As Told by Chris Greatwich, Part 2

This is the much-awaited conclusion to the exclusive feature on Chris Greatwich. Chris picks up where he left off to continue his football saga, starting with how he became part of the national football team that successfully changed the course of Philippine football and prompted its reemergence. Of course, we can’t leave Kaya and the academy out of the equation. To cap it off, we got some exclusive trivia about Chris to remember for the rest of our lives! 

Heroic Chris and Pinoy Pride

The eldest son of Carolina Greatwich, who was born in Davao and raised in Manila, Chris had actually traveled to the Philippines prior to being called up to play for the national team, popularly known as the Azkals.

“I came here a couple of times when I was really young, but then from the age of four until twenty-one, I didn’t go to the Philippines. But since I was twenty-one, I came here every year.”

Every player dreams of playing for the national team. There is no greater honor than representing your country, and joining the national team is probably one of the best things that have happened to Chris. It didn’t radically change his life right away, but as the years went by, things started falling into place for Chris and the team. But before we dwell on that, let’s take a step back and retrace how everything started.

“I came over to try out with Coach Aris after I had conversations with him through e-mail. My mum had come to the Philippines a year before because my grandmother passed away, and she was staying in Pasig at that time. It [the Philippine Football Federation office] was actually right next door to ULTRA [now the PhilSports Arena], so my mum went and visited the office, and that’s how we were put in touch with one another. That’s how it all kinda started. I joined the camp, I think, in late October or early November of that year, and we did the training camp at ULTRA, and the rest is history.”

It was his mother who triggered his epic journey with the national team. She literally knocked on the opportunity that opened the doors for Chris. As for his younger brothers, Phil and Simon, they came on to the scene later on.

“Phil came the following year. He did SEA Games. He, Phil, and James all came the following year. Simon came on board in 2008 when we went to Cambodia for the Challenge Cup qualifiers.”

Since joining the Azkals in 2004, Chris gradually became familiar with Pinoy pride, which is undeniably an aspect of Chris that is very representative of his Filipino heritage.

“Before I came here, a lot of people talk about Pinoy pride, that fighting spirit of Filipinos, but obviously, before, while growing up, I didn’t understand what that meant. It’s not something that I really understood, but I guess if you play for the national team, you really start to understand what people mean by Filipino pride or Filipino fighting spirit. We hear stories of the forefathers of the Philippines, like Lapu-Lapu and people like that, and then you see how we fight on the field, and that makes you realize that, okay, maybe you do have that fighting spirit within you.”

For Chris, playing for the national team is not a job but a part of his identity, and this national identity is what all the players have in common. Playing for the Azkals makes Chris feel at home; it gives him a sense of belonging and pride. He just wants to make his country proud, so when it comes to patriotism, Chris has that in abundance.

“I don’t think you can be any more patriotic than playing football or sports for your country.”

Fast-forward to December 2010, six years after he joined the national team, and the month of the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup, the Azkals turned the tables on everyone’s expectations. If there were even expectations at that time.

After all these years of playing for the national team, Chris scored two of the most famous goals in the history of Philippine football. Despite having no clear advantage other than Pinoy pride, they came through, helped by Chris’s goals against Singapore and Vietnam.

His football intelligence elevated him above his opponents, while his goal-scoring exploits took him past them.Intelligent, creative, and bold, Chris, along with his teammates, leapt onto the stage and straight into the spotlight after the Suzuki Cup campaign.

“That competition was probably the highlight of my career. It’s been the catalyst for all the development of football in the Philippines. It catapulted football into the public eye. That goal, obviously, was one of the reasons for that. The whole competition was an unbelievable football experience that we’ll probably never ever have again. Playing in front of ninety thousand people in Jakarta was just an unbelievable experience. That goal and that whole campaign was pretty much what led a lot of people to be here in the Philippines at the moment. I don’t think the significance of that goal can never be undermined. … A lot of the good that has happened in the past four years can be traced back to the Suzuki Cup campaign.”  

His goal was a massive way to gain attention, and he got it, all right! In retrospect, Chris was never in it for the money or fame; he was in it to represent the country. The fame that followed was a bonus. It was an unexpected achievement that united the country behind every one of the Azkals. They don’t need to wrap themselves with a Philippine flag to be heroes. They have all become heroes. Chris has become a hero.

And beating Vietnam is still his proudest moment on the field.

“Beating Vietnam in 2010, out of everything, would be my proudest moment. It was the standout one. They were the defending champions. It was in Hanoi, there were forty thousand people, and they’d just come off from a win against Myanmar and they were the favorites to win the game, and the fact that we beat them, 2–0, was the biggest shock.”

