Over 5,000 Filipinos + 150 sinkies pack Jalan Besar to cheer on Singapore 2-0 win
New heroes of the Philippines
Over 5,000 Filipinos pack Jalan Besar to cheer on football team
It may have been an 'away'friendly for the Philippines, but their fans turned out in force (above) to give the match a home feel for the visiting side. The small contingent of Singapore fans had to sing extra loud to make their voices heard. -- ST PHOTOS: DESMOND WEE
By Lee Min Kok
ONE would hardly have known that the Lions were the home team last night, given the overwhelming support that their opponents received from the Jalan Besar stands.
Singapore's international friendly against the Philippines - the Lions' final tune-up before facing Jordan in a 2014 World Cup qualifier next Tuesday - was watched by a near-6,000 horde of Filipino fans.
Save for a loyal band of around 150 Singaporean supporters, a blue tide engulfed the stadium as the Filipinos displayed unrivalled passion in cheering on their countrymen despite the 0-2 defeat.
BACKGROUND STORY
'A lot of women are watching football now, just to ogle at the pretty faces on display.'
Rosie Villaflor, an IT manager from the Philippines, on why her country's football team are currently the rage back home
Even the drizzle throughout the game failed to dampen the spirits of the crowd, who came armed with umbrellas and more importantly, their cameras.
The Azkals - as the Philippine national team are popularly called - have benefited from an influx of players holding dual citizenship, such as half-English brothers Phil and James Younghusband, Neil Etheridge and Dutchman Jason de Jong.
And there was no mistaking who was the ladies' undisputed darling, as high-pitched screams of 'Neil, Neil, Neil' greeted the reserve goalkeeper for English Premier League football club Fulham as he stepped on to the pitch for his pre-match warm-up.
'He's so handsome!' gushed Mia Fe Carig, 24. The nurse was at Jalan Besar with 15 other female friends, all straining to catch a glimpse of the 21-year-old.
IT manager Rosie Villaflor, 30, admitted as much: 'A lot of women are watching football now, just to ogle at the pretty faces on display.'
Etheridge is said to have attained near-superstar status in his adopted country, with his face - and chiselled body - gracing everything from underwear ads to billboards promoting painkillers.
Indeed, swooning female fans made up a large portion of the Filipino crowd, but there was a healthy pinch of guy power as well.
Sales manager Jaron Genota flew in from Manila together with 20 fellow supporters yesterday, spending about 15,000 pesos (S$443) on the trip.
Said the 28-year-old: 'Football in our country is enjoying a real buzz at the moment. It's not in the same league as basketball yet, but we're slowly getting there.'
Interest in the sport, according to Genota, had picked up significantly after the Azkals created history by reaching the semi-finals of last December's AFF Suzuki Cup - which is the equivalent of the South-east Asian championship - in Vietnam.
Filipino television networks, most of whom had largely ignored football, suddenly began to telecast live games from the German Bundesliga, English Premier League and Spanish Primera Liga this year, he said.
And the fledgling United Football League - the country's professional competition - recently signed a historic TV deal with local agency AKTV Network, which will air the league's third season later this year.
Midfielder James Younghusband paid tribute to the partisan support after the match, saying: 'It definitely felt like a home game for us. The fans here were fantastic.'
New heroes of the Philippines
Over 5,000 Filipinos pack Jalan Besar to cheer on football team
It may have been an 'away'friendly for the Philippines, but their fans turned out in force (above) to give the match a home feel for the visiting side. The small contingent of Singapore fans had to sing extra loud to make their voices heard. -- ST PHOTOS: DESMOND WEE
By Lee Min Kok
ONE would hardly have known that the Lions were the home team last night, given the overwhelming support that their opponents received from the Jalan Besar stands.
Singapore's international friendly against the Philippines - the Lions' final tune-up before facing Jordan in a 2014 World Cup qualifier next Tuesday - was watched by a near-6,000 horde of Filipino fans.
Save for a loyal band of around 150 Singaporean supporters, a blue tide engulfed the stadium as the Filipinos displayed unrivalled passion in cheering on their countrymen despite the 0-2 defeat.
BACKGROUND STORY
'A lot of women are watching football now, just to ogle at the pretty faces on display.'
Rosie Villaflor, an IT manager from the Philippines, on why her country's football team are currently the rage back home
Even the drizzle throughout the game failed to dampen the spirits of the crowd, who came armed with umbrellas and more importantly, their cameras.
The Azkals - as the Philippine national team are popularly called - have benefited from an influx of players holding dual citizenship, such as half-English brothers Phil and James Younghusband, Neil Etheridge and Dutchman Jason de Jong.
And there was no mistaking who was the ladies' undisputed darling, as high-pitched screams of 'Neil, Neil, Neil' greeted the reserve goalkeeper for English Premier League football club Fulham as he stepped on to the pitch for his pre-match warm-up.
'He's so handsome!' gushed Mia Fe Carig, 24. The nurse was at Jalan Besar with 15 other female friends, all straining to catch a glimpse of the 21-year-old.
IT manager Rosie Villaflor, 30, admitted as much: 'A lot of women are watching football now, just to ogle at the pretty faces on display.'
Etheridge is said to have attained near-superstar status in his adopted country, with his face - and chiselled body - gracing everything from underwear ads to billboards promoting painkillers.
Indeed, swooning female fans made up a large portion of the Filipino crowd, but there was a healthy pinch of guy power as well.
Sales manager Jaron Genota flew in from Manila together with 20 fellow supporters yesterday, spending about 15,000 pesos (S$443) on the trip.
Said the 28-year-old: 'Football in our country is enjoying a real buzz at the moment. It's not in the same league as basketball yet, but we're slowly getting there.'
Interest in the sport, according to Genota, had picked up significantly after the Azkals created history by reaching the semi-finals of last December's AFF Suzuki Cup - which is the equivalent of the South-east Asian championship - in Vietnam.
Filipino television networks, most of whom had largely ignored football, suddenly began to telecast live games from the German Bundesliga, English Premier League and Spanish Primera Liga this year, he said.
And the fledgling United Football League - the country's professional competition - recently signed a historic TV deal with local agency AKTV Network, which will air the league's third season later this year.
Midfielder James Younghusband paid tribute to the partisan support after the match, saying: 'It definitely felt like a home game for us. The fans here were fantastic.'
