Azkals vs Galaxy to boost PH interest in football

source abs-cbnNEWS.com



MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is gearing up for the Philippine Azkals vs LA Galaxy match on December 3.


The PFF also held its elections where Mariano “Nonong” Araneta retained the presidency.


According to Araneta, he is euphoric about the Filipinos' support for the sport.


He said the LA Galaxy versus Azkals match will boost interest in the sport, especially since football superstar David Beckham will be playing.


"There is no pressure for both teams, especially the Azkals. The team will learn a lot from LA Galaxy," said Araneta.


The Azkals are now training and preparing for the match.


The president of the Asian Football Confederation, Mr. Zhang Jilong was also present at the PFF congress.


Jilong said the Azkals have improved a lot these past few years, and he is happy the whole country is now supporting football.

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Beckham says trick shots in Pepsi video are legit

source: Daniel Girard  

Sports Reporter

 

It’s a commercial for Diet Pepsi, but soccer star David Beckham insists his amazing feat with a ball on a California beach is the real thing.

The L.A. Galaxy soccer-celebrity, in town for Wednesday’s game against Toronto FC at BMO Field, was asked if a recently-filmed spot that shows him bending three consecutive balls with his bare foot from the sand and into garbage cans far in the distance was real, not something doctored.

“Of course,” the English midfielder told reporters at the club’s hotel. “I spent five or six hours on the beach so I had a lot of time to practise.” 



The 69-second video, which had received more than 1.3 million hits between Thursday when it was uploaded on YouTube by Pepsi and Tuesday afternoon, shows Beckham juggling a soccer ball with his feet while holding a can of the soft drink. He’s then asked by the cameraperson if he can hit three garbage cans down towards the ocean with three balls, which are tossed into the shot.

Beckham, clad in khaki shorts and a button-down white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, said hitting all three is “even easier” than one. Then, after setting down the pop can in the sand — its label facing the camera — he drills all three balls into the garbage cans while the cameraperson cheers wildly.

Task completed, Beckham walks back towards the camera with a big smile, a what-did-you-expect hand gesture and says: “Told you.”

The commercial is the latest in a long line of seemingly impossible sports feats for products, from tennis star Roger Federer knocking a can of shave cream off a man’s head with a serve to L.A. Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant lacing up new running shoes and then jumping over a speeding car.
 

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