Heads-Up Battle: Kaholeros vs. Ultras Filipinas

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In the Philippines, you usually hear the loud drumbeats and the louder noise of cheering squads in college basketball games, but in Europe, if you're hearing similar chants, you might be watching a live soccer match. That's something these two pep squads would want to infuse in our minds. With the rise to power of the Philippine Azkals in the international stage and the UFL to the pro soccer scene, don't be surprised if you will hear them shout it out loud to pep the players out. However, they have become the subjects of debates from not just the hardcore soccer fanatics but also by other sports geeks out there. The debate took the short cut to the boiling point during the Philippine Football Peace Cup won by the Azkals. So let's settle the score here.

Tale of the Tape

Name: Kaholeros

Age: I don't know

Height: I don't know

Weight: I don't know

Claim to Fame: The first Azkals Pep Squad

First up, the Kaholeros. They were formed soon after the Azkals' claim to fame, their impressive showing in the AFF Suzuki Cup featuring their 2-0 thrashing of Vietnam. They were everywhere during the games, especially when the national team plays at home. What's more cool about them: they also care for the environment. They bring in empty 5-gallon water bottles, putting water in some of them to create better sound effects, and use them as drums. You would usually see them at the non-roofed side of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Everyone now calls them the official Azkals pep squad...

Name: Ultras Filipinas

Age: I don't know

Height: I don't know

Weight: I don't know

Claim to Fame: The other Azkals Pep Squad

Wait! Who the heck are these guys with scarfs, louder voices, and a lot of swag? I don't know when the Ultras Filipinas really started, but the first time I saw them was during the FIFA Friendly battle between the Azkals and Indonesia. And these guys want to pep the crowd way before the kickoff. From the Torre Lorenzo along the intersection of Taft and Ocampo Avenues, the Ultras marched to the Rizal Memorial Football Field beating their lone drum and chanting their lungs out. Formed out of most members of the UFL pep squads of Kaya and Air Force and some from the other pep squads, They're one in boosting the Azkals' morale. Slowly but surely, they've become more noticed. Now, more people joined, even bringing along their own instruments, and the Ultras became wilder. Even Ebong Joson, the PFF official more popularly known as the blue-haired fan, liked Ultras a lot. What's so cool about them: Despite cheering too much for the Azkals, they still pay respect for the other teams. In fact, they even pepped the Taiwanese team during their Peace Cup game against, guess who, the Azkals!