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GMA Network
07-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Sandro Reyes: The Philippines' Shining Starboy
Philippine men's football is seeing a resurgence of support, especially with its recent wins in the ASEAN Championships and the third round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. After winning against Maldives last March 25, the Philippines continues its bid for a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup on June 10 as it faces Tajikistan in the qualifiers at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac. Last week, this series 'Faces of Filipino Football' put the spotlight on one of the team's veterans in Jarvey Gayoso. [READ | Jarvey Gayoso: Man of Magis] Now, here's one of the Philippines' pride in global football: Sandro Reyes. Talking to Sandro Reyes is like talking to a ball of energy. When this writer interviewed Sandro virtually, the 22-year old Philippine National Football Team seemed to be in a particularly energetic mood, popping in and out of the screen throughout. He was playful with his answers, too. Asked who for him was the most beautiful person, since football is known as 'the beautiful game', he answered his teammate Oskari Kekkonen's name before laughing it off afterwards. Perhaps it was that same energy that allowed him to discover and excel in the sport at an early age. At four years old, Sandro already showed interest in football, thanks to his cousin Patsy, a former women's national team player, who influenced him to check the sport. Thanks to his dad Edmund, he learned at an early age who Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were, both of whom eventually became young Sandro's idols. And thanks to his friends at Southridge in Muntinlupa, Sandro started to get a taste of football training. From being a young football wonder in Alabang, Sandro has come a long way — quite literally — to become one of Philippine football's brightest stars. Some fans have even started calling him by an auspicious nickname: 'Starboy.' From Southridge to Spain Southridge holds a special spot in Sandro's heart. The Filipino football player shone first in Southridge, together with his friends who tried out the sport. 'My best friends before in Southridge also say that they're the ones who made me start. I was four years old in Southridge and it was just the two of them and me in my first training in Southridge,' Sandro told GMA News Online. 'We were just three people with one coach. Yeah, so that's how I started. And [it] slowly just grew into a loving game and slowly watched the games on TV with my dad a lot.' Sandro, though, has always been a standout and not just because of his talent on the pitch. 'In fact, honor student siya, consistent. Simula nung nagsimula siya sa prep hanggang ngayon sa Grade Four,' said Luden Salamat, then grade school principal of Southridge, told GMA News in 2012. Ryan Lorenzo, Sandro's football coach 13 years ago, saw how the young star excelled in a certain aspect of the sport. 'Si Sandro 'yung tipo ng player na magaling talaga sa positioning,' Lorenzo said then. But at just nine years old, Sandro left Southridge to travel to Spain to further develop his talents in football after receiving a scholarship in FC Barcelona Escola. 'I just went to an FC Barcelona Escola camp in Singapore and the coaches recommended that I maybe do some trials in Spain. And then I think when I got in, then it was a no-brainer,' Sandro recalled. 'During my trials, it was my first time to see a proper football country, the true football, the love for football, I got to watch my first games in Camp Nou. And from there, it was a no-brainer to pursue that life.' That journey, however, turned out to be life-changing not only for himself, but his family as well. 'My parents changed their lives for me and my siblings to be able to pursue it,' Sandro said. 'Aside from that, I was just a normal kid going to school in Spain also. It was serious, but also I was just being a kid as well at the same time.' Far from his usual life in Muntinlupa, Sandro learned not only about football, but also the challenges of being a Filipino overseas. 'I was forced at a very, very young age to learn about independence. I think [my] life as a kid would have been very different if I was living in the Philippines when I moved at such a young age to Spain,' Sandro said. 'I was just living with my mom and my mom would go home sometimes. So I would also be alone sometimes. And, you know, the life in Europe is very different from Manila. 'There's no car, you have public transport, you just go alone everywhere at such a young age. You take care of yourself, you know, the laundry, the dishes. So just everything in general, it made me grow up much faster, I think, than I would have in Manila.' 'And I think it also really helped me in my football life. For the last three years, [I am] already living alone in Germany, [it's] not an easy country to live in. So Spain prepared me really well for times like this.' Shining moment While in Spain, Sandro would also play for the youth team of the Philippines before he showcased his talent locally in clubs like the Azkals Development Team and Kaya-Iloilo. Now, Sandro is part of German club FC Gütersloh, where he plays professionally. But many of Sandro's shining moments come for the Philippines, like in the recent ASEAN Championships where they reached the semifinals. En route to the semis, Sandro scored one goal against Laos which ended in a 1-1 draw. Days after that, and two days after Christmas, he and the team gift-wrapped for Philippine sports one of its best presents. in the semis of the tourney, the Philippines beat Thailand in football, 2-1, for the first time in over five decades — a drought of 52 years. Sandro scored the first goal of the said match at the 21st minute in front of the home crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium before Kike Linares sealed the victory for the Philippines at extra time. 'I dreamt of this kind of night ever since I was a young boy,' Sandro said. 'To be able to play in front of all the Filipino fans, my family, my entire family at home. It was such a big game against Thailand, semifinals. So yeah, it was a perfect night on the field, off the field.' 