Manchester United stars Scholes, Cole happy with PH hospitality

MANILA, Philippines – With both men eager to finish their sibling rivalry on the pitch, Phil and James Younghusband had set the bar high for CLEAR Dream Match 3 as the Filipino-British brothers acquired the services of international football stars to put a decisive conclusion to their unending sport contention.

Paul Scholes and Andy Cole, members of the celebrated 1998-99 season Manchester United squad, arrived in Manila three days ago to participate in the third installment of the all-star football spectacle along with the Younghusbands and other top local ball-kickers on Saturday, June 7 at the University of Makati football field.

Scholes, regarded as one of the best midfielders during his time due to his technical approach in the playing field, donned the Manchester United jersey in his entire 19-year professional career and steered “The Red Devils” to capture 11 Premiere League titles, three FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League crowns.

In addition, the 44-year-old native of Middleton, Greater Manchester suited up for the English national team from 1997 until 2004, earning 66 caps and participating in the 1998 and 2002 World Cup tourneys as well as the UEFA Euro 2000 and 2004 contests.

On the other hand, Cole is the second highest goal scorer in English Premier League history with a total of 189 goals in 408 appearances and was also capped 15 times for England between 1995 and 2001.

Furthermore, the 5-foot-10 striker is one of the few players to date who has bagged all possible honors in the sport, including the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year and the Premier League Golden Boot.

The two football legends had a vital role in Manchester United’s treble-winning success in the 1998-99 season.

Phil Younghusband had the privilege to handpick Schole to buff up his starting eleven on the green turf, while James Younghusband ended up having Cole in his frontline unit.

Despite the exigent loss of Team Phil to Team James by one goal, Scholes did not disappoint the younger Younghusband as he finished the entire 90-minute regulation, showing no signs of field rust.

The vast experience of the 5-foot-7 tactician was evident in the game as he opened numerous breakaways for his teammates to attack for the goal with his clean touch and passing finesse.

Moreover, the longtime Alex Ferguson-mentored skipper also had two chances to nail a point against Team James in the second quarter, where he tried to sink in a goal via free kick at 79th minute and an off-target shot inside the penalty box at the 89th mark.

“Obviously, it’s difficult to lose the game. In the first half, we had penalties and decent chances, but it didn’t quite work as planned,” Scholes admitted.

Scholes acknowledged the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to him by CLEAR Dream Match to strut his wares in the Philippines and be of aid to the Younghusband brothers in their objective of developing the Philippine soccer scene and keeping the sport relevant in the nation.

“We’ve been all around the world to promote the sport. It has been a pleasure to be here, and we had an enjoyable game,” he quipped.

Meanwhile, Cole came out furiously in the opening salvo, where he almost achieved a wide-open goal that was strongly defended by Team James’ OJ Porteria.

However, the 42-year-old renowned scorer fell short in the second half as he appeared to lose his steam, prompting his colleagues to find other options like Joaco Cañas, who gave Team James a 1-nil edge at the 72nd minute.

“The condition of the pitch was a bit tough and rocky, but the boys did very well and managed to pull off a win tonight,” Cole disclosed.

Cole commended the efforts of Global FC’s Roland Sadia, who impressively denied most of the 11-man brigade counterpart’s attempts to claim a goal.

“Honestly, all of them played well, but the one who played outstandingly is the keeper (Sadia). He had a crucial save in the first half,” he stressed.

The current Huddersfield Town coach also extended his best wishes and sympathies to Phil, who was not able to finish the marquee match-up when he accidentally clashed his head with Reynald Villareal in mid-air.

“Both teams gave everything they got tonight. I just wish that Phil will be okay. I know his team lost, but his health is the most important,” Cole said.

Aside from rubbing elbows with the country’s premier footballers, Cole expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome he had since he stepped foot on Philippine soil.

“I would like to thank the people of the Philippines with open arms. We’ve been here for a few days already, but we enjoyed,” Cole ended.

With the success of the three CLEAR Dream Match events and the growing football awareness over the motherland, CLEAR brand manager Drew Copuyoc believes that the sport already made its mark and having a state-of-the-art stadium like Old Trafford is no longer wishful thinking.

“CLEAR’s No. 1 goal is to grow football in the Philippines and we all know that the No. 1 sport [in the Philippines] is basketball. But CLEAR won’t stop dreaming that someday football will be the No.1 sport in this country,” Copuyoc stated. – Rappler.com