Now this brings us to this question: should Chris be defined by his goals or by his previous performance?

“It doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. I think the goals have defined my career. I think that’s what people know me best for. I’d rather be known for that than to be known for something else.”

The successful campaign even gave birth to an unofficial holiday in the football realm—National Azkals Day. December 5 is the day to commemorate Chris’s goal against Vietnam—well, not really—and to remember the day when history was made. The national team’s unforeseen victory changed not just their lives but the lives of a generation of young Filipino footballers as well. They can dream of becoming professional footballers. They can finally pursue a career in football.

Veteran Chris

After a decade’s worth of football experience with the Azkals, Chris is considered a veteran. It would only be fitting to ask him how the Azkals have been since he first joined in 2004.

“Yes, I’m the longest-serving player in the team now alongside Anton. I never thought we would be one game away from qualifying for the Asian Cup, that’s for sure. I think in terms of the quality of the players that what we have now is incredible. We can probably pick a pool of around fifty players that would be extremely strong and would be more than capable of being successful in regional competitions for sure. So even just getting into the squad is an achievement these days because the standard of play is so high. It’s been a gradual and steady rise to this level. Obviously, every year, new players are coming in, and we’re finding guys. Because when I first came here—we were such a young squad—not only were we able to find good players, but the younger players have matured and developed, and obviously, the last couple of years have been a combination of a lot of good work that’s been going on behind the scenes and the development of younger players coming into their prime, so that’s why you’ve probably been seeing such good results in the past two or three years.”

From Chris’s explanation, we can conclude that when you limit your talent pool, you also limit the development of skills. Just like any other team, the influx of players should never stop because it is the lifeblood that keeps it mobilized and sustained. And the Azkals and its management knew better; they have never stopped searching and recruiting. To play for the national team, you have to be one of the best Filipino footballers out there. You have to earn the spot.

Out of curiosity, we ask this: is the national team fulfilling its full potential?

“That’s a tough one. I think, realistically, we probably would have wanted to win the 2014 Challenge Cup. I think we were capable of doing that and football is a game where it’s based on how you perform in the ninety-minute period, so it’s hard for you to win every game, but I think we’re doing well in fulfilling our potential.”

As for fulfilling potential—or better yet, living up to the potential—Chris demonstrated that he still has it when he provided the much-needed creative spark in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup. There was another telling moment in his career when he scored the winning goal in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup semifinals, which led us into the finals against Palestine. Unfortunately, Chris did not get the chance to play against Palestine.

“It’s probably the biggest disappointment of my career, not playing in the final, especially given that you’ve done so much to get us there, not just in terms of that competition and scoring the winning goal in the semis but also over the course of my ten-year period, to see how much the team has developed and been an important part of it. I felt I deserved the right to play in that final. I could have made a difference. For me not to play was disappointing. I was more disappointed not to win the competition and even more disappointed to not qualify for the Asian Cup. I think that was probably why I was most disappointed, but obviously, still on a personal level, it was disappointing not to play in a game when you feel as though you can make a difference and ultimately achieve something that is pretty incredible.”

Despite losing to the eventual champions and the disappointment that followed, the Azkals yet again made history in that tournament. But things do not end in victory or defeat—or in disappointment. There is no going back; there is only moving forward for Chris and the Azkals.

In the meantime, what else needs to be done to maintain interest in the sport?

“I think just continue to do what we do. Obviously, we need to continue to promote the sport in the youth level. At the end of the day, the development of football relies on foreigners coming over to improve the team. It needs to come from the infrastructure from here. And it starts off with having a good grassroots initiative. Obviously, it’s important that the UFL and the forthcoming national league garner interest within the public in the Philippines. The infrastructure of football in the Philippines definitely needs a shake-up, and I’m hoping some of the projects and the initiatives that are ongoing right now are gonna do that.”

It’s onward and upward for the Azkals, but they can’t promote football alone. They say that training depends partly on our own effort but partly on the resources that other people give us. Everybody needs to work together, from the PFF to the UFL, supporters, and sponsors. A good grassroots initiative is the best way to sustain football’s development and make sure it is consistently progressing. It is also critical to have good infrastructure to complement the grassroots program.

Kaya Chris

Let’s take a break from the Azkals for now and move on to Kaya. From the last part of the previous feature, we learned that, at the end of 2012, Chris decided to leave the Stars and Stripes for three stars and a sun. It wasn’t an easy decision, but opportunity knocks but once.

“It wasn’t easy. I like living in the States. My wife was very settled there. We really enjoyed living there, but obviously, the opportunity to continue my development as a coach and continue playing and playing with the national team also helped. It was an opportunity that was too good to turn down.

