Walkout mars Cesafi final day

RISING tempers and a walkout marred the final pairing of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. football match-ups yesterday at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field.

University of Cebu (UC) and defending champion University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) were tied at 1-1 when UC left the field with 28 minutes left.

In the other games, Kurt Acre scored thrice to lead the University of the Visayas (UV) to a 10-1 win over Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT), while University of San Carlos (USC) blanked University of Southern Philippines (USP), 3-0.

The walkout was triggered by an alleged non-call by ref Michael Culibra on a foul on UC's goalkeeper Jovie Sacad during a scuffle that resulted to Jade Paghubasan scoring the equalizer for USJ-R in the 72nd minute.

"Sacad was bumped by a teammate (not by USJ-R players), Culibra said. "But even before that, Paghubasan already scored the goal."

Players from other schools who watched the game also said that it was a teammate who bumped Sacad.

"Nag-unay sila (They bumped each other)," a UV player said.

At that point, UC players left the field and went to their coach, Glen Ramos, who said he was "trying to cool them down."

"Init na ka-ayo ang duwa (Play was already very rough)," Ramos, a former national team mainstay, said. "It's in the laws of the game; we should always protect the goalkeeper but the referee has already made his decision and the ref is always right."

In the first half, Culibra ejected USJ-R striker Joseph Buglosa for trying to hit Sacad after the goalkeeper secured the ball. UC's Randy Gandiongco, who scored the goal and USJ-R Mark Buglosa were also cautioned.

Cesafi tournament manager Bro Mari Aberasturi tried to convince UC to return but failed.

"Mo-concede na lang daw sila, kay init na kaayo ang duwa," Aberasturi said. (They decided to concede the game because the game was already very rough.)
Things took another twist when UC decided to return to play after Culibra had already signaled the end of the match and had already changed clothes. The decision to stop the game was not changed.

Meanwhile, Aberasturi is still to decide whether to the win to USJ-R or declare the game a draw.

If USJ-R gets the win, it will earn three points and dislodge USC at second place on goal difference. USJ-R will be at third if the game is declared a draw, which is worth one point.

In next Sunday's semifinals, the first-place UV will take on the third placer, while the second-placer will take on fourth-ranked USP.