The Azkals Experience: Day 2 - Game Day, Victory & After-Party

Day 2 (Feb 9): Game Day, Goal! Victory and After Party I had planned to wake up at 7 a.m. and explore the rooftop of The Chalet, but I had a hangover from the night before, since the locals had heartily welcomed the people from Manila, and needless to say, everybody had fun. It was some sort of pre-gaming at a lounge. The get-together hyped everybody for the match. And sus! I got so excited I just wanted to go to Panaad already!

Show of support: Miakka wearing her Neil Etheridge Fulham kit. Photo: Miakka Lim

Down at the hotel lobby, there were a lot of people: locals, media, family members and fans, all buzzing about the match. Everybody seemed busy, but no one was really doing anything. It was like they were just walking around and doing something, but I knew for sure they just couldn’t sit still. Takes one to know one. I too couldn’t sit in my room and do nothing! I was THAT excited and I wasn’t alone. When I stepped out of the hotel on Game Day, all I could see were people setting up stages and tents for the big street party after the match. It would be dedicated to the Azkals, win or lose. The team had made such a huge impact that even before the game started, there were already three party set-ups going on inside L’Fisher. I met up with my friend Patricia Hizon so we could go together to the stadium. We were both all dressed up in support of the Azkals. She was wearing a Younghusband jersey and I was wearing an Etheridge Fulham kit. Patricia really came very prepared. She had vuvuzelas and an Azkals headband and scarves. And we both had at least three kinds of cameras to capture every moment, as well as our cellphones so we could tweet. All roads led to the Panaad Stadium, which was flooded with fans wearing white. Some had been waiting in line since 2 p.m. when the kick-off wasn’t until 7 p.m. Most everyone had their own gimmicks and paraphernalia: face painting, scarves, wigs, flags, vuvuzelas, drums… You name it, they had it! As we settle into our seats in the VIP area, the stadium was blasting loud music that just made everyone go crazy, and it was such a good feeling because everybody had good vibes. At the sight of the Azkals’ goalkeeper entering the pitch for practice, the crowd went wild. A man with a Philippine flag even went down the track and ran around. He was soon stopped by police, but then everybody was just cheering for him. Everyone was just so excited for the match to start. Then it was game time. Every possession was a celebration. I personally got tired not only for cheering, but also because we all kept standing up then sitting back down because we always thought we’d score a goal every single possession. It was silly and funny. I can't lie, the basketball girl in me kept surging in as I caught myself shouting, “Where’s the foul ref?!" Or “nice pass!" Like I was watching a sold-out basketball game in Araneta Coliseum. Then Chieffy Caligdong scored a goal. Oh my goodness, everybody just lost it. The stadium literally was jumping, vuvuzelas were blowing non-stop, and many even hurled their fans like they were frisbees.

All hail the Chief! Miakka with Chieffy Caligdong. Photo: Miakka Lim

You sure would've gotten goosebumps if you were there. The celebration continued during halftime, as the whole stadium was doing the wave repeatedly, and chanting “Lets go Azkals, Lets go!" and “Who lets the dogs out?" until the players returned to the pitch. This was one instance where I didn’t mind losing my voice. It was worth it. And all this wonderful chaos continued, through Simon Greatwich’s bicycle kick… to this Mongolian player stretcher-ed out then jumping out of it and running back… to Phil Younghusband’s curving goal and cartwheel! Icing on the cake. Everybody went crazy, and the fireworks started. It was indeed a celebration of unity and pride from start to finish. Exiting the stadium was intense, with people pushing, mobbing, and basically not caring, which was why I wasn’t expecting anything less than a million people flooding the hotel. The Azkals were greeted at the lobby of The Chalet like Hollywood superstars, with fans screaming, cameras flashing non-stop, and police serving as barricades. The players were tired but they were kind enough to sign autographs and pose for… just a million times. Not so much, not so much.

This guy's shirt says it all. Photo: Miakka Lim

There were three parties at L’Fisher hotel: Ballroom, Rooftop, and Street, all for the Azkals. And the team had a battle plan: they divided themselves into three groups of eight, and rotated among the parties given. Brilliant. I witnessed each one of them not moving from a single spot for almost an hour, just because every step they would take, they'd get mobbed. It was a zoo and nearly mayhem, but you’d be amazed at how the people got so creative and crafty just to nget a piece of their idols. It was madness that didn't end until dawn. I would have to say that this experience was quite overwhelming, but I certainly did not expect anything less. It was such beautiful chaos that nobody minded because it involved the re-introduction of a sport arguably best suited for Filipinos, national pride and unity — all because of the godly Azkals. It was truly nothing short of AMAZING. And if you weren’t in Bacolod for this Azkals experience, you probably missed half of your life. *wink* P.S. Can we now build a home for these Azkals here in Manila? I mean, we have enough malls. - KY/OMG, GMA News About Miakka Lim Miakka Lim is one of the hosts of FTW, GMANews' web-only sports talk show. Miakka is no stranger to the sporting world being the daughter of former PBA standout and championship coach Frankie Lim. As a volleyball player, she inherited his athletic genes. This eventually led to her courtside reporting gigs for the WNCAA and later the PBA, V-League, Philippine Basketball League, and Asean Basketball League.