I don’t think I’ve seen a full 11-a-side match since they strapped me in this desk.

When I got this job, my first question was, “Would I still be allowed to cover a football game?”

The answer was a big yes.

But, as I’ve learned in my two years of taking charge of the sports section, you can’t be in charge of the football beat, and be the editor.

Which probably explains why I only saw my previous bosses on the field when they’re playing.

The football beat, these days, is no longer considered a major one.

There are no breaking news, no major scoops, no updates.

When I started at the Freeman back in 1997, the treatment was the same.

But I was a football nut.

I went to the venue at 8 a.m. for the first game, and left at 5 p.m., sometimes, even later.

No stats? No problem!

I made my own.

Corner kicks, fouls, shots on target, shots off target, saves, yellow cards, red cards. I tallied ‘em all.

I had my little corner up the Cebu City Sports Center and I’d just get off my perch to check with the table officials the names of the players.

Heck, I remember even tallying which team had the sexiest fans (I was 18 and you can count a team’s cheerers, especially the hot ones.)

When I transferred to Sun.Star Cebu in 2000 and when I returned in 2004, I treated football the same way.

So the other papers tried chasing me and the high-point in the sport and its coverage was achieved.

In one hotly-contested national tournament, a game was delayed numerous times because of the absence of ball boys. So I spent the first half, chasing balls.

I spoiled football so much that officials started expecting the sport should be treated like a god, every time, and that the beat reporters should be as nutty as I am.

But nuts are rare.

They’re finding that out now.

And my days of covering the sport are gone.

Heck, it seems, the days of the sport getting covered are also gone.

Nobody’s nutty about football these days and the deteriorating relationship between reporters and organizers doesn’t help.

Running has taken its place.

That’s why I’m glad the Thirsty Cup is just around the corner.

It may not be the full version, but with more than 200 teams, you’ll get your football OD.

This will be my first time to watch the Thirsty Cup since 2006 and it will be at the CCSC.

Aahhh. Home sweet home.

NEW COLUMNIST. Speaking of running, our family of sports columnists will have a new member next week.

Running has grown exponentially that it’s time the sport gets a columnist whose main focus will be this sport.

Who is it?

Well, check it out next week.

Just a warning though, you might think that you’re seeing double but you’re not.

Well, just wait and see.

MARIA, JELENA, ANA. That’s the order of how my three bets for the Australian Open went out.

Maria Sharapova screamed her way to a first-round exit, Jelena Dokic missed her chances in round one, while Ana Ivanovic doubled-faulted her pretty ass off the court.

Sigh.

(mikelimpag@gmail.com)

Then again, I’ve never been to a Queen City United Christmas party.

Last Tuesday, I attended Queen City United’s annual bash—and saw the (annual?) bashing Team B got from Team A.

Team B lost, 4-1, last Tuesday. Last year, they lost by a bigger margin.

But after the match, they walked around as if they’ve just won the World Cup.

I guess it helps a lot if you lose to fellow club members.

Team B’s Raffy Musni was the emcee during the post-game affairs and he took it is a chance to throw barbs at the others.

Even their players in the Men’s League weren’t spared—ripping them off for their no-show during practices.

Had a Fifa representative been invited to the game, he would have cried at how the rules of the game was bent.

But he’d leave the venue with a bum stomach—from all the food, beer and laughter.

Sure a red card was shown, but it was by a Team A player against his Team B counterpart.

There was pushing, and shoving, and Henryesque moves.

But all had so much fun.

They also had a unique post-match activity.

Prizes were hung from the goal posts—from socks, to rice cookers, to electric fans and gas stoves.

You hit one, you bring it home.

Surprisingly, I brought an Italian jersey home—thank God it wasn’t France’s.

Some got close to bringing home Ricky Dakay’s water tank, but after a few rounds of kicks—almost everybody got to bring home a prize.

That “shoot-a-prize” activity was such a hit I suggested to Sir Ricky to adopt it in their football tournament next summer, to egg on the fans during the half-time break of the main game of the day.

I’m sure, like last Tuesday, fans will be lining up for a chance to bring home a prize.

The party wasn’t only about fun and games, though.

It was the chance for the club to thank each member for their success this year. It was also a chance to hobnob with guests as even Yamato and Hayato Ayabe and Mitsu Tsunakiri of Crazy Horse joined in the fun.