“I wanted to be part of the academy project, and I wanted to continue my coaching development, and I wanted to be back playing football full-time and get more involved with the national team. Those three things combined and the opportunity from Kaya represented the best option for me.”

Probably the best decision of his life. And since adjusting has never been a problem for Chris, he got down to business as soon as he reached Philippine shores in January 2013. He plays a dual role at the club—maybe even triple—but for now, he is a full-time Kaya player and full-time director of Kaya FC Academy.

After playing for two seasons for Kaya, we felt that it was time to ask him to share his best and worst moments at Kaya so far.

Best?

“We had some very good individual results in my time since I’ve been here. We did the double over Global last year. We had some big wins over Loyola. But nothing really stands out for us. Success can only be measured by trophies, so in that regard, we haven’t really fulfilled our potential.”

Worst?

“Lost some important games. Losing to Global last season. That was disappointing.”

Plagued by injuries in the recently concluded season, the team lost its chance to win the league. Those unfortunate incidents indelibly set the tone for the remainder of the season.But nothing Kaya can’t cope with! These are setbacks any team would endure every season. There is always another to trophy to be won.

“I think if our team stays fit and healthy, we can challenge. Obviously, we need to rebuild and invest in the team and probably bring in some additions, but I think as long as our team is healthy, then we have a good chance. This season, we suffered a lot with our injuries, but that’s probably the main reason we weren’t able to sustain the title challenge. If it had been a double round-robin challenge like the previous year, then we had a better chance.”

Even though Kaya didn’t win the league, the vision and football intelligence of Chris would offer the creativity that helped engineer the team’s superb comeback in some matches. The team had victories founded on late goals and stirring comebacks, and communication was the secret ingredient.

“We just generally speak to each other. That’s become a Kaya trait, coming behind to win. We just speak to each other and talk through what we did wrong then”

You’ll notice that Chris also “coaches” the team during a game—a quick evaluation of options available or decisive interventions at critical times—and it improves everyone’s vision and direction of play. While being an academy coach doesn’t necessarily mean he has to coach the team during an actual match, he does it nevertheless. And any player can do it!

“You don’t have to, but I do it anyway. It’s just about your observation about the game. Observing certain things that are going on during the game and then fixing it. Coming up with solutions to problems that occur during the course of the game so whether you are a coach on the sideline or a player on the field, it doesn’t matter. It’s just you fixing problems or coming up with solutions to win the game. I think I’m a problem solver.”

Playing for Kaya for two seasons now, Chris has shown that it isn’t just his technical ability but also his confidence that infects the team. He has somehow blossomed as a leader, but despite this, he trains as hard as the other players and strives for improvement. “There’s always room for improvement,” Chris pointed out. He is devoted to the club every hour of every day. There’s never a time to put your feet up when it comes to him. He is like 7-Eleven—open 24/7—and we’re not even kidding.

While it seems that it’s all work and play for Chris, he also has a compassionate side that you probably haven’t heard of. From visiting the kids of Kythe at the hospital to partnering with the ICanServe Foundation to promote breast cancer awareness, among other activities, Chris would always relish occasions to use football to connect with other people or support a cause. Because for Chris, it is the little things that make a big difference in the end.

Coach Chris

As Chris recounted in the first part of the feature, coaching has always been his plan B. Playing is one way of expressing his love for football, but there are other ways, and coaching is one of them. His arrival has been a tremendous boon to the academy, which now has approximately 600 players, and people don’t need to worry about favoritism.

“I don’t favor a group. I think there are groups that are better than others, but that doesn’t mean you spend any more or less time on an individual group. There are certain groups that need more work. Therefore, I might step in and work with them, but by large, I take a backseat on the coaching field and let the individual coaches coach the group. My role is more of overseeing the academy as a whole than focusing on an individual age-group.”

Having dealt and worked with all kinds of characters, dealing with the kids is a cinch for Chris, who obviously loves kids. Passing down his knowledge isn’t a problem, and clearly, he is relishing the coaching experience!

“The kids are fantastic! Within the academy, we have a real mix of players who are aspiring to become professional football players, kids who just want to go out and hang out with their friends, kids who are learners and beginners, and kids who are extremely advanced. And I think that’s what the academy is for and why it was set up—so we could encompass players of all ages and abilities, boys and girls. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that people are playing football and we hopefully provide them with a fun and safe environment for them to learn the game.”

