Cebu Football

This is the lady of Cebu football (the blog not the scene) dont you wish she'd put on spikes and prance around the field? Check her blog at http://princess-chikay.blogs.friendster.com/princess_chikay/ Peace.

CEBUANO footballer Oliver Colina and two other former Cebu-based players are a step closer to their dream of making it to Philippine team for a Southeast Asian Games (Seag). The 23-year-old Colina was tapped b y national coach Aries Caslib for the RP team to a pre-Seag tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, which started yesterday until Sept 10. Colina's name appeared in the line-up for the Bangkok tournament released yesterday. "This is a dream come true for me, I've been waiting for this. This came as a surprise," Colina told Sun.Star Cebu after he received the call a few days before he turned 23 last May 7. Colina played for the University of San Jose-Recoletos and was a regular in the Exas Football Club. "He's a good midfielder who can make a dangerous forward pass and he can also take that long shot," Caslib said of Colina. Former Cebu-based players Johneil Bapor and Arnie Pasinabo are also in the national team. Bapor replaced another Cebu player, Michael

HOPING to upgrade the level of coaching in Cebu and promote camaraderie among its ranks, a football coaches association of Cebu has been organized - the first of its kind the country. Though they are still to come up with a name and bylaws for their registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the 37-member group has elected its set of officers three weeks ago. Don Bosco Technological Center athletic director Bro. Marie Aberasturi was named president together with former national team member and noted youth coach Mario Ceniza as vice president. "Our main objective is the development of coaches in Cebu since that is really what we lack despite the success of football here," Ceniza told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday. Other elected officers are Bright Academy's Eleazar Toledo as secretary general, University of Cebu's Glen Ramos as auditor and Levi Bajarias as treasurer. Elected to the board of directors were University of the Visayas' Eddie Buot, Univer

TWO weeks before the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Incorporated football season is set to start, organizers are caught in an imbroglio after the eligibility of two University of the Visayas players were questioned. Ricky Flores' and Venjor Gomera's eligibility for the 2005 season set to start on Sept 4 were questioned by their former University of Cebu coach Glen Ramos. The two were former members of the Abellana National School team in 2004 under coach Francis Ramirez, who also serves as UV assistant coach, before attending the University of Cebu after graduation. They played for UC in the Cesafi last year and then transferred to the University of the Visayas in the second semester and their eligibility to play was questioned by UC head coach Glen Ramos. In Cesafi regulations, a transferee must have a one-year residency before he is eligible to play for his new school, a ruling which discourages player piracy. However, the ruling is not as clear on the two as theirs is a un

I have a confession to make. I was a football fanatic. Once, in The Days Without Cable, my friends and I rented a tape between Argentina and West Germany – the 1990 World Cup Finals. We viewed it twice in succession, and saw how Rudy Voeller got tripped in the penalty area, and how Maradona, pleaded with the ref to reconsider the penalty call. Maradona had his hands on his back, his right, clasped on the wrist of his left. We debated on that. He’s not supposed to wear that wristband that’s why he’s hiding it, a friend said. I said, heck, he just wanted to be the good guy, hands behind the back, begging the ref. After taking a one goal lead, I remember, the Argentine keeper (no 12) dived in the right direction, but didn’t catch the shot (by Voeller I think), the West Germans decided on delaying tactics, passing the ball to the keeper and so on. A year after that, Fifa disallowed the backpass. I remember, that year, of wearing No 3, Rudy’s Jersey (coincidentally my girl friend then had

CEBU's Center for Football Excellence (CFE) formally opens shop tomorrow with the trials for the promising youngsters at the University of San Carlos SVD field. The CFE, one of three in the country and headed by noted Cebuano youth coach and former national team mainstay Mario Ceniza, will train an elite group of kids born 1992-93, in a program designed to prepare them for the senior national team pool in the future. "I have already informed the schools of the trials this Saturday, and we had to squeeze it in because we have a very tight schedule," Ceniza said. After the trials, the boys will be busy with the Milo Little Olympics next week and the Aboitiz Cup. Other coming tournaments are the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) high school competition and the Cebu City Olympics. "I hope we will have 40 to 50 participants in the tryouts, so from them we can select the top 20 to 25 players," Ceniza said. The trials, set at 8-9 a.m., will have the boys d

