PSG faces massive players exodus
Pasargad (PSG) FC U-17 is now facing a huge dilemma after 90 percent of its players decided to leave and join Global FC Philippine U-15 which is seeing action in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)-Frenz U-15 ASEAN Champions Trophy 2013.PSG FC is mostly manned by former members of the Little Azkals and is coached by Eleazar Toledo, who until last year was also part of the coaching staff of the national youth team.
The team is currently leading the U-17 category of the ongoing UFL Youth League with three wins in as many games.
Aside from PSG FC, other former members of the Little Azkals are also seeing action in the UFL Youth League as part of other teams. Kaya FC has five, Pachanga FC has two and Meralco Sparks has one.
The Little Azkals started out as the national U-13 back in 2011 and moved up as the national U-14 last year wherein it placed third in the Japan-East Asean Football Exchange Programme U-14 Youth Football Festival.
This year, the team is expected to move up as the national U-16.
According to one of the boy’s parent, almost all former members of the Little Azkals received a letter from the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) stating that members of the Philippine National U-16 (Boys) Team will join a representative club nominated by the PFF for a competition in which 12 teams from 11 Asean countries will participate in a home-and-away format.
This international tournament was conceptualized by the FAM and the Frenz United Football Academy of Pahang, Malaysia.
It is open to clubs who are members of the national football association (NFA) such as the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) who in turn must be affiliated with either the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) or the Asean Football Federation (AFF).
The parent said that the team’s head coach Andres “Anto” Gonzales explained that those selected for the FAM-Frenz competition will not automatically be members of the national U-16 who will compete in AFF and AFC tournaments later this year.
He added that the PFF will require those chosen for the FAM-Frenz tournament to undergo another camp from where the lineup for the AFF qualifiers in August will be chosen.
Because the schedule of the international tournament is in conflict with the U-17 category of the UFL Youth League, PFF technical director Ariston Caslib said that PFF will write to the clubs to ask for the release of the boys, said the parent.
However, Toledo said that Caslib had sent him a message stating “We sought clarification from the office on these matters: A. Invitations were sent to the parents for the national team; B. We asked parents if they have contracts between kids and club; C. Club must show proof of agreement between the two parties; D. Kids are minors so the PPF talks to the parents unless parents inform PFF that we communicate to the club in writing.”
Because most of the boys and their parents have decided to go with Global FC, Toledo said they have no choice but to release them as this is also for their own good.
“This is why we kept them together for three years so of course we let them go,” Toledo said.
However, he is questioning why PFF only formed the team last week when they have accepted the invitation for the FAM-Frenz tournament during the early part of May.
Despite that, Toledo said he will make do with the 11 boys that he is left with.
Former Little Azkals members who decided to stick with PSG FC are goalkeeper Jose Anton Yared, Lawrence “Soysoy” Colina and the Vergara brothers—Mason and Shanden.
“I will finish what I started with PSG,” said Yared, who has now been appointed as the team captain.
With the FAM-Frenz tournament also to finish in September, the boys also said they are opting to prioritize their studies as graduating students, they may have a hard time balancing it with the tournament which will be played in other Asean countries and ending in September.
