Cebu Football

Mad Dogs hacked out a 5-2 victory via penalty shootout over Hankyu FC to grab the 1st San Roque Summer Football League title yesterday at the San Roque football field. Both teams figured out in a 1-1 draw in regulation, behind the penalty goals of Joshua Fegidero of Mad Dogs and Hankyu’s Rene Inoc. In the shoot-out, Eleazar Toledo, who was named as the best scorer in the tournament sneaked in Mad Dog’s first goal while Hayato Ayabe, Mitsu Tsinukuri, and Raunil Colina added more to nail the title. Inoc scored the lone goal for Hankyu in the shootout after goalkeeper Jesus Singson saved two of the missed attempts. Mad Dogs also got the most number of awards including the MVP that went to Fegidero, Tsinukuri as best midfield and Albert Nangkil as best defender. St. Peter’s Square, on the other hand, finished third after beating Don Bosco FC via penalty shoot-out. St. Peter’s Lemar Baunsit bagged the best striker while Oscar Lemence won the best goalkeeper. The tournament which is sanction...

this plus this makes volleyball interesting Sun*Star Photos by Arni Aclao

There are no updates regarding the football scene for now and the photo below is the reason: Six foot tall, blonde Elisha Galic (the one trying a block) from Australia who is playing at the 5th Asian Under 18 Girls Volleyball Championships. And there are nine teams, with pretty girls in each. I might just decide to put up a volleyball blog! hmm Too bad they are Under 18

THE THREE on the job. Mike's hung over again SINCE there is no football news, lately, it’s time we put the limelight on the other people who makes football interesting in Cebu. Us. Mike T Limpag. Sun*Star Cebu. Sona of The Freeman Marian of Cebu Daily News. Sona is a 2003 Mass Communications graduate from St Theresa’s College, while Marian finished her degree, in 2002. Mike? He graduated from the University of San Carlos with an AB Sociology degree (don’t ask why) just this year, 2005, (again don’t ask why) Sona and Marian are reluctant football writers, but have grown to love watching the game. At first, they were confused with the rules regarding fouls and offside, but have acquired a little amount of understanding of the game. (Given that they have poor tutor who is often hungover) Here’s how the usual coverage goes. Mike shows up first, goes to the table, and becomes a usual nuisance to the refs, and gets back to the sidelines. Sona comes up next and asks, “Asa si marian? Hub...

TOUGH ACTION: Action in the San Roque is tough, as this photo by Sun*Star ace lensman Amper Campaña shows. JOSHUA Fegidero is dangerous, he needs to be marked all the time. Jan Michael Abellana is dangerous, he's a wily player. Don Bosco Alumni FC failed to heed such lessons as they lost a tough 4-3 semi final match against the Mad Dogs FC in the San Roque Summer Football Tournament last Sunday at the San Roque Parish. The mad dogs, culled from a selection of young kids at the Cebu International School and veteran San Roque habitues like Eleazar Toledo will next face Hankyu FC, who survived a shoot out win over host San Roque FC. The transplanted Bacolod player Fegidero struck first in the third minute while Hayato Ayabe doubled the lead in the 10th for an early 2-0 Mad Dogs advantage. Crio Sarchez pulled DB to within one in the 30th for a 2-1 count at the turn. Then things turned around for the bosconians. In a two minute span, Warlo Sabella and Ramie Martin turned the 2-1 defic...

WHERE's the grass? The dying if not dead Cebu City Sports Center football field played host to yesterday's 1st HFC U12 football festival. (pasensya na, wa nakoy laing photo sa Abellana - mike) KIDS in yesterday’s 1st Hiroshi FC U12 Football Festival at the Cebu City Sports Center showed Harou Iwanaga did the right thing in organizing the one day tourney. Six teams showed up and played under the menacing heat of the summer sun, and continued until they were drenched in a sudden rainfall during the finals match between Futbolitos A and Cardex A, with the Futbolitos of Luis Arriesgado winning it easily 6-0. “Boss Harou saw them practice with us daily, and was told that they have no more tournaments, so he decided to put up one,” HFC coach Francis Ramirez said. On the other hand, the one day festival also showed the emerging gap between football generations as the new kids are picking up the game much earlier. “They are playing well at this age, I can’t even kick a ball at their ...