ALONE: A Sacred Heart School player tries to get the ball from Cebu International School's Mara Reina, while Holly Dychangco and Stephanie Sharpe watches. CIS won 1-0 to take the Girls 17 under title in the San Roque Football fiesta. Sunstar photo by Ruel Rosillo THE Cebu International School made a killing in the Under-17 division of the San Roque Football Festival over the weekend at the San Roque Parish. The CIC Girls squad, the same team that finished runner-up in the International Schools Athletic Conference last summer at Brent School in Manila, went undefeated in the elimination round and then narrowly defeated upstart Sacred Heart School for Girls, 1-0, behind Presley Cunningham's goal to win the title. Others who suited up for CIS in the two-day fiesta were Mara Reina, defender Holly "The Tank" Dychangco, keeper Danica Ronquillo, Danica Lotzoff, Stephani Sharpe and Gabi Mercado. On the other hand, CIS' Boys squad led by Michael Sharpe, Paolo Cases and kee

SPRINT: Cebu International School's Holly "The Tank" Dychangco tries to outrun a Sacred Heart School for Girls player in thier 1-0 win in the Girls U17 division of the San Roque Football Festival last weekend. Sunstar Photo Ruel Rusillo THE M. Lhuillier-Canduman Elementary School grassroots program is starting to pay off as the school copped its first title in the Under-8 division of the San Roque Football Festival at the San Roque Parish yesterday. The team went undefeated in the eliminations and did not concede a single goal for a 4-0-1 win-loss-draw record before beating Pomery, 1-0, in the semifinals to arrange a finals showdown with Paref-Springdale. Canduman sealed its title after Joseph Jims Felicilda and John Dexter Espiritu scored a goal each in their 2-1 win over Springdale, which had Aldrich Pelenio score its lone goal. Mario Ceniza heads the M. Lhuillier-Canduman project, which aims to duplicate its highly successful Carmen National School program that Graeme

IT WASN'T meant to be. In its first Philippine Football Federation National Women's Championship finals, Queen City United fell short and got on the wrong end of a 5-0 blowout by defending champion and host Davao City yesterday at the Tiongko field. "They (Davao) are very good and very tough on defense," said former University of San Carlos player Dione, who was with QCU, the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) representatives. Former national team member Leonor Satorre scored once in the first half, and Davao added another goal for a 2-0 lead at the turn. Davao made it 3-0 in the second half before Satorre completed her hat trick, while Crystal Dureza scored last as Davao cruised to its fifth straight win in the tournament, sealing its second straight national title. In all their five wins, Davao City did not concede a single goal and racked up whooping routs against South Cotabato (8-0) and Zamboanga (11-0) in the elimination round. "I think their goal keeper on

Queen City United booked the first finals seat in the Philippine Football Federation National Women's Championship with a 2-1 comeback win over Cagayan at the Tiongko Field in Davao City. They will play the winner of the Davao City - Iloilo game with Davao leading 3-0 as of the moment. Cagayan got the lead five minutes into the second half before Rhodora Toledo scored in the 76th minute to level the match and Marlou Solon came up with the game winner two minutes from time with a shot inside the penalty box

