Cebu Football

BACOLOD City – The theme song of the reality series Pinoy Big Brother has always been a hit during lulls in the football game, but now it seems apt. Oliver Colina, who trained with the team since April before getting cut two days before the competition, said that they felt like they were on the hit shows. “Mura pud mig Pinoy Big Brother, except that we have cell phones,” said the 23-year-old alumni of the University of San Jose-Recoletos during an impromptu party at the Draft bar after the team lost, 4-2, to Myanmar. Colina explained that they just played card to pass the time since they were not allowed to watch TV, when they trained at the Ultra. “Lights out is also at 10 p.m. and if you violate that you’d be fined,” Colina said. In the Thailand pre-Southeast Asian Games tournament, Colina said that he was fined $4 for violating the lights out time. “It’s ok because the fines are used to buy pasalubongs for the people who cook for us at Ultra,” Colina said. Colina said that for the S...

BACOLOD City – For 15 minutes, every fan at the packed Panaad Park and Stadium was on a high, with the Philippines leading Malaysia 2-1, the semifinal in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag) seemed with in reach. However, there was no story book ending for the under-dogs, nor a reappearance of the Ghost 0f '91. Malaysia, with more experience and getting some of the calls their way, came back for a 4-2 win. The loss dropped the Philippines to third place and out of running for the final four spots. "The level of officiating should improve," coach Aries Caslib said. However, Caslib refused to blame the loss on bad calls, "That's why football is a beautiful game, it's really the referee's call," For his part, fan favorite James Younghusband said, "This has been the worse officiating I've been on," The Azkals were down to 10 in the 23rd, after referee Norizan Bin Bakar booked Peter Jaugan for his second yellow for rushing towards a Malay...

BACOLOD City – The Philippines will take on Malaysia today, in its final match in Group A of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag) football at the Panaad Park and Stadium. The Azkals will be hoping to score a repeat of the '91 Seag, when they qualified for its first semifinal round, and with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo expected to attend the game together with another 30,000 rabid fans expected, the team are expected to give it all. Meanwhile, football fans in the rest of the country will have to pray hard that ABC will carry the game live, just as it did in the Philippines 4-2 win over Cambodia. "We really don't know if we will be on live, in volleyball, we only learned that we will be live in the last second," one of the ABC crew said. The Cambodia-RP game was aired live because sources say a group of fans paid P50,000 for it. "It's a sad thing, I learned that we were on live TV after a group of fans paid for it," the Philippines team manage...

BACOLOD City – The Thailand – Malaysia football match at the Panaad Park and Stadium was interrupted briefly after the lights went off, with only 18 minutes left in the second half. Thailand, the defending champion, was leading the game 1-0 before it suddenly went dark. "I have seen games in England and in Europe that the same happened, so it is just unfortunate," said Australian coach Graeme Mackinnon who saw the match with Aries Caslib. According to Mackinnon, a Japanese observer told him that had the lights not returned for more than 30 minutes, the game would have to be re-played today. Fortunately, officials from the Central Negros Electric Cooperative managed to restore the power after a minute. Though the power got back immediately, the game took some time to restart since the powerful lights in the stadium needs a few minutes before it can be at full glow. After the restart, Malaysia managed to equalize before Thailand took the lead for good for a 2-1 win. Thailand is...

BACOLOD City – The Philippine national football team is looking for help, and they are calling the "Ghost of 91" to make an apparition as it try to qualify for the semifinal round for just the second time in the 23 rd Southeast Asian Games. (Seag). The Azkals, have lost to Thailand, 0-1, and won over Cambodia, 4-2, for third place in their group. They will next face Malaysia on Nov. 29. Fourteen years ago, the Philippine team defeated then defending champion Malaysia, 1-0, to qualify to its first semifinal in the Seag. Coach Aries Caslib and team manager Vince Santos called it the "Ghost of '91". "We'd like to remind them what happened in '91," Santos said during a gathering of football fans after the Philippines win over Cambodia last Friday. Aside from the "Ghost", the Philippines will also need a favor from Thailand, which takes on Malaysia today. Malaysia currently leads the group on goal difference and if they lose by five goa...

