As we approached the stadium that was already glittering through the eucalyptus trees, the weather was perfect, the air was cool and charged with a special energy that could only come from the excitement of the more than 20,000 white-clad fans who had trooped and were still trooping to the Panaad Park and Stadium to watch the first leg of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying playoff between the Philippines’ Azkals and Mongolia’s Blue Wolves.

Philippine flags were everywhere. Faces and even bodies were painted in the nation’s colors. Homemade banners proclaiming undying love for the Azkals were proudly being displayed. Vuvuzelas blared every now and then and one section even had their own complement of drum beaters. Vendors hawked their wares as the massive crowd patiently waited for the game to start.

And when it did start, surprisingly on time, it seemed that all of Southeastern Bacolod would hear of it. Fans cheered every possession, jeered during the rare opportunities that the Mongolian offense clicked, groaned when the Azkals attempts at goal were foiled, booed when players from the visiting team flopped in their mostly unsuccessful attempts to get the referee to hand out free kicks or penalties. Impromptu cheers of “Who let the dogs out” would be replied by the automatic reply of “Who! who! who! who! who!”.

As awesome as the atmosphere was in the Panaad stadium was, everything was brought to a whole new level by the jubilant roar of the home crowd when that elusive goal was finally scored by Chieffy Caligdong a few minutes before the halftime break.

Halftime saw the massive crowd doing the wave from the grandstand, all the way around the bleachers that ringed the pitch, and back. Back and forth the human wave went while the crowd waited for the players to continue the game.

Even after the halftime break, the energy of the crowd seemed to match the unflagging intensity of the Azkals who never let up on offense as they looked to stamp their domination on the Mongolian team, whose stagnant offense even seemed to bore goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

The fans, who were probably used to watching basketball where teams score every 30 seconds, were treated to Phil Younghusband’s goal that basically ended the game with a few seconds left in injury time.

The crowd erupted once again, this time for what seemed like an eternity as the Azkals started a victory lap around the field, acknowledging their fans. Several fans dodged the police line to approach the players and one even got to hand a flag to team members which they passed around as they jogged around the field, celebrating their victory as the fireworks started and fans applauded and continued to roar and sing to Orange and Lemon’s “Pinoy Ako”.

The game had already ended and the Azkals were soon ushered back inside by security officials but it seemed that nobody wanted to leave as the stadium was still packed with the newly christened football fans who were probably still wondering what had just hit them as fireworks continued to light up the skies over Panaad.

Football had officially come to Negros. Hopefully it is here to stay.*

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