CEBU IN FINALS: The Cebu FA U17 is in the national finals. Will they win it all? Or will it be just like the U19, where they lost a disappointing finals match. Sun*Star photo Ruel Rusillo DESPITE a 7-0 beating from powerhouse Iloilo, the Cebu Football Association Under-17 squad landed in the top two to qualify to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) U-17 National Championships later this year. In its opening game, the CebuFA selection defeated host Dumaguete, 3-2, before that fateful encounter with Iloilo. Iloilo then dealt the hosts a 4-0 defeat to finish first in the Visayas Regional Championships, held last May 18-20. Only three teams joined the regionals, after Bacolod failed to field a team in the event organized in lieu of the Coke Go-For-Goal U-16 National Championships, which was scrapped last year due to financial reasons. Though they are already in the finals, the CebuFA selection is still not sure whether there will be a national finals at all. “During the managers mee...

SHOCKED: The 7-0 beating from Ilo-ilo was shock to veteran mentor, Glen Ramos. Contributed photo by Joel Pascual A day after embarrassing host Dumaguete, the Cebu Football Association selection got its own dose of humiliation in the second playdate of the Philippine Football Federation Boys U-17 Regional Champion-ships at the Silliman University ball field in Dumaguete City. The Cebuano booters were at the receiving end of Iloilo City’s fury, 0-7, a defeat that has left them with a lot of things to ponder. The CebuFA players now hope and pray that Dumaguete will lose to Iloilo City this morrning so that they will clinch the second and last berth into the national finals scheduled to be held in Visayas either in August or October. “This is the first time in my career that the team I am coaching was dumped without scoring a goal. Admittedly, the Iloilo players are more experienced compared to my boys, but the outcome really caught me by surprise to the point that I want to quit from co...

FIRST FORAY: In his first action in the U17, Paolo Pascual conceded just two goals to help CebuFA win, 3-2 over hosts Dumaguete in the PFF U17 Regional Championships. contributed photo by Joel Pascual PLAYING together in a huge field for the first time, the Cebu Football Association adjusted in time for a 3-2 win over Dumaguete City in the Philippine Football Federation Under-17 Regional Championships at the Silliman University field in Dumaguete. “The boys had a hard time because the field was huge and one of them suffered from muscle cramps,” coach Glen Ramos said. Kyle Soriano, fresh from his stint in the Palarong Pambansa, put the visitors up front, 1-0, in the eighth minute before Dumaguete leveled the count 1-all at halftime. “In the first half, the boys were still adjusting. In the second half, they played a little better,” Ramos said. Soriano, who plays for Don Bosco Technological Center, again struck early in the second half as he put Cebu up, 2-1, in the 51st minute and Cebu...

CEBU FA Selection: The best of Cebu with coaches Vincent and Glen Ramos. TUTORIAL: Former national team mainstay Glen Ramos gives out pointers to the CebuFA U17 selection. They are currently in Dumaguete City for the PFF U17 Regional Championships YOUNGEST: Teammates watch Paolo Pascual in practice, at 14, Pascual is the youngest member of the team manning the most dangerous position, goal keeper. Contributed photos by Joel Pascual

SHARP SHARPE: Michael Sharpe (16) joins 14 other Cebuano in the CebuFA U17 squad set to see action in Dumaguete for the PFF U17 Regional Championships. Sharpe scored two goals for Cebu's runner up finish in the National U19 last year. Sun*Star Photo by Ruel Rusillo TEN years after steering Cebu City to the National Under-16 title, Glen Ramos guides a select group of footballers to the Philippine Football Federation U-17 Regional Championships in Dumaguete City. The 15 boys, culled from six rival schools, will put up a united front when they go up against the region’s best, Dumaguete, Iloilo, and Bacolod in the four day tournanment. The U-17 tournament was put up by the PFF since last year’s U-16 competition was cancelled after corporate backer Coca-Cola backed out. In 1995, Ramos steered his wards from Don Bosco Boys Home to the national title. Those who made it to the team after a series of tryouts are Jose Paolo Pascual, Roy Joseph Sembrano and Benedict Luis Arriola of Springdal...

"MOMMY" STRIKE : Queen City United striker Rhodora "Mommy" Toledo pulls a shot in thier finals match against CMOFA last May 15. After a 1-1 draw, QCU keeper Iris Meca stopped the final kicker in the shootout for their 6-5 win. Sun.Star Photo by Arni Aclao IRIS Meca and Junard Aguilar supplied the heroics yesterday as Queen City United and Hiroshi Football Club copped the Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament’s Men and Women's Open titles, respectively, in contrasting fashions at the University of San Carlos-Technological Center. QCU had to go through extra time and a shootout before beating Cagayan de Oro Misamis Oriental Football Association (Cmofa), 6-5, while Hiroshi overcame an endgame onslaught by Don Bosco Alumni Football Club (DBAFC), 2-1. It was a double victory for Hiroshi as its 38-Above squad also took the title with a gritty 1-0 win over QCU earlier, courtesy of Eddie Buot's goal. "They left Eddie alone because he wouldn't run, but the...