AFTER three straight wins, Queen City United will have to add two more to clinch the coveted Philippine Football Federation National Women's Championships at the Tiongko Field in Davao City. Their first hurdle is their semifinal match up against Cagayan this afternoon with the winner taking on the winner of the other semis between defending champion Davao City and Ilo-ilo tomorrow. In their first match, they defeated Ilo-ilo 2-1, then blanked Iligan 3-0 before sending Rizal home, 3-0. "We are just relaxing today because tomorrow (today) we know that Cagayan really prepared for us, and we have prepared for them also," team captain Jan Salac said. Salac and QCU defeated Cagayan 6-5 on shoot out to take the Cebu Invitational Football Cup title last May at the University of San Carlos. "We have seen and studied their plays, just as they have studied ours, however, we will be using different tactics tomorrow," Salac said. Today's semifinal is also a chance for Sa

QUEEN City United (QCU) hit its elimination-round target after a 3-0 win over Rizal in the Philippine Football Federation National Women's Championships at the Tiongko Field in Davao City. The win put the Cebuanas on top of Group B with a perfect 3-0 card, which pits them against Cagayan de Oro in the crossover semifinals tomorrow. Defending champion Davao City topped Group A and will take on Iloilo, which finished second to Cebu after a 2-0 win over Iligan yesterday, in the semifinals. QCU coach Richard Montayre had told Sun.Star Cebu before leaving for Davao that the team will aim to top its group in the elimination round. Wily striker Rhodora Toledo made up for her scoring drought in their first two wins (2-1 over Iloilo and 3-0 over Iligan) as she came up with two goals in their second straight shutout win. Toledo banged in a follow-up of her own shot in the 33rd minute for a 1-0 lead by QCU, which is representing the Cebu Football Association in the eight-team tournament. &quo

TWO down, one to go. Cebu's Queen City United got off to a roaring start as it defeated Iloilo, 2-1, in the opening match of the Philippine Football Federation National Women's Open Championship at the Tiongko Field yesterday. QCU then chalked up win number two with a 3-0 bashing of Iligan City last Wednesday to book a semis spot. "They played very well. I told them not to give Iloilo a chance to shoot and they were able to do that," coach Richard Montayre said. "I think we controlled 70 percent of the game." Midway into the first win, Katherine Bejec one-timed a cross from left flank past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. Ivy Jane Bongcasan doubled the lead early in the first half after getting a pass from Rhodora Toledo, who broke away from her defender. Still, Iloilo refused to give up and got one courtesy of an alleged miscall by the referee late in the second half. "The player was clearly offside but the linesman didn't see it so the ref called th

Got this email from (ethel_sanchez@acesaatchi.com.ph), I guess, she could use some help so I posted this here. If you have time to waste for friendster, please answer this. Hi guys, My apologies... I know this email is unexpected since I only got your addresses from the Philippine Football Federation website. I'm Ethel Sanchez, a Junior Strategic Planner at Ace Saatchi Advertising. Right now, I'm working on a small research about football in the Philippines, specifically about its players. I do hope you can spare a few minutes and answer the following questions. Your help will truly be appreciated... Thanks so much in advance! Here are the questions: 1) Where do you usually hang out during your spare time? 2) Why are you into football? What do you like most about it? What benefits do you get out of playing? 3) Are you the type who: (please choose all that applies to you) a. likes to play football only physically b. likes to play but do so other than physically (vi

THE good news for Cebu Football just keep on pouring. After the plan of the University of San Carlos to put up a world class football field, the introduction of two divisions in the Men's Open comes another news, noted youth coach Mario Ceniza is selected as one of only three coaches in the country to head the Center for Football Excellence. Last June Ceniza, together with 40 other coaches joined the CFE Coaching Course in Bago City. "I thought that those who joined were already selected for the CFE," Cebu Football Association president Jonathan Maximo said, "But it turned out, only three of them were selected by the Philippine Football Federation and the Asian Football Confederation." Maximo received the confirmation last Saturday in a form of a contract between Ceniza, the CebuFA, the PFF and the AFC. The other CFEs will be in Dipolog and Dumaguete City. "Mario Ceniza has proven himself a competent and qualified coach during the CFE coaching course,"

