The U15 team underachieved expectations by finishing fifth. Why?
Philippines U15 boys were in Thailand from 9-22 July for the AFF Championship, finishing fifth in Group B.
U15 boys team in action against Brunei (photo, PFF.org.ph)
It was a very surprising finish, too. The team included the likes of Sandro Reyes, the much talked about football prodigy who has trained at FC Barcelona Escola in Barcelona, and Genesis Aaron, a goal-scoring machine with international experience in Asia.
The team headed by Coach Chieffy Caligdong yielded to Malaysia 2:0 in the first game, absorbed a 4:0 loss at the hands of Cambodia in the second appearance, and was overwhelmed by Viet Nam 7:0 in the third outing. A 2:0 win came against Timor-Leste was followed by a scoreless draw with Brunei.
Why did these talented boys perform so poorly? One answer is short preparation time.
Even professional players need time to get organized and play as a team.
And perhaps the performance was not as bad as it seemed. The four points earned was the highest ever recorded in this competition by a Philippines U15 boys team.
“It was a good test for our Boys Under-15 team against the best teams in the region. The boys will count this tournament to their experience as they continue their playing careers.” said PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes.
Now that the boys have returned home, what’s next?
If nothing else, I know that it takes patience to succeed in football. My hope is that the boys and the team will learn from this experience and build toward the future.