ON THE PROWL: Queen City's Rene Menchavez tries to get past a Don Bosco defender in their 2-7 loss in the Cebu Inter Club semifinals last May 14. Sun*Star photo Allan Cuizon IT WAS an anticlimactic semifinals as Hiroshi Football Club and Don Bosco Alumni FC scored easy routs to arrange a finals showdown today in the Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament at the University of San Carlos Gym. Hiroshi FC blanked Futbol Sociedad de Leyte (FSL), 4-0, for its fifth shutout in the tournament, while an undermanned Queen City United (QCU) bowed to DBAFC, 2-7. However, QCU fans can take comfort in the fact that their Ladies team is in the finals after a 4-0 cakewalk over FSL. After a slow start, Martin Bontia hit from left flank for a 1-0 Hiroshi lead going into the second half. Workhorse Junard Aguilar added another at the 55th before Harold Buot and Julius Acre scored their goals at the 81st and 87th minute. Hiroshi will again be missing the services of Ariel Cahilig, who got sent off fo...

RED CARD : Veterans get down and dirty during St Vincent - Hiroshi's 3-2 win over QC in the 38 above division last May 13 at the Sacred Heart School Jesuit field. The QC keeper was later ejected in the game. Sun*Star photo by Allan Cuizon BARELY two months ago, the University of San Carlos ladies were hailed the best in the lot after ruling the Aboitiz Women’s Open. Now they can’t nail even a single win. Mulbachs FC handed the reigning Cebu champion a thorough 5-0 thumping in the Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament at the USC Technological Center. Meanwhile, the semifinals of the Men’s Open will be at USC-TC, while the ladies will be at the Sacred Heart School Jesuit field. “It’s tough, we’re back to square one,” USC coach Dexter Arrojado told Sun.Star Cebu at the sidelines, minutes after Cathy Ramos made it 4-0 in the 47th minute. “We have to rebuild and train new players.” In the first half, Keith Shelly Canton scored in the 21st, before Halei Marmol and Leonor Satorre score...

BUSY KEEPER: Futbol Sociodad de Leyte keeper Lourdes Rojas in action against Queen City. FSL lost 7-0 to QC in their first game,and defeated CMOFA, 2-1 last May 12. Sun*Star photo by Arni Aclao IN JUST a few months, the University of San Carlos Ladies squad has spiraled from being the Cebu Women’s Open champion to being doormats. After losing some of its key players to graduation, USC lost big time to Queen City United, 5-0, in yesterday’s Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field. What was probably more heartbreaking for the USC Ladies was that they were playing against a team with players who were with them just a few months ago. QCU ace-striker Rodora Toledo scored a one against her former team at the second minute and Jan Salac buried the reigning Women’s champion deeper with a hat trick. Salac got past Sharmaine Cambiador at the 14th and 23rd for a 3-0 lead going into the final half. A change of goalkeepers didn’t fare well for USC as Salac c...

HEAD OVER HEELS: A hiroshi player gets close and intimate with the football in their 7-0 win over Leyte last May 11 at the SHS J feild Sun*Star photo by Allan Cuizon IT’S not only the top men and lady players who are having fun in the 1st Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament at the University of San Carlos-Technological Center and Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field, but also the golden boys in the 38-Above division. The combined Queen City-Dads United managed to endure the heat and desert-like field to eke out a 2-1 win over Hiroshi St. Vincent at the SHS-J field yesterday. Meanwhile, a lucky break in the last minute allowed QC to even up with Don Bosco Alumni FC, 1-1, in the Men’s Open. QC-Dads’s line-up features familiar football figures like Lito and Vincent Ramos and Renato Yap, while Hiroshi has Felimon Ylaya, Bebe Acre, Eddie Buot, Venerando Bagano and Harou Iwanaga. And as a “sign of respect” to the veterans, organizers have decided to adopt a flying substitution scheme in th...

