July 8th, 2011
The Friday Fit: Azkals’ Abdominals
The Image Source: A reader’s Twitpic.
Note to football federations across the world: do you have a national football team whose performances aren’t getting the recognition you think they deserve? Would you like to see their adventures covered with more enthusiasm by the media?
Here’s a tip: follow the flippin’ Philippine Azkals’ example, for crying out loud! Strip your best-looking boys down to their basest layer of all, massage liberal quantities of patchouli oil onto them and lead them around a series of random rooms on a long chain, making sure someone is taking photographs of them when the light hits them perfectly.
Don’t bother rushing off to advertise the post of your next chief man-handler because we’re already one step ahead of you. Early this morning, we packed up one of our representatives for delivery from our doors to yours. If he doesn’t arrive within six hours, shipping and handling is free.
Actually, having given another look at the dude in the middle, make that four and half.
wow. neil etheridge and anton del rosario are so sexy. i hope to see them very soon.
I like the guy with the cap… Is he also a football player or just some random dude?
I thought the exact same thing when I saw this picture! I don't think he's with the team.
Finally! I am glad you featured them. I sent a link to the luscious billboard (for underwear) photo of Aly Borromeo, the captain. Hope you can feature him as well. Thanks for this!
they look like the wolves of New Moon! XD
HOT! and YUMMY! the one in the middle is Neil Etheridge… the one in the right is Anton del Rosario…. abs…. told you… FOREIGNERS+FILIPINO/FILIPINA= GOOD-LOOKING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHo is the guy with the lighter hair??!
The one with his hands behind his back>?
Tell me please!
I think that's Yannick Tuason
Thanks!
It is a truism that a NT has not truly "arrived" unless they've landed on Kickette shores.
Stop calling them "Philippine Azkals"! They are the Philippine national team, "a.k.a." AZKALS.
a.k.a.
Also Known As.
Alias.
How hard could that be?
Lighten up, dear. It's no big deal.
Chill girl.. it's no biggie
Im half Filipino half-alcohol lol! But hey im a Proud Filipino!!!
O, that's not really fair, Guest, whoever you are. It's true the Philippine NT are in the lower part of the FIFA rankings, but they have improved tremendously. We don't get the same kind of training and backing as the other renowned footablling countries. It's a credit to the individual athlete and whatever training we can manage, because we've managed to perform well, relative to how we used to do only a few years ago. And, yes, dual citizenship is back. While we do have our imports, that's true, but so do other national teams. Deco is really Brazilian and he played for Portugal, Marcos Senna is too, and he played for Spain. Even Zidane is really Armenian, but played for France. I don't see what's wrong with it. They have citizenship. Having these boys is great for football in our country, where a few years back, there was nothing aspirational for young footballers. Now, young footballers want to be Azcals!
Exactly. Just look at the German team! Podolski and Klose are 100% Polish, Cacau is 100% Brazilian, Khedira is half-Tunisian. At least the Azkals have Filipino genes in them and aren't just "naturalized" into being Filipino. Besides, are any Germans complaining?
Zidane is Algerian btw.
That top picture was the first I saw entering this site. Are you trying to kill me Kickette?
first of all, you do realize that all footballers, heck, all athletes have nice bodies so these guys are nothing unusual, physique wise. Secondly, it is sad that the Philippines have to import half, if not more, of its football team from overseas. Did the country change its consitution about not allowing dual citizenship? If not, then I honestly do not know how these half-filipinos could play for the national team if they do not hold Philippine passport. As for these overseas-born players, clearly they play for the Philippines because they can not get into the national teams of their country of birth/footballing training. Soon what will be missing is just a couple of Brazilians.
We know our constitution- the Philippines do allow dual citizenship not just for the azkals or the football players – they hold two passports one of which is a Philippine one. FIFA allows players to this – in the Philippines case as long as one of their parents is a Filipino still holding a Filipino passport when they were born. then they are eligible to play for the phil national football team. The PFF or Phil football federation holds tryouts and they must be able to pass. The goal keeper Neil Etheridge who is half brit -half Fil and the newest recruit Stephan Schrock half german-hafl Fil both played for the national youth team (under 21) of both England and Germany but decided to play for the Phil National Team later on. We in the Phil most especially are proud of them and the other azkals as they are proud of their Filipino roots – a half brazilian half Filipino azkals who can play great football – yeah why not, The Philippines is now in the process of invogorating football there is a under 16 and under 21 team composed of mostly Phil born and bred players still a long way to go to reach the level of the azkals. In the meantime I am glad to let the azkals represent the Phil – great looking players and great footballs prayers. Go azkals Go.