Francis Ramirez, who saw four goals get past him in the game, was there too, along with Coach Mario Ceniza, who wisely said he’s already accepted that he’s better off off-field, than on it.

Aside from hosting the 10th edition of the Inter Club next year, Queen City will also be prepping up for a bigger project—establishing a football field for Canduman FC.

The club has identified a field in Consolacion for the project and Ricky Dakay is willing to spend for the field’s construction, just to give Canduman a field they can call
their own.

QCU is only hoping that Canduman FC will be allowed to use the field for five years not to recoup any investment but to, at least, make it all worthwhile.

Canduman is one of the best clubs in Cebu, and has a grassroots development program that rivals that of any other club.

Yet since it started some five years ago, the club still practices in a shit-filled field, that doubles as a basketball court.

Queen City United hopes to change that.

However, since I’m not in the business of endorsing places, I’d leave it unnamed.

But it’s suffice to say that it’s such a nice place that I’m willing to exchange my old hangout for it.

It’s got all the things sports buffs need in a bar—large, flat TVs, free-flowing beer, and a designated smoking area.

The pool tables are top class too and have ample space. If you can sit on the next table while you’re taking a shot near the rail—which is the norm in most pool places—it means the tables are too close.

That’s not the case in that place.

I’ve played pool in a lot of places, some have tables with rails that sag, or cloth that are ripped or worse, surfaces that list.

I remember seeing one amazing shot in a table that lists. A friend of mine compensated for the table’s abnormal surface, hit the cue ball soft, and while the object ball traveled the length of the table, it swerved left and dropped to the corner pocket.

The bar too, has a lot of ample space.

I talked with the bar’s manager and asked him if they’re going to show the world cup, he said “Yes, of course!”

I told him not to do what some places used to do in the 2006 World Cup.

Then, they let the fans in for free for the group stage, and started charging entrance fees in the knockout stage.

Sure, the bar owners and managers have the right to do that.

But I remember the sudden change shocked a lot of fans, they resorted to “a text brigade.”

“_____ is charging fees, where can we watch the World Cup?” One fan said, “I’m never going back to _____.”

In the end, we ended up watching the games in a dainty little place in Lahug with a small TV.

It’s not that most fans want to get in for free—they can afford to pay their way in and a can gorge on a month’s ration of beer in a night.

So I told the bar manager, that for next year’s World Cup viewing, “to let it out in the open.”

They can charge fans, or let them in for free, just as long as they won’t pull any nasty surprise.

The World Cup is a chance for bars like the one I’m willing to exchange my ol’ hangout for, to attract new customers.

That is if, they don’t turn them off.

SEA GAMES. Speaking of football, Vietnam lost the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games to Malaysia to an own goal, while Singapore won the bronze against Laos, 3-1.

I covered Vietnam’s 8-2 win against Laos in the 2005 Sea Games, and that one had three own goals. A few weeks later, half of the members of that Vietnamese team, including the coaching staff, got investigated for match-fixing concerns.

Despite losing the bronze, Laos has improved a lot.

You know why?

They started preparing for this year’s Seag in 2006. The same team was sent to the 2007 edition and also spent the whole of 2008 training in Vietnam.

As for the Philippines, we don’t send any team if we’re not hosting the games, and if we do, we spend two months for training.

Two months!

FREEBIES. If you guys want to have free boxing or MMA lessons at the CJRS gym at the Loft, here’s your chance.

You can also win VIP tickets for next year’s URCC event.

Just answer this question:

Who did Sabah Fadai beat in URCC 15? Send your answers to 0915-5005145.

(That’s the sports forum phone, so you can also send your comments for the day’s headlines—Tiger Woods anyone?)

I’ll publish the winners next week.

Go grab that phone!

Just as when I thought we can’t possibly sink any lower, we just did!

We’ve probably set a new benchmark.

We’ve got two delegations, two sets of uniforms, two sets of secretariats and two sets of media bureaus in the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

There’s one for the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and one for the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Makes you wonder if they’d have Team Philippines POC and Team Philippines PSC in the medal tally or they’d have two “national anthems.”

Nuts! One national daily said one media bureau doesn’t have the access to the other delegation, and if they want to conduct interviews, they will have to do it through the
fence.

Now, why in the name of all things weird do we have two delegations?

Because of Ondoy.

Because the PSC wanted to save money.

Eh?

After Ondoy struck, the PSC thought it was unwise to spend millions for the Seag campaign when the country was still reeling from Ondoy’s devastation.