VETERAN MOVES: Action in the 38 above division of the Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament Sun*Star photo by Arni Aclao Perhaps Hiroshi needed more room to really show their stuff. A day after being held to a scoreless draw, the Hiroshi Football Club found their groove after routing erstwhile unbeaten Queen City United 6-1, in the 1st Cebu Inter Club Invitational Tournament at the University of San Carlos. Despite the loss, Queen City, who plays Don Bosco Football Club today, is still on top of the standings with two wins, with Hiroshi at second with a win and a draw. Last Monday, they were held to a scoreless draw against the DBFC at the cramped Sacred Heart School Jesuit field while playing well against Queen city in the roomier USC TC field. The game also had an interesting sub plot, as it featured former members of the Carmen National School and current University of the Visayas squad playing against each other. Josaphat Sacil, Ivan Dimco and coach Mario Ceniza are with Queen ...

KTEC in action: Hiroshi's Frederick Alazas pulls a save. Sun*star photo by Arni Aclao JOSHUA Fegidero’s hat trick carried host Queen City United to a 3-2 win over the University of San Carlos (USC) in yesterday’s Cebu Inter-Club National Invitational Tournament at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field. It was QCU’s second win after an easy 6-0 rout over Futbol Sociedad de Leyte in their first game last Sunday. Meanwhile, midfielder-turned-goalkeeper Frederick “Ktec” Alazas came up with a timely save as Hiroshi drew with Don Bosco Alumni FC, 0-0, in the first game. After an early miss by Rene Menchavez, Fegidero found him streaking towards USC keeper Peter Babiera for the first goal at the 25th minute. However, Fegidero’s effort went to naught after a defensive miscommunication had Yancy Menchavez’s intended back pass streaking past own keeper Beth Pius to level the count at the 27th. Early in the second half, Fegidero drove from left and flicked a shot towards the bottom corner to ...

Goal scorer: Rhodora Toledo scores one of her two goals in Queen City's 7-0 win. Sun*Star photo by Arni Aclao THE Futbol Sociedad de Leyte lady booters, competing in the Cebu Inter Club National Invitational Tournament to test their mettle, found themselves on the receiving end of a 7-0 bashing by Queen City United in the opener yesterday at the University of San Carlos-Technological Center (USC-TC). “If they want experience, this is the right way to gain experience,” said an observer of the Leyte team, composed mainly of high-school players from Ormoc National High School and University of the Philippines-Tacloban. The Men’s opener was just as lopsided as Queen City defeated FSL, 6-0. Against the QCU, composed of USC alumni and the forerunners of ladies football in Cebu, the action was predictably kept on the Leyte side. Rhodora Toledo sneaked in the first goal off Carmel Colina’s cross at the third minute, and at the 12th reversed roles as she fed Colina for an early 2-0 lead. Co...

Action in San Roque Sun*Star photo by Amper Campaña The Cebu Amateur Football Club's ambitious program will have its low key start today with the opening of the 1st CEbu Inter Club national Invitational Tournament at the University of San Carlos. Club president Joel Catan, tournament director Richard Montayre and head coach Mario Ceniza wants to make the tournament an annual affair and have it calendared by the Philippine Football Federation so the other provinces can prepare for it. "We want to make it annual, and definitely by next year, we willhave more teams because we will be adding the age group divisions," Catan said. The organizing club have dangled a hefty P30,000 top purse in the Men's Open, which will feature teams from outside Cebu as well as host Queen City United, Don Bosco and reigning Cebu champion Hiroshi Football Club. In the ladies division, P20,000 will go to the winners and teams who will be joining are from Cagayan, Leyte, USC, Mulbachs and Que...

HIROSHI team owner Harou Iwanaga extends his umbrella of blessing to the Under-12 kids with the Hiroshi Football Festival on May 22 at the Cebu City Sports Center. “I noticed that they practice regularly but when I asked them if they have a tournament, they said no,” Iwanaga said during a meeting with the media early this week. “I really want to give opportunities to more players and I am thinking of a long-term project for kids. If we can’t get them into sports, they’d do other things, maybe drugs,” Iwanaga said. Iwanaga has been supporting the Hiroshi Football Club, composed mostly of players from Brgy. Sambag I, and also has softball, volleyball, and baseball teams. “We will give certificates and trophies to the participants of the Hiroshi Football Festival, but no money because we don’t want them to have that kind of attitude,” Hiroshi coach Francis Ramirez said. Iwanaga is hopeful that the one-day football fiesta would be a success and looks forward to holding more tournaments for...