'Obviously, we pulled off a great win. And I have a lot of brothers, close friends on that team. And there was nothing better [than] to experience such a big win in front of our fans alongside such close friends.' Sandro Reyes. Photo: PFF/PMNT More than the win, Sandro said it was also about how they won, especially against a powerhouse like the Thais. 'Personally, it was the best first half that I've been a part of, a half that I've been a part of since I've played in the Philippines. It was just nice to see how we were also making Thailand suffer, such a good team like Thailand. And then obviously, the goal,' Sandro said. 'Yeah, the goal was also very special, the goal in front of our fans, my family. But the second goal, even if it was not my own, felt just as special, if not more special than my own goal, because it was the last minutes of the game and to beat Thailand. So the emotions I felt for the second goal were actually even, in my opinion, more than my own goal.' After the whole tournament, Sandro was voted by fans to be part of the ASEAN Championship All-Star XI. He may already be a star, but Sandro said being part of the Philippine team also means he should continue to strive and give his best. 'I have to continue to work hard and stay humble, because football humbles you very quickly if you get carried away. So I just have to continue to stay grounded so that I can continue to play well,' he said. 'But regarding pressure or anything from the outside, no, no outside pressure. Maybe, just self-inflicted pressure from my own to keep performing and keep getting better. That's the only pressure I feel.' Bright days then, brighter days ahead It seems like Sandro's future gets brighter each day. Recently, Sandro, along with Amani Aguinaldo and other ASEAN football players, played against Manchester United where they won 1-0. 'A boy from Manila winning against Manchester United in front of 70,000 fans. But we keep dreaming for more,' Sandro wrote in the caption of his post. And energetic as ever, 'Starboy' is just getting started. 'I was just a very competitive boy ever since I was a really, really young kid,' he said. 'My family was very into sports, and my father was also a very competitive guy in his own field. My mother also pushed us to be the best that we can in all the things that we do. So just from a very young age, I was very competitive already.' 'Winning is always on my mind, especially for the national team,' he added. 'When you win for your country, you're winning for the 120 million Filipinos that you're representing, and you're beating another country. So that's how important winning is for me, for the country.' Sandro has come a long way, but he knows there's much more in store. '[In terms of] my career, [I] just [want] to get as far as I can in Europe first and to continue to enjoy all the little and big things that football can bring because it brings so many nice nights, just like that night against Thailand, nice emotions, but also just the everyday journey and trainings and struggles,' he said. 'This is also what I want, to continue to live for as long as I can in my football career, and with the Philippines to be able to push it forward as well and inspire as many kids as we can, and do well in the Asian Cup, get as close to qualifying, if not qualified to a World Cup.' There's enough shine to Sandro's star, however, that it will not be on him alone. He's more than happy to share. 'After football, I don't think I can leave football,' he said. 'I really decided when I was maybe six, seven years old that I will be a football coach. So I will definitely be in football until my grave. It's all I've known since I was a kid. It's all that I will ever want to do until as long as I'm alive.' Just like a star and its bright light that reaches across the far ends of the universe, Sandro plans to be around a long time — and he has all the energy in the world to make it happen. Philippine football, meet your Starboy. —JMB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
27-05-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Jarvey Gayoso: Man of Magis
Football has seen a steady rise in the past few years and a new generation of players are bannering the Philippine Men's National Football Team in its journey. After a historic campaign in the ASEAN Championship last December where the Philippines reached the semifinals for the first time in seven years, and notched a win against powerhouse Thailand, the team now aims to get a spot in the AFC Asian Cup again. This series of stories hopes to give football and sports fans a glimpse of who they are and why they are proudly Filipino, wherever they come from. First for this series is Jarvey Gayoso. Magis. Ask a Jesuit-educated person about this word and they would probably answer with much familiarity. After all, this is a concept that has been ingrained in their values education. Magis is a Latin term meaning 'more' or in Jesuit terms, striving to be better or excellent. 'More' is certainly a term that describes Jarvey Gayoso, Philippine football stalwart and former Ateneo de Manila University star, well. Back in 2017, Ateneo won the UAAP Season 79 football title against Far Eastern University, thanks to a goal from then student-athlete and Season MVP Gayoso. That wasn't enough for Jarvey, as two seasons later, he would again lead the Blue Eagles to the title, this time against their rival De La Salle University. Gayoso delivered the Blue Eagles' first goal in the extra period to even the match, before Julian Roxas sealed the victory against the Green Booters. He was also named MVP, Finals MVP, and Best Striker of the Season. 'Of course, the most enjoyable opponent is rivalry. I think it would bring the most crowd,' Jarvey told GMA News Online as he recalled the most memorable moments of his collegiate career. 'You'd have most of the guys make the effort to come to Rizal to watch. The games would always be on TV. So that was my favorite game to play,' he added. 