So, instead of sending the gold, silver and bronze medalists in the previous Seag, the PSC cut the criteria to just the gold and silver medal winners.

From the original 251, the list was reduced to 153.

The problem was, the POC submitted the original list, the one with 251 athletes.

Still, the PSC was adamant. It will only fund the 153.

Each side wouldn’t budge, so each side ended up with their own delegations, with different uniform designs, according to one daily.

The country’s permanent representative to the IOC has even taken to calling our contingent, “Teams Philippines.”

I wonder how much our sports agencies saved by sending two delegations.

And, that’s not all!

Our cycling team—12 of the 13 members—got barred from joining the games.

They learned that on opening day itself.

Why? What else? Because of politics.

Nuts! Like most other national sports associations, there are two cycling groups—one is allied with the POC, the other isn’t.

The non-POC ally, is aligned with the UCI. Naturally, the international body wanted to protect its members and since it has the final say on who can join the Seag, they

barred the RP team, despite request from the 11 other members of Seag.

Nuts!

The non-POC ally could have given the RP team members the “go-signal” to compete for flag and country. But that would have been the honorable thing to do.

And honorable things, it seems, are as rare as nice words coming out from Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s mouth.

Marites Bitbit could have competed since she had the blessings of both non-POC and POC allied groups.

The POC chair asked her to withdraw, to show her solidarity daw with the rest of the team.

Why nobody from the POC realized that the team couldn’t compete without the UCI ally’s blessing is puzzling.

Now because of politics, which was brought in the open for the rest of the Seag community to gawk at, months of hard work for the RP cycling team went to naught.

Nuts!

Go Teams Philippines!

“Pupunta ka ng Manila para lang tumakbo?” was a comment Donna Cruz-Larrazabal blurted out once too often.

When Yong went to New York (Yep, that New York) just to run, Donna’s words of encouragement were, “You are an ophthalmologist, you have a family.”

“Gipakonsensya ko,” Yong recalled when I first interviewed him in 2007.

Now it seems the situation has been reversed.

Yong is the one telling Donna to take it easy.

I met Donna for the first time last Tuesday, when she, Yong and their trainer Harthy Satina, talked with sportswriters about the Macau marathon.

In the middle of the conversation, just after Donna was saying she’d do the marathon once a year, she learned the Cebu City marathon on Jan. 10, 2010 would be a lot flatter and friendlier than Macau.

So Donna, who injured her leg in training and aggravated it in Macau, said she’s going to run it.

Not the 5K, not the 21K.

The full 42K.

Yong quickly said, “You have to let that heal first.”

Donna, it seems, wouldn’t hear it, “Parang kaya ko.”

In a way, running in the Cebu City marathon, would still put Donna on track of her targeted “once a year” marathon sortie.

The Macau run was last Dec. 8, 2009, the next one is on Jan. 10, 2010.

Donna, you see, isn’t like most of the celebrities I see in sports events.

I remember one incident involving one actress, who was more than amply gifted in the right angles. After saying she’ll bike from Capitol to Danao, she sneaked into a van when no one was looking.

There was one actor who smashed a golf car, while a bunch of survivors in a beach volleyball event brought so many alalays it seemed they filled the gallery.

You see, the One Who Runs All Things was playing favorites when He handed out The Gifts.

Donna got ‘em all plus some.

She’s even got the grit and determination some professional athletes lack.

Consider what happened in the Macau marathon.

It was her first full 42-kilometer race, and she did it in under five hours.

Not only that, she ran and walked through the last 20 kilometers with pain hobbling her left leg.

“Umiiyak na talaga ako,” she recalled, “Hindi ko na kaya!”

Her husband was at fault.

The day before, when they surveyed the route, they chose to “forget” to tell Donna that the marathon will pass through a monstrous bridge that will make the Marcelo
Fernan a flat crossing.

I guess, they let Donna tackle the bridge, when she got there.

“Mabuthan gyud ko ani usa ka buwan kung dili siya kahuman,” Yong said.

“She’s very competitive,” he added.

The eye doctor, who has run eight of his targeted 33 marathons, might as well be talking about himself since he owns a competitive streak that rivals the pros’.

The runners passed the bridge four times, and Donna was reduced to walking.

“Naubos ang stamina ko sa bridge,” she said.

But showing the grit and spirit that belies her angelic face, she finished the run, tears and all.

