Stamina key factor in Tianjin

MANILA, Philippines - Former national football coach Juan Cutillas said yesterday he was dismayed while watching Powerade Team Pilipinas grope for form in the recent Jones Cup.

“It was evident right from the start,” said Cutillas who saw the games on TV. “Our players were physically unfit. I think the mistakes they made in transition and in missing free throws and outside shots can be traced to lack of conditioning. They had little resistance to fatigue. It’s important that the coaching staff addresses this main point right away because everything boils down to fitness.”

Cutillas said the Powerade players just couldn’t keep up with the up-and-down pace of the international game.

In a contrary opinion, a knowledgeable source said the players were just too tired, coming off a gruelling PBA season and the inability to play at a high level wasn’t because of poor conditioning.

Powerade finished with a 2-6 record, settling for sixth place in the nine-team tournament. The only teams that wound up worse were Taiwan-B, Kazakhstan and Japan.

“Maybe, their training is not intense, I really don’t know what the problem is,” said Cutillas. “In the PBA, the players set their own pace. But in the international game, the pace is very different. Our players may be the best individually skilled in Asia but if they can’t play 100 percent up to the last buzzer, they’ll find it hard to play consistently well.”

Cutillas noticed down the stretch in nearly every game, the Filipino players lost steam – a dangerous sign since Powerade is expected to fight tooth and nail up to the last second at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tianjin on Aug. 6-16.

Smart-Gilas national developmental coach Rajko Toroman, who was in Taipei to watch some of the games, said while conditioning is a key element, the more important thing to focus on is teamwork. “It shouldn’t be a team made up of good individual players but a team that plays together as a team,” said Toroman.

“They’re tired but they’re pushing themselves to the limit for our country,” said the source who requested anonymity. “Coming home from the Jones Cup, they did twice-a-day practices and nobody complained. Playing the entire PBA season then playing in international tournaments could lead to burnout. It’s not a case of poor conditioning, it’s a case of your body can only take so much.”

The PBA season has taken its toll on Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Ryan Reyes who won’t be able to play in Tianjin because of injuries.

Powerade leaves for Tianjin tomorrow. The team starts its campaign against Sri Lanka on Thursday then faces Japan on Friday and South Korea on Saturday. If the Philippines finishes in the top three of Group A, it advances to play the top three in Group B, likely to be Iran, Chinese-Taipei and Uzbekistan. After playing six games, if the Philippines is in the top four of Groups A and B, it moves on to the knockout quarterfinals.

Toroman predicted Powerade to qualify for the quarterfinals. “I think we should be able to bring down at least Japan or South Korea or Chinese-Taipei,” he said. “I don’t think we can beat Iran in the crossover eliminations so it’s possible we will end up second, third or fourth out of Groups A and B, meaning we will play China, Lebanon or Jordan in the quarterfinals.”

On another matter, Cutillas said he has lost faith and confidence in the Philippine Football Federation leadership. But because of his love for the game, Cutillas mentioned he will not give up fighting to revive the sport here.

Cutillas recently submitted a proposal to PSC chairman Harry Angping to set up an academy of football, applying the blueprint of the Australian Institute of Sport. With his experience in Australian football as a coach, Cutillas said he is ready to spearhead a fresh campaign to train Filipino elite players within the age range of 17-21. The goal is to develop a core of outstanding and well-trained players for the national team.

“The academy will be a full-time commitment,” he said. “We want to quarter the players, take care of their nutrition and help in their education. Nothing is happening in football. We don’t hear what the PFF is doing. It’s a sad state of affairs. But we who love football won’t stand for this. We want to do something for football and I think the academy is a good way of bringing back interest and pride in the game.”

Cutillas, 69, was Queensland state coach for six years and Queensland Academy of Sports coach for two years. He was also involved with the Australian national team and the Premier League. Cutillas was Philippine national football coach for over 12 years. He also served as the conditioning coach of defunct PBA team Toyota.