KENNETH PORIO | the blog

A hundred years on, his face still binds in the consciousness of Barcelona, and now lives in the new generation of Pinoy football players and fanatics. Twenty-six years ago, the Filipino people united together in EDSA to peacefully put an end to a regime that has put the Philippines in chains for three decades. But there was an event that was long ignored by Filipinos in the sporting world. A hundred years ago, a Filipino made an impact to the nation as the youngest player to debut in one of the world's most prestigious football clubs. His name: Paulino Alcántara . On February 25, 1912, at the age of 15 years, 4 months and 18 days, the Filipino-Spanish mestizo , capped his first game for F.C. Barcelona, one of the world's most famous, most wealthy, most influential and most revered football clubs, that currently boasts the likes of Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cesc Fàbregas of Spain. At a tender age, the Ilonggo-native not only capped for the team, but also score...

Wonder why everytime these men flock together, fans flock together as well? Blame social media. (credits to jonny ) On that night on December 5, 2010 , when the few Filipino football fans who have watched the Philippine national football team win against the national team of Vietnam, the then-defending Suzuki Cup champions, they logged-in to Facebook and Twitter and passed the good news of victory around the Internet. Minutes later, the national team’s well-known and well-loved monicker, the “ Azkals ,” became a trending topic on social media, and Google searches of almost every player of the national team surged. People started to get interested with the men who became a new source of Pinoy pride. A year on, the Azkals and the sport of football became one of the most talked-about topics in the Philippines today. It’s all because of the Internet . Since the 2010 Suzuki Cup, anything related to the Azkals and Philippine football trends in social media regularly. Why do I cr...

Many Filipinos wondered why the Philippine national football team, fondly called the Azkals , had to have these good-looking, highly skillful men. Many question why these mixed-breed players should be there. Why the need? Improve the style of play? Definitely. Make the Philippine team win games? Surely. Raise consciousness of football in the country? Yes! But... make shrieking, swooning female fans? I'm not sure of that one, but it's strange but true . In this world called football ( soccer to some), there are the poster boys that would grace the conscious and the unconscious minds of football fans, whether they play the sport or not, support the national team or not or root for one club or not at all. These men have all the skills plus the looks that attract them. And the Filipino diaspora is lucky enough to produce offspring with traits that only heaven could buy to get it off. Traits that are inherent of the mixture of different genetic makeups of different races. Trai...