“Ayaw ko talagang mapahiya,” she said.

Donna’s ran her first marathon in 4:49.53, which, as she gladly pointed out, is better than the 4:53 Yong registered in his first.

“Yun talaga ang target ko, to beat his time in his first marathon,” said Donna.

She also said Yong’s time improved dramatically when she started training with him and pointed out that her first 10K was 57.34, which again shattered Yong’s first 10K by more than five minutes.

I was going to ask their times in the 21K, but, well, I guess I’ll let the doctor keep his pride…

Or, what would you do if you placed ninth in the category for the other sex?

Would you check down there to see if somehow, in the course of a 5K run, you lost your cojones?

And best of all, what would you do if during the awarding ceremony, organizers ask you “OK, kinsa man na-una ninyo? Honest lang?”

Would you tell them—maypa di na lang mo mag-organize ug run?

Or would you say you did it in record time and take first place?

I guess, despite becoming a bandit runner for the second straight event, I can call myself lucky as I didn’t have to find out the answer to those questions.

I just hope that those who had to won’t be discouraged from joining future events.

The gaffe of the female-winner-who-turned-out-to-be-a-guy can be readily explained to a mix-up of sorts—maybe the guy checked the box for women in his form—but the missing third placer is one that really piqued my curiosity.

Since local organizers here can’t afford to go high-tech, they rely on “paper chips,” and hand these to the finishers in chronological order.

Aside from that, there are at least two others who check the runners’ numbers as they cross the finish line.

The runners too, especially the elite ones, can be counted on to know their standing in the race.

So how the mix-up occurred is beyond me.

One more thing, when I saw the results of another race last Sunday as I got to the office, that same runner who thought she was third but wasn’t, was also listed as the third placer.

Curious, eh?

And one more thing.

The winners of another category—all top 10—disappeared before they could be awarded. The emcee looked like a poor soul who was abandoned by her friends.

But everyone stayed for the raffles—which were a lot.

Had there been a raffle for a trip for two, plus hotel accommodation for South Africa next year, I would have gladly entered a thousand entries!

Now if every other run will hold a raffle…

As for me, I can proudly say I could have been in the top 10 of the media division.

They only awarded the top eight and since there were only two bandit runners—those who are not registered—I could have finished an hour later and still be in the top 10.

I was gloating when I crossed the finish line at just a shade over 30 minutes.

Not too bad for a 30-year-old. That’s one minute for every year in service, I say.

But then I learned that a seven-year-old finished the 3K in less than 15!

What? She could have run until the 5K and beat me by more than five minutes!

Oh boy, this once-a-week grind doesn’t work.

Maybe it’s time to join the crowd at Abellana.

Last Sunday, I spent most of the run zplaying tag with Joel Garganera and his daughter.

Joel served as his daughter’s pace runner and was just using the run to prepare for the Singapore Marathon this Sunday.

I think I overtook him thrice, and he passed me thrice also.

When we got to the finish line, I tried to keep pace with them but I found out that recalling memories of the days when you ran for two hours straight doesn’t help you at all in that last hundred meters.

My legs gave up.

And a girl, who I think still had her makeup on, overtook me.

Dang it!

Pacquiao, who has been the favorite target of boxing’s favorite loudmouths, wrote in his column that you don’t have to trash talk to sell a fight.

Everybody knows trash talking is the middlename of the Mayweathers.

And it seems, it’s also the only way they know to sell a fight.

“Pinatunayan natin na mas popular at mas sinubaybayan ang aming laban ni Cotto kahit na wala sa aming dalawa ang naging mayabang o nag-ingay upang maibenta lang namin ang show,” Packy wrote.

Got that Foul Mayweathers?

Pacquiao and Cotto didn’t trash talk each other.

They didn’t insult each other.

Sure, the trainers got into the act, but the fighters didn’t.

And what happened?

More people saw the fight, more people bought PPVs.

And another one-two punch, “Bagkus, naibalik namin ang magandang imahen ng boksing bilang isang gentleman’s sport. Malaking papuri at pasasalamat ko kay Miguel Cotto sa pagiging maginoo niya kahit sa gitna ng pagkatalo.”

I could provide a translation for the Mayweathers, but what’s the use?

In their twisted minds, only they matter in the sport.

And nobody else.

They’d even probably say Pacquiao’s pen—or PC—was on steroids when the column was written.

