Azkals-UFL Alyansa successfully raise donations despite loss to CF Madrid

“It all started when Chris Greatwich sent a bunch of us a message wondering what us football people can do to help,” shared Santi Araneta, chairman of the United Football League. And then the donations and supporters poured in, starting with third division Spanish team CF Internacional De Madrid. The Azkals-UFL Alyansa faced off with CF Madrid in “Dili Kamo Nag-iisa” on Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, eventually losing 3-1. Despite the final score, the Philippines still came out a winner as proceeds from the charity event will all go to the victims of tropical storm Sendong in Northern Mindanao.

“At the end of the day it's not about winning or losing. It’s about the main cause,” tweeted Azkal skipper Aly Borromeo after the match. Before the game proper, the 8,000 fans present were treated to football parlor games with the Azkals. In “Outkick an Azkal Throw,” the participants tried to kick the ball farther than Anton Del Rosario’s famous throw in. They also had the “Monkey Monkey” where pairs tried to steal the ball from brothers Phil and James Younghusband. A short ceremony was held for the victims of Typhoon Sendong. Azkals Paolo Pascual and Angel Guirado read prayers in Bisaya and Spanish respectively. PFF President Nonong Araneta, Mayor Fred Lim, Sec. Dinkee Soliman, Sen. Dick Gordon and the Spanish Embassy’s Maria Molina did a ceremonial kick too. The sizable crowd at the grandstand burst in cheers as Molina’s shoe came off with the ball. The Spanish deputy head of mission was a good sport and also laughed at the incident. Still on holiday mode? While the atmosphere was light and the match was only a charity match, a lot of fans were disappointed with the lopsided 3-1 loss. Besides, this friendly was also booked as part of their preparation for the AFC Challenge Cup in March. “Buti na lang charity game ‘to. Di sayang bayad,” sighed one of the spectators when the Azkals-UFL Alyansa was already down 3-0. With only two days of practice because of the holidays, the Philippine side looked disorganized. The Spaniards moved quicker and would often choke the home team on defense. CF Madrid had the height advantage, with almost all of their players going past the 6-foot mark. Their starting goalkeeper Ruben Fernandez stands roughly about 6’10” and stood out like a sore thumb on the pitch. He didn’t have to jump to save goal attempts; he simply had to raise his hands and catch. The big Spanish crowd took over the stadium as Rufino Sanchez scored CF Madrid’s first goal via a penalty kick on the 15th minute. Even with four defenders, Daniel Fernandez scored a second goal on the 32nd mark. Nacho Feijoo sealed the deal for CF Madrid when he nailed their final goal on the 46th, 3-0. The Philippine-half of the audience finally got to cheer when James Younghusband hit a header from Chieffy Caligdong on the 63rd minute. They would no longer allow a Spanish goal in the second half where Tats Mercado subbed in for Ed Sacapano. Mercado is Air Force Phoenix’s goalkeeper who received the Golden Glove Award in the UFL Cup. Auction: Ronaldo-signed jersey and date with Neil Etheridge Like what Borromeo said, it’s not so much about the final score in charity games but the amount you help you get to extend. CF Madrid not only played without pay, they even donated 10,000 Euros to the Philippine Red Cross. To gather more money, they will also auctioned off three Real Madrid jerseys – one signed by the whole team, one signed by Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, and one signed by football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Azkals also joined in, giving away spikes and jerseys in an auction held on Facebook and Twitter. The first item released for bidding was Ian Araneta’s Suzuki jersey which was sold for over 30,000 pesos. But perhaps the most anticipated is the auction for a date with first choice goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. As soon as Etheridge announced his contribution to the auction (which also included a signed kit and gloves), hundreds of tweets from prospective bidders flooded Twitter. “Girls, prepare to empty your bank accounts,” tweeted one fan. If it’s for a noble cause, I guess why not? -- OMG, GMA News