'And the most memorable goal, I think, would be for a lot of people, especially my teammates back then, would be the Season 81 Finals against La Salle.' Now 28 years old, Jarvey has been hard at work making his own name in sports with his talent in football. After all, his surname is a familiar one, especially for those who grew up in the 1990s. Remember Jayvee Gayoso of Ginebra? That's Jarvey's father. But Jarvey also comes from a family of football players, with his grandfather Ed Ocampo and uncle Alvin Ocampo also playing his sport. 'Football wasn't really far off the path of what I had in front of me. It was definitely, I could say, either basketball or football. But after trying both sports, my love for football became more natural. I enjoyed playing football,' Jarvey said. 'It was only until high school that I took it seriously. But before that, I was just enjoying my time playing with my friends and playing football. And I think it's something that I never really had to think about.' Jarvey said it is his family also who has given him a lot of support as he grows in the sport. 'My family has been very supportive. And even in my downs, they've always been there for me. There was no environment that they've placed that gave me the pressure of having to feel like I needed to prove something. They always put me in an environment where on my ups and my downs, they would always just be there and support me,' Jarvey added. Excellence on and off the field But beyond the surname, Jarvey himself has been a familiar face for football fans. Jarvey left the Blue Eagles' nest in 2019 to turn pro, but he has been a staple of PMNFT since 2017. With almost eight years of experience under his belt, he himself is sometimes amazed when he gets to be called part of the 'new' ones. 'It's funny because I've been with the national team for quite a while already,' Jarvey said. 'But it's nice to still be recognized also. And for me, no, there's no pressure. I find it more motivating than ever, actually.' Jarvey has appeared in 27 matches during his senior career alone and has scored three goals for the Philippines, one of which he made just last December in the ASEAN Championship during their match against Vietnam. Jarvey scored the goal which would have won the Philippines the match against Vietnam, but the Viets answered in extra time. 'I think it was something that the Philippines deserved,' Jarvey said. 'One thing that fans don't know is that this team entered the campaign with a mission of rejuvenating the love for football in the country. And I think we've revived it in a way. We've given a lot of life into Philippine football again with this campaign. And it's all thanks to the sacrifices and the dedication of all the players that were there.' While the Philippines made history in reaching the semis in the tourney, Jarvey would also remember the said tournament on a personal level as he got married while the ASEAN tourney was ongoing. 'I proposed a year before, in December 2023. We had to choose a date that would fit my schedule. But I didn't really have my schedule back then,' he said. 'So we chose December as our date and I would never be one to assume that I'm already part of the lineup. Because I've been in the national team for quite a while, [and] that in the next one, I'd automatically be there, that was never my mentality. My focus was, of course, the wedding.' No schedule conflict would stop the wedding, and Jarvey asked permission from the Philippine Football Federation to be out for some time even as the tournament was still running. 'They were very supportive of my decision. And I guess they were also very thankful that I would still participate. And the aspect of talking to my wife about the schedule, she was also okay. She just needed me for these few days before and after the wedding,' Jarvey added. Add to that, Jarvey also signed with a team in Cambodia last year, with his commitments also overlapping with wedding preparations. Jarvey, epitome of "more" that he is, managed to find balance in football and his personal life. 'I'm very glad that she's very supportive also of it. It's a good thing that everything went according to plan. And I scored a goal, so it's worth the sacrifice.' The Cambodia call was something that he did not expect as well, but a talent like him deserves to be seen by the global audience. In Cambodia, Jarvey plays with the Phnom Penh Crown and the experience made him grow as a player. 'I've experienced a lot of different players from different backgrounds, from different histories in their careers. And it changed my lifestyle also,' Jarvey shared. 'Because I had to take it more seriously. I had to get bigger. I had to work harder. I had to take every game as if it was a finals [game].' 'It built the professionalism that I needed when it comes to my career, when it comes to playing football,' he said. And just last Sunday, Jarvey added another feather to his cap as Phnom Penh Crown FC won the Hun Sen Cup. Just like Jarvey, the PMNFT has been doing more and achieving more in the hopes of reviving the country's love for the sport. For the former Blue Eagle, he is just happy to see Filipinos troop the stands again. 'I think it's been mentioned before that we love playing with crowds. Coach Albert [Capellas] mentioned that the players love playing with crowds. It fuels our game, our motivation to win for the country,' Jarvey said. 'I'm glad to see a lot of people coming back. I'm glad to see a lot of talk about the national team. And I think all of this gives positive results to everyone, not just the country, but to the players, to the organization also.' Jarvey's dreams, however, do not stop there. '[For] my personal career, I'd say I'd like to get as far as possible to play international football,' he said. 'I just want to see how far my career takes me before I retire, before I come back to the Philippines and eventually pass what I've learned on to the other guys, the other players, the other kids who grew up like me, went through the college system, who is dreaming to play a career outside of school. So I'm just trying my best to absorb and to learn everything and to get as far as possible, to reach as far as possible.' Striving for excellence? Check. Doing more? Check. Just another day for a man of Magis. —JMB, GMA Integrated News