SO AND MANNY. Here’s an interesting parallel between Pacquiao and RP chess whiz GM Wesley So.

Manny forced boxing greats Oscar dela Hoya and Ricky Hatton to retirement with a one-sided victory.

So, according to an internet report, is forcing one chess great into retirement after his victory in the second round of the World Cup.

Vassily Ivanchuk, ranked No. 12 in the world, told www.ugra-chess.ru after his loss to Wesley, “Chess is playing against me! Chess is destroying me! I would take it easy if my opponent would be much stronger than me, or he will be better prepared.

But my loss was so stupid, it is a destiny sign, which screams: ‘Vasya, leave it, it is not your business.’”

He also sneaked in a punch against the 16-year-old So.

“I committed chess suicide…I was almost sure that I am winning! And then… Then I just went crazy…My opponent, by the way, played very badly.”

After Ivanchuck, it was Gata Kamsky who was next to fall.

So, in black, won the first game and drew the second to advance to the fourth round.

Next for the 16-year-old So is the winner between Pavel Eljanov and Vladimir Malakhov, both Super GMs who are rated above 2700.

Now they say watching chess is as exciting as watching paint dry.

But it isn’t.

An online community was providing comments for the rest of the dorks.

It also seemed, a few dorks, got into the community and were trashing Gata, providing various meanings for his name.

One finally had enough and asked everybody not to trash talk since Gata was really a nice guy, off and on the board.

I saw both third round games of So in the third round, online, and thanks to my low chess IQ, I thought every move was a knockout blow.

Just before So and Kamsky exchanged queens, the online commentator was saying why Nd3 on 15 wasn’t good because of fsomething on 19.

I was still looking for Nd3, and for that fsomething before a flurry of comments pushed what the inhouse analyst said off screen.

That reminded me of the only time I played competitive chess during our in-house sportsfest.

We were still “analyzing” our next moves when we realized I already won by checkmate.

Henry suited up for France in 117 games and scored 51 times. He also won the World Cup in 1998.

Lazar only had nine caps for Romania since 2006 and hasn’t even scored a goal.

At 32, Henry suits up for FC Barcelona, was once nominated as the Fifa Footballer of the Year while playing for Arsenal, and is well-known among Pinoy football fans.

The 28-year-old Lazar is the captain of FC Rapid Bucuresti in the Romanian League and Pinoy fans would be hard-pressed to place a picture behind the name.

Henry is also a shameless cheat.

Lazar isn’t.

France is into the World Cup at the expense of Ireland, thanks to Henry’s shameless “Hand of Fraud” in extra time.

Henry, who has the ability to score and to find an open teammate without resorting to cheating, handled a pass to keep the ball out of bounds—twice!—then found an open William Gallas for the easy tap in.

Goal!

Hurray for France, the 1998 World Champions.

“I will be honest, it was a hand ball. But I’m not the ref. I played it. The ref allowed it,” Henry the Cheat said.

And Fair Play in the international stage, as some pundits have been saying, is dead.

Because elite players like Henry The Cheat put football in a bad light.

BBC, in last Friday’s news, said that even Americans, who pay scant attention to the game, are aware of the news because of the coverage it got.

BBC also estimates that Ireland lost $150 million in potential sponsorship money by missing out on the World Cup.

Even the politicians got into the act.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said he was going to raise the matter when he meets with French President Nikolas Sarkozy, while French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde was quoted by Yahoo that she felt “very sad that the national team had qualified for the World Cup by cheating.”

Sports teachers also slam Henry, since it showed “winning at all costs,” is OK, which is contrary to what sportsmanship is all about.

“The France team will go to South Africa courtesy of indisputable cheating, which highlights the downward spiral affecting football today,” the teachers union, SNEP-FSU, said in a statement.

There were calls to re-play the game, but Fifa has shot down the appeal since their rule stipulates “the referee’s decision on the field is final.”

Henry the Cheat, himself, said the fairest solution to the brouhaha he caused is to play the match again.

But as the BBC commentator said, “It’s easy to say that now that Fifa has decided a replay is impossible.”

And Henry the Cheat just fueled the argument that video replays should be used in football.

As for Lazar, he is of a different ilk.

In a game against Otelul Galati, with Rapid leading 2-0, Lazar was brought down inside the box—just a few meters from the spot where Henry handled the ball.

The ref called a penalty, but Lazar waived it off, saying the tackle was clean.

Instead of a penalty, the ref called for a drop-ball, and the play continued.