First, this blog has always featured things like this. In fact, if you look at the title, it's part of a thing they do almost every week. So what is the problem?
Second, yes, the Philippine National Team is composed of many "half" Filipinos. You know what the operative thing there is though? They are in fact, Filipinos. As for citizenship, you are confusing dual citizenship with dual allegiance. These guys, by right, are Filipinos by virtue of our constitution. That is because both or one of their parents were Filipino citizens at the time of their birth. Since we consider citizenship based on jus sanguinis, then their claim to citizenship is as good as mine. Concurrently, if the laws of the land of their father (or mother) would also consider them a citizen of that country, then they can hold dual citizenship since it is NOT by a positive act of their own that they can be considered citizens of two countries. Furthermore, as pointed out above by Yam7, FIFA rules allow the players to play for the nation of their parents birth.
As for these overseas-born players, clearly they play for the Philippines because they can not get into the national teams of their country of birth/football training. So what? We are a country that does not have a footballing tradition like England, Spain or Germany. The reason why so many of our players are those who have been brought up abroad is because they were the ones who have been playing football since they were kids. This is also why money, time and effort has to be put into grass roots training in the country. That way, in ten or fifteen years, our home grown and trained kids can be as skilled as those who had been training in football all their lives elsewhere. In the meantime, I am happy for anyone with a legal claim to Filipino citizenship to be playing for our country. If they be half Filipino, half Brazilian is of no import to me.
It's not like the Philippines is the only country that has half-"insert nationality here" players on their squad. Let's take for example the current German squad:
Lukas Podolski- BOTH parents are Polish, born in Poland
Miroslav Klose- BOTH parents are Polish, born in Poland
Sami Khedira- Half Tunisian, half German
Cacau- BOTH parents are Brazilian, born in Brazil (see, they have their Brazilian, too!)
Jerome Boateng- half Ghanian, half German
Serdar Tasci- BOTH parents are Turkish
So the fact that there are half-Filipinos on the team is no less unusual in the footballing world than them having 6-packs. It's true that the half-Filipinos make up more than half the squad, but that's to be expected, given that the Philippines has an almost non-existent football development program. At least we could claim that our players are at least HALF Filipino in BLOOD, which is more than Klose, Podolski and Cacau could claim about being German.
The thing is, no one in Germany is really making a big deal out of it.
Kat, has a point. We should also add Mesut Ozil (who is born to Turkish parents) to the list. And although now retired and played for the French NT, let's not forget that the great Zizou was born to Algerian immigrants.
lighten up, guest, and just enjoy.
Technicalities but the places where Podolski and Klose were born used to be a part of Germany or something like that. And they moved to Germany when they were still very young. These half Filipino players can't even sing the Philippine national anthem.
Not so. Podolski and Klose were definitely born within Polish territory. Maybe the cities were OCCUPIED BY THE GERMANS during WWII, but they were handed back to Poland after the war, WAY before both Klose and Podolski were born. And the same could be said about countless other cities across Europe.
And that's a FIFA requirement before you get to play for your country? That you know how to sing the national anthem? Is that measure of how much of a Filipino you are? Not how much honor and pride you bring to your country and countrymen? So, I guess a corrupt politician who knows how to sing the national anthem but steals millions of tax money is a better Filipino than these players?
The privilege of dual citizenship was revoked for several years and then re-instituted around 2003 I think. It's not true that the PHI national team is made up only of guys who aren't good enough to get into European national teams (but seriously, it's not like many people are, most pro players in footballing countries never get the chance to go national). That guy there in the middle, for example. His name is Neil Etheridge and he represented the UK at national level in his teens.
Ooops. I mean England at national, U16.
