ANOTHER milestone in Philippine football happened last weekend. A full-fledged passport-bearing Filipino footballer made his debut as first choice goalkeeper of Cardiff City FC in a match against A.F.C. Bournemouth at the start of their campaign in the English Premier League (EPL), the top tier level of English professional football.
Neil Leonard Dula Etheridge is the first ever Filipino and Southeast Asian to play in the highest level of English professional football.
Yup folks, there’s a Pinoy playing in the EPL and to make the bragging rights more sweeter, Neil Etheridge is the first choice keeper of Cardiff City FC and not just another warm body wearing his bums out sitting on the substitute’s bench.
Well, it’s not surprising. Neil Etheridge has always been the first choice keeper of the Azkals, the Philippine National Football team. He has always been there literally defending the motherland. He is the Azkals’ last line of defense.
To graphically illustrate what Neil Etheridge is doing for the country: he sacrifices his body as a shield to stop football players from opposing countries scoring against the Philippines.
Excerpts from the ABS-CBN Sports Aug. 12 story:
Neil Etheridge makes historic Premier League debut
Philippine Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge made history Saturday by becoming the first Filipino and first Southeast Asian player to play in the English Premier League.
Etheridge got the start in his EPL debut as his club team Cardiff City FC figured in a season-opening 0-2 loss to A.F.C. Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England.
It was a rocky start for Etheridge after conceding a goal in the 24th minute courtesy of a Ryan Fraser strike.
Ten minutes later, Etheridge got to show off what he’s capable of doing as he came up with a fantastic save of Callum Wilson’s penalty attempt to keep the Cardiff City deficit at just one goal.
It was Cardiff City’s return to the top tier of English Football after spending the last couple of seasons playing in the English Football League Championship.
In the 2017-2018 EFL Championship season, Cardiff City earned promotion into the EPL after finishing with the second-best record.
Which says so much about some people comparing Neil Etheridge to Alphonse Areola. For starters, Neil Etheridge is the first choice keeper of Cardiff City FC and the Azkals while Alphonse Areola is not the first choice keeper of his club Paris San Germaine or PSG, neither is he the first choice keeper of the French National team.
Yes, Alphonse Areola was part of the French National team that won World Cup Russia 2018 but as a spectator; he did his stint at World Cup 2018 watching the games from the sidelines, sitting on the substitute’s bench.
Neil Etheridge choose to be Filipino despite having a choice and has already played for England’s youth team. He was born of a Filipino mother and an English father.
Meanwhile, Alphonse Areola was actually born to a Filipino mother and father yet he chooses to be French. So please stop referring to him as a Filipino because he is not; he is French. Just check his passport.
And we are proud of Neil Etheridge and his historic debut in the English Premier League but without a doubt this Ilonggo is probably the greatest ever Filipino and Asian footballer.
Filipino-Spanish (born in Concepcion, Iloilo) Paulino Riestra Alcantara was the first Filipino and Asian player to play for a European club and was hailed by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) as “the best Asian player of all time” in 2007.
He scored 357 goals in 357 matches, making him FC Barcelona’s highest goal scorer before he was finally overtaken by Lionel Messi on March 16, 2014.
And here’s FC Barcelona’s tribute to perhaps their greatest footballer:
And that is why, when little Thiago Messi one day asks his daddy to tell him the story of Barcelona’s greatest goal scorer, Lionel, modest man that he is, will not tell him about his own exploits while tucking him into bed. He will tell him about the story of Paulino Alcantara y Riestra. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)