I got goose bumps when I saw that clip on the Internet.

I shook my head when I saw Henry’s deed.

There was an interesting article I read a few years back, highlighting one sad effect of the elite players’ influence on the rest of the football population.

When there was a spate of foul-baiting, before it was a punishable offense, in the major leagues, the amateur leagues also started seeing a lot of dives.

Now, will we be seeing a lot of Henry The Cheats?

WHAT was once an extra-curricular activity for a seven-year-old became the reason that got him to represent the Philippine football team to China.

From an accidental keeper to the country’s No. 1, Paolo Pascual sure has come a long way.

Now 19, and a sophomore student at the University of San Carlos, Pascual never dreamed of one day, being a member of the RP team that played five other Asian countries in the Asian Football Confederation 19-Under Qualifying Round.

“I first played soccer when I was in first grade. It was one of the clubs offered in my former school, Springdale,” he said.

That was way back in the early 2000 when Australian football guru Graeme Mackinnon and Mario Ceniza started the program for Springdale.

No one was willing to become the keeper, so Pascual got the spot. He also got a good headstart in training under Michael Casas, who is another ward of Mackinnon and Ceniza who became the youngest keeper to start for the RP U23 and senior teams.

Since then, Springdale has been a regular fixture in local and national tournaments and the school also led Cebu City and Central Visayas in the regional and national tournaments of the Department of Education.

And during those times, Pascual was a regular member of the squad, manning the post, and even getting to play as a striker during blowouts.

The highlight of his campaign for Central Visayas was winning the silver medal in the Palarong Pambansa in 2007.

From donning the No. 1 jersey—assigned for the top keeper of the team–for Cebu City and Central Visayas squads, the eldest child of Drs. Chona and Joel got a chance to try out for the national team.

A trial was held last summer in Negros and Pascual felt that it was too good to pass up. So with the support of his parents, he grabbed the chance.

Training camp

And just last month, while he was still playing for the University of San Carlos (USC) in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc., he got called to join the training camp for the China-bound Under-19 squad.

A spot in the team wasn’t even assured as he was competing with three other keepers for the position, but the only Cebuano in the camp had an advantage.

“I like his attitude and he is also aggressive. I also like his height and if he just performs consistently in the training camp, he will have a chance to make the team,” RP team U19 goalkeeper coach Noel Marcaida told Sun.Star Cebu prior to the training camp.

After a tortuous camp in Manila, Pascual got his dream after he was named the starting keeper.

The AFC U19 Qualifiers was held at the Linzi Stadium and Zibo Sports Center Stadium in Xiangdong Zibo—one of the AFC Vision Asia host cities in China.

Unlike the other squads who trained for months for a major tournament, Pascual said that his team lacked practice since all members came from different places in the country. The team practiced daily for only wo weeks in Manila then flew to China last Oct. 29.

“It was a good experience. It was very nice. We stayed in a hotel and they treated us very well. What we wanted, we got. The football match was, indeed, a learning experience,” the Pascual said.

The learning experience had the Philippines seeing a lot of goals—too bad most of them came from the other side.

A shell-shocked RP team lost to China, 13-0, in the first game on Nov. 1; 6-0 to Myanmar on Nov. 3; 8-0 to North Korea Nov. 6; and 4-2 to Malaysia on Nov. 11.

The first half against China ended 10-0, with the host scoring almost every four minutes. In the second half, their defense got a bit tighter and Pascual even saved a penalty from the Chinese captain, but a five-minute lapse did them in. And in the international game, a five-minute lapse meant three goals.

Cold weather

The Chinese fans cheered wildly for their squad in the first half and after the match, also applauded the Philippine team for a better showing in the second half.

Pascual said the Chinese were a lot taller and quicker compared to them. The whole team also had to adjust to the cold weather—10°C—and had to wear thick clothing for protection.

When asked which game he thinks was the best for him, he smiled saying that it was the match against Korea in the Asian championship, since it was the most challenging.

Before their game, Korea was trailing China on goal difference—11 to 23—for No. 1 spot in the group and needed to win by more than 13 goals to overtake the host.

The Philippines had a chance to win against Guam, whose players they’ve already befriended, and were leading 2-1 before Guam, which had five players of Filipino lineage, equalized three minutes from time.

Now that he is back home, the Cebuano is back concentrating on his Business Administration Major in Entrepreneurship studies at USC. At the same time, he also plays for the USC varsity team in various local tournaments.