We also gathered from Chris that handling the academy isn’t just about grooming them to become players but also as individuals. Kaya FC Academy is not your typical academy! Chris has a vision backed by solid coaching knowledge, and the academy is the recipient of his experience. He also has a history, or story, of hard work and success that translates into action at the academy. There is real substance to Chris that makes him a role model for any aspiring footballer or coach who wants to make it in the future. He seems to be setting an example every session.

“I think the game itself is a good teacher, so football teaches you a number of different things, whether you’re working with the team, how to communicate with one another, and the importance of winning and losing. We can put on sessions that force you to deal with certain aspects that might come to fruition later on in your life. It’s important that we’re good role models in ourselves in everything, from our appearance to how we run our sessions, our organization, to showing up on time and showing dedication and commitment to our players. If we do that, then hopefully that rubs off to the players as well.”

Coaching has some similar aspects to parenting; hence, there is occasionally a need to show the disciplinarian side of coaching. Ultimately, it’s all about balance. Chris doesn’t hammer his students until they’re as coordinated as synchronized swimmers, but he also doesn’t let them run around like headless chickens.

“You have to address that balance between being disciplined and the kids still having fun. It’s no good you being a disciplinarian and the kids are scared of you and the kids are not enjoying themselves. It’s no good if the kids are having a lot of fun but running an absolute riot. Sometimes you have to punish them. We send the little kids to prison. If it’s something serious, maybe you need to speak to their parents. Generally speaking, we haven’t had too many problems with any of the kids. There’s always a time to discipline them, and you just hope you pick the right way to discipline them.”

Chris’s involvement with the academy has even produced quality players. He revealed that there are a lot of players we should watch. We’ve already seen some of them in action in the 2014 Football Alliance Charity Cup (FA Cup), where Kaya won first runner-up. There were no less than seven players from the academy, and they committed themselves to the team until the end.

We saw a good blend of experience and youth, and despite not winning the FA Cup, they came away with victories against Loyola and Pachanga and poignant experiences for progress and improvement. Any team bringing in young players has to show faith and confidence in them so you can let them thrive and succeed, and that’s what Chris, the academy coaches, and the club did.

Looks like we have successfully covered the amazing life of Chris Greatwich, but before we wrap this up, Chris would like to share a piece of advice for any young footballer out there.

“My advice would be to train hard, believe in your own ability, and not having regrets along the way. Football is a very short career, so you have to dedicate yourself in every aspect of your life. So if your friends are going out to parties, you have to stay at home because you have a game the next day. Those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to make a career out of football or if you want to be successful in football. You have to train, and you have train hard every day. You have to continue to practice and have a good attitude towards how you practice and not be goofing around or messing about with your friends. You have to be focused on what your overall goals are going to be. If you want to be a professional football player, you have to address every aspect of your life, not just what you do on the pitch.”

Enough said.

Concluding Chris

Chris got the spotlight, all right, and earned him the recognition of being the hero of the Miracle in Hanoi, a culmination of all his hard work since he was a kid and the result of years of learning and improving his game, occasionally failing and sometimes stumbling but also getting up and rising to the challenge. While it is good to look back on the period that has defined and influenced his career, we have learned from Chris that, at the end of the day, the past is now just a story. It’s not the past (or the goals, in his case) that really defines us but what we do and choose to be. Whatever happens, we don’t stop moving forward, discovering new things, opening new doors, and making a difference.

And besides, Chris still plays for the national team and Kaya, and he plans to carry on making history with them. This may be the end of his feature, but it is only the beginning of something greater. Take on the world, Chris!

Bonus Feature: Unraveling Chris 

In case you haven’t had enough of Chris Greatwich—well, we haven’t—we sat down with Chris for the nth time and peppered him with random questions that fans and supporters might find interesting.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a football player?

Advantages: You get to do something that most people love for a living. Not many people get to do that, and not many people get to do something that they enjoy doing for a living and get paid for it.

Disadvantages: The amount of time consumed by traveling, especially with the national team. You have to spend so much time traveling, waiting at the airport, and staying in hotels. A lot of people think it’s glamorous. It’s not. It’s very difficult to manage your time.

Some young players feel like they’ve already made it once they play on the first team. At what moment did you think you’d made it as a footballer?

I think the moment you think you’ve made it as a footballer is the moment you should give up. Winning one cap is great, but it’s better to win ten caps, twenty caps, fifty caps, and a hundred caps. It’s easier to forget the struggles that everyone went through. There is no defining moment in my career because there’s always another challenge.

What was the first thing you bought with your salary as a professional football player?

When I was sixteen, two of my teammates and I went up to London, and we blew it all there—shopping spree!

If you could change one rule in football, what would it be?

