That was not exactly a case of love coming at the most unexpected moment for Pinoy pool sharks Dennis Orcollo and Lee Van Corteza. But a fellow most surprised was American pool legend Johnny Archer after the Philippines beat tested Netherlands to take the World Cup of pool crown on Sunday.
Archer did not give the Pinoy pair much of a chance against the Dutch duo of Niels Feijin and Nick Van den Berg.
It was a tough fight, but the Philippines prevailed, 10-8, for the country’s third World Cup win in eight years.
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Orcollo and Corteza did display terrific pressure pool of the Pinoy brand.
But it could not be denied they also had to lean on a solid outpouring of support from countrymen at the height of the pulsating match at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, East London.
Orcollo and Corteza swore they could have drowned in pressure that ebbed and rose up to their eyebrows.
Orcollo next thanked the Filipino community in London which, he said, gave them tremendous support.
Corteza said they won it for all Filipinos, but especially for countrymen, mostly OFWs, who took time out to root for them in London.
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Would they have played as steadily had the championship been held, say, in the United States?
That would be hard to determine although going by hometown support, Manny Pacquiao had enjoyed very limited advantage in his Las Vegas bouts against Juan Manuel Marquez, who also always received a big boost from fellow Mexicans.
In fact, there was an instant Mexican fiesta at ringside at Las Vegas MGM Grand last year (Dec. 8) after Marquez knocked Pacquiao out.
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Call it plain coincidence, or whatever, but it goes without saying Pacquiao is sure to get solid backing from his countrymen when he fights Brandon Rios in Macau on Nov. 24.
Of course, this grand OFW outpouring promises to be doubly inspiring than the one that had goaded Corteza and Orcollo all the way to the World Cup of pool crown over the weekend.
There, for sure, will be no neutrality at ringside when Pacquiao takes the crucial crossroads test against the younger, bigger Rios.
There’s also no dispensing the fact that, other than built-in OFW power in Macau, a big horde of countrymen working in nearby Hong Kong would not tarry to cross over to cheer up and inspire their beloved idol toward a monumental comeback.
Maybe this will be the first time in his career Pacquiao would be treated to this rare blend of Pinoy OFW power.