IT WAS a case of being with the right person at the right time. Yesterday at the Scoop Forum at Baseline Restaurant, Mario Ceniza and Richard Montayre of the Cebu Amateur Football Club (CAFC) announced their intention to make their 1st Cebu Inter-Club Invitational National Tournament an annual affair, but again pointed out the lack of a decent football field in City. “We are hoping that the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) can negotiate with the City Government for a football field in the South Reclamation Project (SRP),” said Montayre, the tournament director. Just two seats away from him sat Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Jonathan Guardo, who was also there to talk about Cebu City’s participation to the Arafura Games. “Actually, it has been Mayor Osmeña’s plan to put up a Sports Village, but it has been delayed because of the conflicts,” Guardo said. Cebu City and Talisay City earlier tangled in a dispute on the ownership of 54 of the 295 hectares in the SRP. Recently, the De...

“I wanted them to try out for the national team,” Hiroshi team owner Harou Iwanaga clarified the issue which ran in this paper last Sunday, regarding his players non participation in the two day trials for the RP training pool conducted by national coach Aries Caslib last week. “Aries came to us on Wednesday, and I asked my players who wanted to try out for the team, and nobody said yes,” Iwanaga said during a press briefing at his office with coach Francis Ramirez. “The next day, we were surprised because we lacked seven players, two were absent and five joined the tryouts,” Ramirez said. It was at that point that Iwanaga got mad, because the players didn’t inform him, the coach nor the team captain of their intention of joining the tryouts that was held April 28 and 29. “So that night, I named them one by one, all nine of them, and told them to attend the trials, but that afternoon, they said they weren’t able to wake up in time,” Iwanaga explained. “We ...

GET a load of this football fans - an annual national football tournament here in Cebu. The re-invigorated Cebu Amateur Football Club will be staging its 1 st Cebu Inter Club Invitational National Tournament on May 7 – 14 at the University of San Carlos – Technological Center and the Sacred Heart School Jesuit field. “This is actually the fifth time we held this tournament but it is the first time that we have decided to go national,” club president Joel Catan said during the tourney’s press conference at Tequilla Joe. The tournament will initially have three categories this year, the Men’s and Ladies Open and the 38 above division, though they are planning for a bigger one next year. “Most of the members of our club now have sons or daughters who are into sport and we want to support them, definitely next year, we will have an age group category,” Catan said. Tournament director Richard Montayre said that they are expecting teams from Ormoc, Davao, ...

OLIVER Colina (no 19) got an early birthday gift from national coach Aries Caslib – a spot in the RP training pool. The former University of San Jose Recoletos standout and Exas point-man, who turns 23 on May 7th impressed Caslib in the two scrimmages held Thursday and yesterday at the University of San Carlos field. “He’s a good midfielder who can make the dangerous forward pass and he can also take that long shot,” Caslib said during a brief talk after his visit with the kids at the Pabol Football Academy. Meanwhile, Cebuano football players missed their chances after only five of the 17 showed up in the early session yesterday. “Maybe, these are the only ones who are really interested,” Caslib reportedly told Cebu Football Association president Jonathan Maximo. For his part, Colina is elated by his selection. “This is a dream come true for me, I’ve been waiting for this, though I have to take care of other things because this came as a surprise,” said Colina. “I’m thinking of where ...

Keeper in Action : Paref Springdale U15 goal keeper pulls one of his saves in helping his team finished third in the Philippine Football Fiesta in Barotac Nuevo last April. He is the son of Joel Pascual, who learned his football in Polomolok, South Cotabato contributed photo by Joel Pascual

Dive or tackle : A Fairchild player hits the dirt after a tackle from a Ragmo defense. The two teams drew 1-1 in thier game last Sunday. Sun*Star photo Amper Campaña

IT USED to be the San Roque Parish field in Wireless, Mandaue was a beehive of games during weekends. That was before the football scene there died and the players stopped playing. But the former football hotbed is slowly recovering and its second step to recovery began yesterday with the 2nd San Roque Summer Football League, an eight-team competition, which is a project of Exas and Cebu International School coach Eleazar Toledo. Though he steered Exas to two runner-up finishes last year in the Aboitiz Cup and Champions League, Toledo showed no mercy to his former team as he helped eked out a 3-2 comeback win by the Mad Dogs over Exas in the opener. Vincent Bordalba got past Jesus Singson Jr. at the 22nd minute and Lemar Baunsit followed suit five minutes later for an early 2-0 lead. Singson played defense in the second half and CIS’ Red Miguel came in as the Mad Dogs slowly came alive. Joushua Fegidiro finally ended the scoring drought after hitting his mark at the 64t...