I would implement a challenge system like what they have in tennis, where a coach gets to challenge the decisions that referees make, and a video analysis will determine whether or not the right call was made

Best mates in football?

Everyone at Kaya. Within the national team, most of us get along pretty well. There’s a running joke that the Brits all stick together. Rob, Neil, Phil, James, my brother—we’re all quite close. I think that’s because we all share the same humor. Ray is quite close with us also. We’re not exclusive to only the British guys. I guess I just like hanging out with people who are fun and want to have a good time. It just happens to be the British guys.

Do you have a special routine or superstition before you play a big game?

None.

If you were given the chance to live the life of a football star for a day, who would it be and why?

Paul Scholes. He doesn’t get caught up in all the bull——. He played football for a great club, had a great career, made his money, and goes home and spends it with his family. Perfect.

Who is the best midfielder you’ve seen play the game?

Zidane is good. I like him. Well-balanced player. I used to like strikers growing up, so Gary Lineker was my first real idol. He used to play for England. And Paul Gascoigne. Then I used to like Michael Owen a lot. As I got older, I started to appreciate certain players like Zidane and Paul Scholes, one of my favorite midfield players. Xavi, probably.

Who is Owen Gill? Why does Owen have a special mention on your Wikipedia profile?

My former manager, and he just wrote that. He was joking around. He definitely wasn’t my mentor.

If you were to change one thing in your entire career, what would it be?

I would have played in the final (2014 AFC Challenge Cup), and I would have scored an overhead kick winner at the Challenge Cup. Change that—I would score the equalizer, and at extra time, I would have scored the winner.

How has being a father changed your perspective as a player?

I haven’t really changed as a player. In terms of as a person, I have started thinking of the future now. You can’t just be thinking about things on a day-to-day basis. You have to think about the decisions that you make based on your future and what’s best for you and your whole family.

Do you see yourself pursuing other more serious careers in the industry like being a sports commentator or TV host?

I don’t really like the media thing. I don’t mind doing it from time to time. I don’t wanna be in front of the camera with a microphone.

Do you keep video copies of your goals in a secret folder on your computer that you watch when you’re bored?

No. I wrote a list of goals I wanted to achieve when I was a young kid. I don’t document my seasonal goals.

What are some of the lessons you’ve learned on your journey?

I just learned to enjoy football. You never know when it’s gonna stop. You never know when your last game is going to be. You never know when you’ll get injured. I just want to enjoy playing my football, and right now, I’m doing that, so that’s the most important thing to remember every day when I go training, when I go to games. I just enjoy myself. One day, it’s all gonna be gone. You’ll never get to play again.

What are your remaining career ambitions?

For me, personally, to try to play at the highest level I can for as many years as I can. It would be nice to continue with the national team and to win the league or cup. To continue to play, to enjoy it, and to have fun.

Away from football, what do you like to do? What are your hobbies?

I got a dog, Marley, my beagle. I like walking my dog. My wife and I love spending time with him. We also like watching TV series. Boring stuff. Going out to eat at restaurants and bars.

Name three things you wanted as a child but never got.

We never had any video games growing up. Maybe that was one. Never had that. I can only name one.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever heard or read about yourself?

One time, I went to an event with my wife, and they said that I was Mark Hartmann and she was Mark’s girlfriend. That was the funniest one. The weird thing was that I was with my brother, and they got his name right.

Have you ever faked an American accent?

I have faked it, but my brothers and I are quite good at impressions. My Brian Reid is really good, but my Leigh Manson is better than my Brian Reid.

What’s the most mind-boggling Filipino habit you’ve encountered?

I don’t get the driving. I don’t understand the driving situation. What’s that all about? There are just no rules.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Constant flying, so the ability to fly. Or the ability to turn invisible, but it could be a bit creepy, though. Couldn’t it?

How about teleportation?

Teleportation would be a good one!

Favorite player?

None. I don’t have a favorite player anymore. When I was younger, I used to have favorite players.

Favorite team?

Tottenham because Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne both played for them when I was a kid.

Movies?

The Shawshank Redemption.

TV series?

The Wire.

Artist? Singer? Band?

I like a lot of music. If I could see one band in concert, it would probably be Daft Punk.

Actor?

Denzel Washington.

Actress?

Helen Mirren.

Finish the sentence! I play like …

Frank Lampard.

I spend my money on …

My wife.

Best advice you have given or been given?

What’s done in the dark comes out in the light. It’s one of the phrases I coined.

Describe yourself in five words.

“Funny,” “serious,” “competitive,” “goofy,” and “late.”

ICYMI, you may read “As Told by Chris Greatwich, Part 1” here.