Japan's Nadeshiko: A Picture of Hardwork, Resilience and Teamwork

Japan players celebrate with the trophy after winning the final match between Japan and the United States at the FIFA Women's Soccer World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany, on Sunday. (Michael Probst/Associated Press)

Women's World Cup - so okay I was really rooting for USWNT or the US Womens National Team and they played really good but then again Japan played even better obviously.The victory of Japan brought great joy and pride to a country that has suffered and which continues to suffer from the effects of the devastating earthquake and tsunami which has killed a lot of its citizens. According to the players they were inspired by the resilience that their compatriots have shown as they continue top struggle with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. In the same way that the victory has inspired the survivors making them more optimistic with the future.

On the other hand, there has been a lot of negative comments from some Americans that brings to mind the relationship of Filipinos with football. While some, like me, have been soccer fans for quite sometime now, a typical Filipino knows the ins and outs of basketball. This is a country where you will see a basketball court in every town "plaza" and in every school or a basketball ring in every street intersection. The US has American football and baseball and basketball and they find soccer or associated football a little wimpy. Well, to each his own.

Still I say congratulations to USWNT and Japan's Nadeshiko for doing a really swell job. The US Women's National Team handled their defeat with grace and can hold their heads high because they did everything to take home the cup. Japan's Nadeshiko gave not only pride by becoming the first Asian country to bring home the cup but also gave their fellowmen, especially those in Northern Japan, courage. Even the Prime Minister said so in his congratulatory message at the start of the Parliament session.

And it is but right that Honare Sawa, skipper of the team, was given the Golden Boot for having scored the most number of goals in the competition. She was also adjudged the best player of the tournament and thus was picked out for the Golden Ball. And Goal.com also recognized her as:

World Player of the Week: Homare Sawa - Japan

Goal.com World Player of the Week #113: Homare Sawa

Club: INAC Kobe Leonessa

Country: Japan

Age: 32

Role: Midfielder

Achievement: Inspired Japan to Women’s World Cup triumph

Remembering 9/11: The Legacy of Marie Rose Abad

The Americans in the US were not the only ones paying tribute to their loved ones who perished in the different events that made up what we call the tragedy that changed the world, Sept 11. Maybe unbeknownst to many Filipinos, there was one American married to a Filipino who died that day. And her legacy lives on in a once squalid and reeking with garbage slum in Manila turned into an orderly village that bears her name with 50 brightly one-storey colored homes built in her memory by her husband. As the world pays tribute to their fellowmen in the US, residents of Marie Rose Abad GK Village offered roses, balloons, and prayers for their benefactor. According to her Philippine-born American husband Rudy, he had it built in her memory in 2004 as a tribute to their 26 years of marriage and her unfulfilled desire to help the poor in the Philippines. This she saw when they first came here in 1989. After having described to her the Philippines as a paradise, they were appalled to see t

A Mom's Thoughts on Sports and a Black-eye

For the first time in 13 years I came home to see my son sporting a shiner. And as much as I wanted to fuss, I couldn't...I wouldn't dare insult my son. Just waited for him to show it to me and tell me what really happened. Oh, I so wanted to rush him, to ask him to give me a blow-by-blow account but I kept my lips sealed. I wanted to kiss it and make it well, but I stopped at just a touch at his cheek while asking if it hurts. His teammate was telling him to make excuses for what happened and he answered with: Why should I? My mom knows I play soccer and she has always said this is part and parcel of the sport . I remember seeing Fernando Torres of Liverpool once sporting a black-eye, too. Well yes so I always say that…he plays basketball and soccer, which are both contact team sports albeit limited-contact - meaning there are rules that specifically prevent intentional or unintentional contact between players and penalties can be incurred when it happens. I c

TEEN AZKALS: The Future of Philippine Football

While all eyes are on the Philippine National Football Team or Philippine AZKALS as they prepare for the next qualifying game against Kuwait, the next generation members of the team called Teen AZKALS will be competing in the ASEAN Football Federation Under-16 Youth Championship 2011 in Vientiane, Laos from July 7 to 21. The Philippine Azkals’ goal to qualify to the FIFA World Cup remains a question, as the long road to World Cup will entail them to compete with several national football teams including Kuwait who has been playing for a long time and is ranked 101 st to Philippines 159 th in the world. The Kuwait has appeared once in World Cup and 8 times in AFC, and has even won the AFC Cup in 1980. Even manager Dan Palami admits “the chances are quite slim but that is all they need to attain victory as long as they train with their heart.” And certainly the Filipinos are rooting for them, but whether they do qualify or not, the Azkals has brought football to the hearts of a co

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