Serious RP eleven training for Suzuki Cup

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines won’t be fielding a hastily formed national team in its next major football competition. “It’s a serious team we’re building and in terms of preparation; it’s probably the most well-prepared team we will ever have,” team manager Dan Palami, who has been funding the RP team since late last year, told the Inquirer. The nationals, who began training in January, will next see action in the Suzuki Cup Asean Football Championship Qualifiers in Laos from Oct. 20 to 27. In what could be the clearest indication yet of the renewed belief on the RP team, Filipino-British brothers Phil and James Younghusband have rejoined the squad after a two-year absence. A former reserve at Chelsea Football Club in London, Phil is one of the top scorers of the squad from 2006 to 2008. He had expressed misgivings over playing again because of issues hounding the Philippine Football Federation. The Younghusband brothers reported for training last month, and Palami said the duo is close to hitting top form. Another welcome news for the RP squad is the elevation of starting goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to the first team of English Premier League side Fulham FC. Etheridge was a substitute in Fulham’s 2-1 win Sunday over Wolverhampton. Palami said that, while he reports to the PFF on the squad’s progress and goes through it to communicate with foreign sides, he “independently” runs the squad. Palami, the chief of Philippine Railways, also announced the appointment of British coach Simon McMenemy, who replaced Des Bulpin, now working for the Under-19 squad of India.