MANILA, Philippines — The aerial shot of the Philippine Football Federation’s facility in Carmona, Cavite is breathtaking.
After football’s governing body used to rent facilities across the entire country for the past couple of decades, they now have a home, a headquarters, a pitch for matches, and training facility all rolled into one.
As for that pitch… even if it is artificial, the verdant colors are inviting.
Why not?
Football is here.
The new Philippines Football League is a week away from kickoff with a triple-header to knock everyone’s socks off.
Defending champions United City take on newcomers Maharlika Manila in the main match at 8 p.m. on October 25.
The Azkals Development Team and Mendiola open the new season at 9 a.m. while Stallion Laguna and Kaya Iloilo battle at 4:30 p.m.
Although the league will be done in roughly two weeks (for safety purposes and the fact that all players have been largely inactive for months), that football will be played is a welcome development.
The historic sponsorship by Qatar Airways sends a good sign of the interest in making Philippine football work.
“I know that this has been a long, tedious journey for all of us,” said PFF President Mariano V. Araneta, “Hopefully, we will have a successful league. We are doing it – bubble-type and everyone is prepared and ready to play.”
All squads will be quartered in the bubble that is Seda Nuvali bubble and bused to the PFF HQ.
PFF media spokesman Cedelf Tupas noted that the trip isn’t too long.
“Roughly 25 minutes,” he bared. “Just enough time to collect one’s thoughts and get ready for the games."
In order to help the PFL get ready and keep safe, all clubs will undergo mandatory testing for the COVID-19 virus on October 21 right before they enter the bubble in Nuvali.
There will be a second round of testing and quarantine until every coach, player, and official has been deemed to be virus-free.
And then it will be game time.
Fifteen matches where teams will try to unseat United City and win one for themselves not to mention to firmly place the flag of Philippine football back on its perch.
The action, just as the aerial view, should be breathtaking.