Azkals see bright future for 7s in country

The Azkals pose for the traditional group photo before the game. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA—The Philippine Azkals were busy doing whatever they can to shake off the disappointment of losing a heartbreaker to Japan in the final of the Asia 7s Championship when Misagh Bahadoran took it upon himself to address the team.

“Don’t cry now, cry after the game,” Bahadoran said inside the Azkals tent after the 2-1 loss to the repeat winners of the international 7-a-side football competition held on Sunday at EV Arena Elmina here.

The Azkals’ hope of taking the championship ended in the 11th minute of the comeback period when Miran Kabe struck the winner for the Japanese and left guys like Bahadoran, Stephan Schrock and goalkeeper Kenry Balobo in sheer despair.

For Bahadoran, that defeat is something for the rest of the Azkals, particularly those new to representing the country, to deal with accordingly.

“If you don’t give your 100 percent, if you don’t focus as a football player and if you don’t do a good training for yourself, that’s the time you cry,” Bahadoran also told the team.

Even after settling for a runner-up medal, the Azkals have reason to feel optimistic of the future in the 7s tournament which also marked the official comeback of the moniker that was once the signature identity of the men’s national team.

“For me, if this 7s continues to grow in the Philippines, we will have more homegrown football players to tap,” said Bahadoran. “The 7s has a chance to grow [in the Philippines] and we are not far from the best in Asia, which is Japan.”

One player who could be a future 7s fixture is Balobo, who is currently playing for Maharlika Taguig in the Philippines Football League as goalkeeper.

Balobo had a solid campaign, but his efforts garnered more attention in the final when he made up for conceding Kabe’s opener two minutes into the contest by making save after save which kept the Azkals just a goal down.

That created an opportunity for Schrock to score the equalizer for the Azkals with a minute left before the end of the second half with a left-footed strike.

“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to play in this tournament because it’s going to help me in terms of my conditioning and being mentally and physically prepared,” said Balobo, who was tapped by Azkals coach Hamed Hajimehdi, also an ex-teammate at Mendiola FC 1991. INQ