Must you take your crab mentality to this site? Obviously you're not a footie fan because if you were, you would know that 1) Kickette is an international site for ladies who appreciate footballers' more, umm, physical qualities and 2) if FIFA gives the go signal for these players to represent the Philippines, then what's your problem?
Delish, delish, DEE-LISH!
omg kickettes! we should definitely follow them… i have a filipino colleague and she never stops talking about them!
curiously, i checked em out and man, they may rank somewhere below 100 in the fifa ranking but those dudes are hawt! i mean seriously, several of them are half brit, half something, and half filipino and mixture works!… the Younghusband bros are especially popular i heard. i like JAmes younghusband better though. anyway,
going to the Philippines next winter break is already on my list!
phil and james younghusband are def items here in the philippines! DROOOOOOL*
Most of them look european ?
They do! I'm like: What in the name of Manny Pacquiao? Maybe I'm just ignorant.
Many of the players have a parent who is not Filipino. Off the top of my head, we have half Germans, Brits, Spanish and Dutch players in the team. They are also half Filipino which is how and why they play for the Philippine National Team.
We have always been a basketball loving country which is why there are very few children of my generation who have grown up playing football. As such, there is a very small pool of home grown Filipinos who would be able to play as well as guys who grew up abroad who have been playing forever. This is hopefully going to change in the future as football becomes more and more popular in the Philippines.
IS THAT ONE OF THE YOUNGHUSBANDS?
PS: Fitting name, their parents gave them.
nope but YH aren't there.. i think that's L-R yannick tuason, neil etheridge, and anton del rosario
Far Left is actually Nate Burkey
nope xavienne is right that's Yannick Tuason of the Azkals U-23…Nate is taller, he's around 6'2''
I think she means the one with the shirt on.. Isn't Yannick the one with the hands behind his back? Not the one on the farthest left.
so excited to see our boys featured here! football in the Philippines is finally getting some attention thanks to these new breed of players (half pinoys) who are, as you can see, just delectable but also play fantastic football. so, me, along with thousands of Filipino football fans, really hope that this momentum keeps on going and that football gets big in our country. and btw, there's more of that hotness on the team (from left to right:Yannick tuason, Neil Etheridge, Anton del Rosario )
I believe the one on the Left if Nate Burkey
nope Army, they're right that's Yannick Tuason
Alright! I mix up the new players. Thanks!
Uhm, no.
You're not a fan. You're a girl.
Can't girls be football fans? Sexist.
Damn
I'm Filipino and I'm proud to see them on this site! They truly are a bunch of not only good looking guys but good hearted guys. I wish them nothing but success.
the Younghusband's bros are hot. never knew my own ppl can play football. basketball has been more popular in P.I.
Guy in the middle is Neil Etheridge he plays 2nd or 3rd string goalie for Fullham. Right is captain Anton del Rosario! Pinoy Pride!
Hi Nina, it may seem that way but they're a young team and in a way they are still finding themselves. Give 'em a chance to grow up a little. 
Anton is not captain, Aly Borromeo is.
really? thanks.
They are probably the hottest and best looking national football team in the Far East! Love 'em! Go Azkals!
LoL!! So so so hot!!
That photo was drool inducing. I'm seriously at loss for words here… it's like absolutely perfect abs. I'm talking about lick-whipcream-off-of kind of abs.
WOHOOO PHILIPPINES!!
Wow lovely six pack!!!
well i'll be damned…just when i thought this day couldn't get any hotter
Oh, and Kickettes, the guy in the middle, Neil Etheridge, is a reserve GK for Fulham!
I'm Filipino, but the sad thing about them is that most of them play football for the fame, not the game.
AMEN,SISTER !
What’s your basis for saying that? They joined up before the team had any fame. In fact, they became famous because they started winning.
I think this is an unfair statement to make. At least 7 (Ethridge, del Rosario, Borromeo, Gier, J Younghusband, Caligdong, P Younghusband) of our starting 11 during the last WC qualifiers have been playing for the team prior to last year's boom in the team's popularity. So to say "most" play for fame is crazy talk. Those who came after were recruited to play football and not to be models or actors and as far as I know, that's what they do, play the game. I understand that they seem to be all over the place now and are getting more and more popular but to me, it's just fair exchange for the years the team spent in obscurity and with very little support from the Federation and the country in general.
