodia ended in a draw and in 2000 Singapore won only with one goal more. The defeat of only 0-2 against Thailand in the same year is evaluated as a higher success compared with former crashing defeats.

Now the results of Tiger Cup 2002, which starts in December, are in the focus of attention. This time they want to give a better show of play and they wish to impress the Philippine public by victories.

The soccer play on the Philippines did not appear on the scene in the recent past like in many other Asian countries. It has a real historical root. The Philippine Football Federation organized in 1913 the first unofficial Asian championship and in such days they won 2-1 against China. There are some commentators, arguing if the Spaniards would have remained on the Philippines instead of the Americans, the football play would have taken a steep upswing presumably.

In this context Philippine fans of soccer like to refer to Paulino Alcantara, who was born 1896 in Iloilo. He played for a short period of time in the Philippine national team and started later his legendary career as player and director of Spanish soccer-club FC Barcelona.

With the Americans as new colonial power, the soccer play lost primacy to the basketball play and stultified long time in lethargy.

The basketball play is - despite the taller body constitution, necessary for this play - sport discipline number 1 on "basketball-crazy" Philippines. It is richer in actions and the results of attacks come more quickly. Many Filipinos are bored during a soccer play with its actions in the midfield, faulty- and return-passes, dribbles and only few goals. A stronger popularization of the soccer needs also a patience-training of the audience.

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) - also parts the Philippine government – are not happy about the fact that the national team is sitting in the back row of soccer class, because they know the status importance of soccer results on national and international level.

There are in particular three aspects which oppose a renaissance of the soccer play on the Philippines:

n There are too few teams standing in competition. While there are three national leagues in the basketball, there existed until a short time ago only one semi-professional soccer league, which was  concentrated in the Manila area. It numbered eight clubs. Most of them were settled at colleges and universities. This league was already an advance, because there have been years without a national league or championship. The league always suffered, however, from money lack and had difficulties, to support coming from the province. It did not play the whole year in week-rhythm. Better known clubs are Ateneo, Letran, La Salle, Lateo and Atletico Nacional de Manila.

n The income is not enough to finance necessary structure measures (for example soccer fields or football stadiums/ floodlight/ equipments/ training/ player payments). Players in the province often have no special shoes or shirts. Sometimes they play a "Five-A-Side-Football" with only five members each side, if they can only use a basketball place. The San Miguel Corporation and Coca-Cola-Company have already been sponsors in the past, but this money was not sufficient. And for further investments they wait for a better resonance in the public.

n Soccer plays are covered too badly by the mass media in order to attract more spectators and sponsors. There are occasionally columns about football in Philippine newspapers, but altogether the media resonance of soccer is too weak. There is no soccer-magazine, for example.

The causes of the soccer misery are already recognized longer time. In times of ex-president Marcos the German soccer expert Zgoll developed a strategy plan that has relevance up to now. The FIFA was helpful with the training of referees and coaches and the German government financed two training courses conducted by the former German sports reporter Obermann.

Noteworthy are also the initiatives of the Lhuillier sport's Development Foundation on Cebu. This foundation wants to address in particular children and adolescents. The talent-potential is broad, because the Philippines registers approximately 30 million children and adolescents under 15 years. The M.L.S.D.F. manages a soccer school in Carmen with comprehensive further education possibilities up to university maturity.

In an ambitious and persistent manner the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) as well as the national coach Mr. Cutillas try to improve the national situation of the soccer and they are ready to bring up the national team to international standards.

Maybe with upcoming success the blue-red shirts, blue trousers  and white stirrup socks of national team can also be seen in Europe. We look forward to this event.

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