His sport doesn’t affect his studies since he has his ever-supportive family and friends.

“My father is my inspiration. Both of my parents are also interested in football. And my whole family has been supporting me all the time,” said Paolo, whose younger sisters Niña Camille, 17, and Carmel Marie, 15, have also tried football.

His father Joel is also his regular companion in football games, even outside Cebu.

This guy-next-door enjoys the company of his friends. Aside from playing football, he is involved in a religious-affiliated organization Bukas Loob sa Diyos. Paolo also has a band “6 Years to Fame,” which plays rock songs and their own compositions. He, together with his former classmates at Cebu Doctors’ University, has been performing for almost two years.

Aside from the band, he is also into other sports.

“I also play basketball, tennis and even billiards,” said the 5’11” Pascual.

As for his stint for the RP team, Pascual says other aspiring athletes should never give up.

“I almost gave up playing football when I entered college. I felt tired and wanted to quit,” he said.

However, he could not stop since he still enjoys playing the game he loves.

And that love for the game led to his China stint.

And despite the mild frostbite he got in China, he expressed his gratitude for being chosen as one of the lucky few to play for the Philippines.

He is also grateful that even though he and his teammates weren’t able to bring home the bacon, they feel honored to play for their country.

Would you: 1) call the Psych ward; 2) get off ASAP; 3) clear some space; 4) leave him alone?

Apparently, most people would do a combination of 3 and 4.

I was lost in my own world after a wonderful day at the office last week, struggling to find something new to write about Manny Pacquiao.

Thankfully, Time Magazine saved me in the nick of time.

At first, I thought I could join the act and write about his chances against Miguel Cotto, but I thought, now isn’t the time to joke about the Pacman.

Besides, the most important prediction these days came from Oscar de la Hoya. He changed his mind and picked Cotto and that’s that. At first, I was worried because the guy who picked Juan Manuel Marquez, himself and Ricky Hatton, suddenly chose Pacquiao to win.

I was quite relieved when Golden Boy changed his mind.

For those who have followed Pacquiao since he was just a scrawny champ, the Time magazine article offered nothing new.

But I like the ending. At least, on the article I read online.

It referred to Manny Pacquiao’s biggest fight, and no, it isn’t against Cotto.

It’s against Roy Chiongbian for the congressional seat in Saranggani.

It’s the Pac-chuuung Part 2.

What is the Pac-chuuung? It’s no bastard son of Pacquiao and Chiongbian.

It was the reaction a kababayan made in 2007 when I asked him about the prospect of Pacquiao running against Darlene Antonino.

“Huwaak…paaacccc…chuuuuunnng!!!”

If GMA was the lesser evil against FPJ. What was this—Pacquiao, a boxing champ against an Antonino, a family who has sat on the post for 24 years?

A choice between death by hanging and death by buga-buga?

“Huwaak…paaacccc…chuuuuunnng!!!”

Next year, it’s Manny Packy against Roy Chiongee, a filler who got the spot because his brother Erwin already served for three terms. Before him, it was Papa Chiongbian.

The Chiongbians, like the Antoninos or any dynasty, abhor losing their post. That’s why they always find a spare body who can be a filler.

(‘Cause he’s a filler, filler right…And no one’s gonna save you from the beast about to strike…You know he’s just a filler, filler right.’—Sorry MJ, I couldn’t resist)

Pac….quiao? And Chiong….bian?

“Huwaak…paaacccc…chuuuuunnng!!!”

But this time, I hope Packy wins against Chiongeee.

Let’s get rid of the Chiongbians, Packy.

Besides, Packy has a lot to lose if he wins.

The same can’t be said of the Chiongbians.

Straight from Chiongbian’s mouth is this. “I see that there is still a lot that can be done to improve the quality of life of our fellow Sarangans in education, health, agri-development, and peace and order,” The Manila Bulletin’s website quoted him when he announced he was running last Oct. 25.

What was the family doing then, when Brother Dear and Papa Bear were at the helm?

That’s why I want Pacman to gobble Chiongbian. Knock ‘im out, Packy!!!

Sure he’s got no political experience.

But so does The Filler.

If the Chiongbians stay in power, would their apo-sa-kumingking-sa-tiil-say, “I see that there is still a lot that can be done….” when he becomes The Filler?

“Huwaak…paaacccc…chuuuuunnng!!!”