This is an ill-informed, lazy statement, I'm afraid. A quick Google search will reveal that the team has been around for years, and as sleepy below has already pointed out, that majority of the players have been playing with the team way before all this crazy press coverage. These players have been working hard, training, toiling away at games (and winning, I might add) with nearly ZERO press coverage for YEARS. They had nothing in it for them, no endorsements, no money, except the honor of playing for their country and playing time that they admittedly don't get for the clubs that they professionally play for.
You are severely undervaluing the amount of effort, traveling, sweat and training that goes into preparing for a match, if you think that they're doing this all for personal glory.
I think it's incredible that in the Philippines, that the players' intentions are questioned when they play for the NT. Elsewhere, it's the other way around, and fans actually are outraged when a certain player isn't called up.
Oh, and maybe this article can enlighten you as well: http://bit.ly/oyO7
Thank you so much for that KAT!
hmm. such a strong statement considering you sent in this tip?
i guess this is your way of appreciating their effort, sweat, training blah?
okay…
Pffffft. Oh come on. What's wrong with having a little fun and ogling at footballers? Isn't this the entire raison d'être of Kickette? And, just because I appreciate how hard they work, their commitment to playing for their country, I can't appreciate the other admittedly shallow aspects of having a good-looking football team? By extension, I can't crush on Iker Casillas/Xabi Alonso/Cesc Fabregas AND appreciate the beautiful way the Spanish play football? So the two are mutually exclusive? If your answer is yes, then I think you're visiting the wrong website. At least I don't support them purely on the merits of their looks and abs, as some newly minted Azkals fans do.
spot on kat!
what an insult. esp for those who have been with the NT for YEARS – despite not having enough support of the govt, football federation, sponsors and the filipino public in general.
whatever attention they are getting right now, THEY DESERVED IT – they worked tirelessly, and started winning!
They just got noticed now after their win against Vietnam late last year and because almost all of the players are indeed good looking. Although they are a bunch of good looking players, they play with all their heart. A lot of the players are with the team even before they got famous. I've talked with some of them already they are very nice and humble people. They need more exposure to get sponsorship to get more funds for the team. Without funds and fans the team won't survive. Kudos to the Azkals.
All good players play the game because they love it. An athlete does not sacrifice and train hours every day, endure aches and pains, risk injury, simply because this will make him famous. Certainly, fame, glory and wealth are a part of the dream, but you don't get very good at what you do and you don't achieve the level of a pro if your only motivation is that it's going to make you popular.
Wooootwooooo! I take full credit for this! I sent in this tip! Thank you for featuring them, Kickettes! Much love!
super super thanks to you! haha fellow kickette fan!
Haha! I sent them an email also way way back! About time!!! Good job girl!
Kickettes! Wait till you see the rest of the team! James, Phil, Rob, Stephan, Nate, Aly! Whew list goes on….
….. Angel, Misagh, Chris, Simon, Schrocky and soon Patrick and Dennis. That's a lot of good-looking guys.
Hello, lover!
I want them all !!
Wowww who knew?! I need to book a flight home (the Philippines) ASAP!
oh dear, we should! i heard winter ( jan-march) here is summer in the Phils.. and they have the most amazing beaches…
oh right, i wasn't reading.. you're from there!
Yum.. btw, something on the U 17 matches, please
Toned, tanned, fit and ready for us kickettes!
Oh dear!
Check out the Philippine Volcanoes' (the rugby team) underwear adverts too.
here: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5306/5883908168_51…
Yeah, they were so distracting, the city mayor had to order them to be taken down.
lawd-a-mercy…
Dunno what's going on here, but I like it!
i concur.
Heh! We featured Azkal captain Aly Borromeo on Tuesday and people went nuts. How I missed the Azkals prior to that, I have no clue, but I'm keeping a closer eye on them now.
http://headbandsandheartbreak.wordpress.com/2011/…
O.M.G!
um, YAY!
whoaa helllooo boy stalking!:) those are some niice abs! LOL
WTF??????