Villaflor: A football tragedy in three parts

by Noel S. Villaflor

“IT is convenient, for the purposes of analysis,” says the English novelist Martin Amis in an essay, “to look at the history of England managership since 1970 as a drama, or tragedy, in three parts or phases.”

For Amis, the common denominator of these phases is the “nervous breakdown” of three of the national team’s managers, (hence the title of his essay, “Football Mad”).
One can make sense of the history of Philippine football using Amis’ approach, from its downward spiral to its current struggle for redemption.

Cutillas: Limit stint of Fil-fors in Phl XI

by Joaqin Henson

MANILA, Philippines - Former national coach Juan Cutillas yesterday appealed to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) to limit the participation of Fil-foreign transients in all levels of international competition, particularly the coming Southeast Asian Games where the maximum age is 23 for the sport.

“I can speak freely because I am neutral,” said Cutillas, a former Spanish football player who now lives in the country with his Filipina wife and their two children. “I’m grateful that finally, football is gaining recognition and popularity in our country but there are several issues for the PFF to address. Let’s face it. The Philippines will remain at the lower level of the Asian standings for a long, long time. In the recent Challenge Cup qualifications, we couldn’t even beat