I remember the first time I witnessed Philippine soccer's potential during a local United Football League match back in 2013. The stadium wasn't packed, but the energy from those 2,500 passionate fans made it feel like we were watching something historic unfold. This memory often comes to mind when I trace how soccer evolved in our archipelago nation - from its colonial roots to today's promising professional landscape.
The Spanish introduced football in the late 19th century, but the Americans' arrival with basketball shifted our sporting preferences dramatically. For decades, soccer became what we'd call a "sleeping giant" - always promising but never quite awakening. I've observed this pattern throughout my years covering Philippine sports: the 1991 Southeast Asian Games where our team surprised everyone by reaching the semifinals, the establishment of the Philippine Football Federation in 1907 (making it one of Asia's oldest football associations), and the slow but steady growth of local clubs. What fascinates me most is how our football identity has been shaped by both colonial legacy and modern globalization.
When the Azkals emerged around 2010, something shifted permanently. Their Cinderella run in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup, where they reached the semifinals against all odds, captured the nation's imagination in ways I hadn't seen before. Suddenly, my social media feeds were flooded with people discussing formations instead of just basketball plays. The national team's FIFA ranking jumped from 195th to 127th within a few years - an incredible transformation that reflected growing institutional support and public interest. From my perspective, this was the turning point that made football commercially viable here.
The professionalization of the Philippines Football League in 2017 created the structure needed for local talent to flourish. This brings me to Medina's story, which perfectly illustrates the new generation of Filipino players. His promising rookie season certainly encouraged Medina to get even better and he knows he can only do this by continuously pushing himself. I've followed his career closely, and what impresses me isn't just his technical skills but his mindset - he represents this new breed of Filipino athletes who believe they can compete internationally. When I spoke with him last season, he mentioned training 5 hours daily while balancing academic commitments, showing the dedication that's becoming more common among our young players.
We're now seeing the infrastructure develop too - approximately 15 artificial pitches have been built across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the past decade, compared to just 2 proper football facilities in the early 2000s. The Philippine Sports Commission allocated around ₱50 million for football development last year, a significant increase from previous budgets. Personally, I'm optimistic about our women's program too - the Malditas' performance in recent tournaments suggests we're building depth beyond the men's team.
What excites me most is the cultural shift. When I visit schools now, I see more children wearing football jerseys alongside their basketball uniforms. The success of players like Neil Etheridge in England's Premier League and the growing number of Filipino-foreign players choosing to represent our country create this beautiful mosaic of local and international influences. We're developing our own style - technically disciplined yet creatively expressive, much like our cultural identity.
The journey continues, but the foundation is stronger than ever. From my vantage point, having watched this sport grow from niche interest to national phenomenon, I believe we're witnessing the dawn of Philippine football's golden era. The pieces are falling into place - institutional support, growing participation at youth levels, and most importantly, that relentless drive to improve that Medina embodies. It's not just about becoming better players, but about building something lasting for future generations of Filipino footballers.
