When the Philippine Men’s National Team walks into the pitch come the World Cup qualifiers, captain and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge said each and every fan showing up at the Rizal Memorial Stadium will prove crucial to the success of the team.
The Philippines opens its bid against Vietnam on November 16 before facing Indonesia five days later. And the skipper hopes the Azkals kick off their campaign on a high at home
Etheridge started playing for the PHI MNT in 2008, going on to accumulate 75 caps for the country.
He’s seen the team through its ups and downs. And he knows how big the support of the home fans in their bid to make it out of their World Cup qualifying group.
In the PHI MNT’s last home match against Afghanistan, Etheridge witnessed how the team willed itself from a goal down to win 2-1 buoyed by the crowd at the stadium.
“I was so emotional after the game because I felt that this was the first time in a long time that I saw a fight in an Azkals team,” said Etheridge. “I just want togetherness, I want to build a winning mentality, and for me, this is the start of something, as team captain, both off the field and on the field, we need to fight together.”
The Birmingham City goalkeeper was among the three current players that played in the two FIFA World Cup qualifiers matches against Sri Lanka and Kuwait at the packed stadium in 2011 which saw at least 12,000 fans witness the two matches.
“I have been part of this team for 15 years now, seen the highs and the lows,” said Etheridge. “I remember when Rizal was full and the atmosphere was electric. That really helps the players and can intimidate the other team.”
Rizal Memorial Stadium have seen several historic feats through the years with the win against DPR Korea in 2016 and the qualification to the AFC Asian Cup in 2018 among the highlight moments of the Men’s National Team in recent memory.
With the World Cup qualifier matches against Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam and Indonesia in the horizon, the long time goalkeeper hope that the fans make their way to the stadium, stand their ground, and be part of the 10K strong.
“This team and this sport means so much bringing me some amazing memories and I want our supporters to come on this journey and experience it with us,” added Etheridge. “I promise that we will give everything to put the smiles on our supporters faces.”
Match tickets are available at TicketMAX.ph and at the venue on match day.