The last time I played a full game of football, FVR was still drumbeating about his Philippines 2000 program. Not a few years, barrels of beer, truck loads of cigarettes later, I donned my oft ignored football spikes I bought last December, last Sunday. Last time I played, I remember having the usual "cycle," You start playing, and gradually pace yourself for the long run ahead, and about in the middle of the second half, your feet feels a little bit hot, then, you feel a sharp pain in your side, and you mouth dries up a little. Last Sunday, Aug 14, I cycled up in the first two minutes of the game. It used to be, at the middle of the match, I could still shout but yesterday, I couldnt. I just clapped to get the team's attention for a pass. Boy, I guess, for once the government is right, Cigarette smoking is really bad for your health. The newsroom in our office is on the second floor, third if you count the mezannine, I guess, I'll have to come up with an excuse to

FOOTBALL in Cebu is set to take the next big leap as the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) is planning to put up two divisions for the Men's Open this year. This is also in line with the thrust of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) to encourage provincial football associations to put up leagues of their own. The PFF will put the provincial champions in an Area League. The first division of the Aboitiz League will be eight of the top teams in the city while the other teams will play in the second division. "They (coaches) welcome the idea," said CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo in an interview yesterday. Maximo met with the coaches Thursday to bring up the plan and discuss changes in the football calendar this year. "This is also good because there will also be relegation and promotion, and there is stricter hold on the players," Hiroshi Football Club coach Francis Ramirez said in an interview last Friday. Relegation is when the two lowest rank teams in th

THE UNIVERSITY of San Carlos lady booters are ready to avenge their losses to Iloilo and Davao City when they represent Cebu City in the Philippine Football Federation National Women's Cup at the Tiongko field in Davao City on Aug. 16-23. "The last time we played Iloilo in 2001 we lost, and against Davao we scored first but also lost," team captain Jan Salac said during yesterday's Scoop forum at Baseline Restaurant. Salac is playing in her third National Championship along with Bontic Ocampo, who also attended the forum yesterday. In their first attempt in 2001, they managed to salvage third place, while in their second try in 2003, they failed to reach the semifinal round. This time around, after months of constant training under Richard Montayre, they are confident of a better finish in the tournament, which also has teams from Zamboanga, Iligan, Rizal, South Cotabato, Cagayan, Iloilo and defending champion Davao. "This time the team is more confident and has

AFTER winning the CIFC Cup, Rhodora Toledo and QCU goes to the National Women's Championship . Sunstar file photo QUEEN City United is ready to face the best of the country when it represents the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) in the Philippine Football Federation National Women's Championship at the Tiongko field in Davao City on Aug. 16-23. "We have been practicing four times a week for the past two months," QCU coach Richard Montayre said, "So far, I am satisfied with the team's performance." Montayre is aiming for the group leadership to avoid a semifinal clash against the defending champion Davao City and will face Iloilo in the opening match on Tuesday. Cebu is in Group B with Iloilo, Iligan and Rizal, while Davao is in Group A with Zamboanga, South Cotabato and Cagayan. "The teams in our group are all good," Montayre said, "but we will aim for the top spot." QCU is made up of Iris Meca, Lady Ocampo, Janice Dalisay, Cristina

GOOD news for Pinoy football fans. The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is set to strengthen the club system in the country and will put up a national league in the next two years. The move is also in line with the Asian Football Confederation's thrust to help the Philippines and other struggling nations with the staging of the AFC President's Cup, a tournament for country's like Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Timor "We were not able to participate in the first AFC Cup because we did not have a national league," Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) president Jonathan Maximo said. Maximo attended the PFF board of governor's meeting last Saturday in Manila, where the PFF announced the plan to put up a national league in 2007. The PFF plans to start in the provincial football associations (FA). "The plan is for each FA to put up a league,

*I was browsing my old stories and I came up with one written on February 15 2001. I wonder whatever happened to this.* Mike IN A move that could reap huge dividends for Philippine football, the organizers of the Prama Cup and the Philippine Football Federation will meet on Monday to discuss the new tournament and could come up with a common stand. *(what dividends? - Mike) Prama Cup coordinator Mari Martinez told Sun.Star that his group will sit down with Chris Monfort and Rene Adad of the PFF to talk about the Football For Peace, a 10-year program sponsored by the Philippine Retirement Authority Members Association and the United Nationals Information Center. (Prama still alive? -Mike) Earlier, reported rifts between the two groups began to circulate after the PFF reportedly threatened teams who will join in Prama of being banned from PFF tourneys. Monfort, the PFF secretary general, belied the report and said that there was no memo and that PFF, being committed to the development

(*note written after watching the ISAC meet in Brent last summer) I’ve been watching men’s football ever since I started kicking a ball and I started covering football in 1997 as a gangly reporter for The Freeman. Then, I’d drag myself to the Cebu City Sports Center, catch the first game until the last every Sunday. (That was before I met red horse and got insomnia) For me, it was a bliss. Now, we have women’s football. For a fan like me, women’s football is like having your cake and eating it too, plus a nice plate of French fries,a dish of calamares, a plate of grilled pork chop and a round of beer (you get the drift?) I mean, who wouldn’t want to see girls chase a ball around? So here’s my take on the battle of the sexes, at least limited on the football field shall we? Women listen. Observe the normal men’s game, and you’d see, nay, hear the coach bellowing instructions from the sidelines, guys on the field continue to do their mistake. Coach, says to take it easy. Guy on the f

Vietnam - FOR the third straight year, the Republic of Luzon bagged the gold medal of the Dirty Politics event in the 26th Southeast Asian Games here with Republic of Visayas and Thailand taking the next two spots. Three time gold medallist, Pinggoy Estradum, was flawless in the entire week, as he showed fans new and unique ways to steal government funds, while the other players kept to the usual cut back and percentage tactics. Fans of Dirty Politics, which is now taking over football as the most watched sport in Asia, saw a unique steal from Pinggoy, who also won the 24th and 25th edition of the games, as he stole P3 billion in just three days to run away with the gold medal. The total amount allocated to be stolen was only P2billion and where Pingoy got the other P1 billion had the judges giving him the medal. As per agreement, the stolen amount will be returned to the organizers and Pingoy has given the P2 billion back, while the other players did not return their loot saying the

This blog will temporarily shutdown owing to a temporary mental break down of the author (ugly face shown above). Beer and more alcohol has been prescribed for his immediate recovery.

LIKE fairy godmothers for a neglected orphan, Philippine football's supporters still haven't stopped helping the sport even if it means doing the work themselves. Cancer stricken Kai Stevens maintains pinoyfootball.bravehost.com, a site where reports about football in the country are gathered. Aside from that, Stevens also spots Fil-foreigners abroad while giving them info how to contact the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). In a recent e-mail, the US-based Stevens said he wants to visit the country next year to promote the site aggressively. "One of our goals in the near future is to visit the Philippines and promote, introduce the website to those who don't know about it yet. We feel that for us to gain the full approval, acceptance from the football fans, we need to interact with them, go to as many soccer events as possible, pass out PFC T-shirts and pamphlets," he said. "Basically, let them know that we're out there, that we care and that we'

CEBU Football Association president Jonathan Maximo is set to raise the issue of fan support and the move of an independent foundation to put up a domestic league in the country in the next Philippine Football Federation board of governors meeting on Saturday. Football fans have come up with a name, Askals, for the national team and are planning to reproduce shirts with a logo for those who will watch the 23rd Southeast Asian Games this November in Bacolod. "I will ask how much support the PFF will give for the fans in the Seag," Maximo said. Maximo is also planning to organize a Cebu delegation of fans who will travel together during the Seag. As for the national league, a Manila-based foundation has contacted the PFF about their plan to put up a football school and the Paulino Alcantara Cup next year. "This is a very nice concept," Maximo said, "I will ask the PFF of their stand." However, a source with the foundation said that the response from the PFF