BACOLOD City – The word "win" is rarley used in a sentence together with the "Philippine national football team" – with the country having been "the whipping boys of Asia," After yesterday's raucous 4-2 win over Cambodia in the 23 rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag) yesterday, national coach Aries Caslib had to contend with tough questions from the press. "When was the last win by the Philippines in the Seag?" he was asked. "I really don't know," he said. One said it was in the '91 Seag, when the team qualified to the semifinals for the first time, while another said it was in 1995. A check in the Aseanfootball.com website showed that the Philippines, now christened the Azkals, defeated Brunei 1-0 for its last win. Then Caslib got asked, "When was the last time the Philippines scored four goals in a game?" He got stumped, "I'm not old enough to answer that question," said the 36-year-old coach. The e...

BACOLOD City -- At last, a win. Backed by a raucous and jampacked crowd at the Panaad Park and Stadium, the Philippines survived a gritty Cambodia, 4-2, for its first win in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag). "It's a great feeling, I'm still out of words, I want to congratulate all my teammates," said the 6 foot 1 captain, Ali Borromeo, who scored one of the goals. The win puts them at third place with three points, while Malaysia leads on goal difference, having defeated Cambodia, 5-0. Malaysia will face Thailand tomorrow and the Philippines on Nov. 29. "If we want to win the first medal in football in the Seag, we will have to win the game against Malaysia ," coach Aries Caslib said. The Philippines, who had three scoring chances denied by the Thai keeper in its opening 0-1 loss to the defending champion, started well – with their passes and ball control improved. James Younghusband brought the house down after receiving a nifty pass from Arnie Pa...

BACOLOD City – Thailand's goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool had two brilliant stops for his team's 1-0 win over a determined Philippine team yesterday in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games football event at the packed Panaad Park and Stadium. Though Thailand won the match, it wasn't the same as past encounters with the Thais winning by blowouts as the Philippines, which had Chelsea reserves Philipp and James Younghusbands up front held their own against the title holders. The Philippines took the initiative early, with Andy Prochnov header just inches high. However, the Thais showed their superiority as they kept the Philippines in the defensive in the next 20 minutes before a lapse in the RP back line left Jakkrit Bunkham open for a booming shot just outside the box in the 36th that got past Michael Casas. "It was poor concentration on our opposite defense, we have to improve that," RP coach Aries Caslib said. Backed by a jampacked sea of blue shirts, the boys took ...

BACOLOD City – In one of the most bizarre game in the 23 rd Southeast Asian Games, Vietnam moved to the top of Group B after an 8-2 win over Laos yesterday at the Paglaum Sports Complex – with three own goals scored in the first half. In the second game, Myanmar fought Indonesia to a scoreless draw. Four minutes in, Vietnam's Le Cong Ving struck first and Phan Van Nguyen made it 2-0 in the 9 th before the match took a weird turn in the 15th minute. Kila Sysavah deflected the ball into his own net to give Vietnam a 3-0 lead and another defensive miscue resulted into another own goal in the 18th for a 4-0 count. Vietnam got into the act after Le Van Troung headed the ball past his own keeper to make it 4-1 in the 20 th. "I have never seen anything like this in my whole life, three own goals in the first half?" said Vietnam coach, Aflred Reidl in the post match press conference. Ving scored again in the 39th and 49th minute for a 6-2 lead and added another in the second hal...

THE ABOITIZ Men’s League Division A is turning out to be a boring affair after another set of blowouts yesterday at the San Roque Parish football grounds Hiroshi FC, the Aboitiz Cup winner last year, toyed with Magone FC, 15-1, while Crazy Horse blanked Danao FC, 12-0. The last game managed to have some semblance of a competition as Rugmo Debra fought Don Bosco Alumni FC to a 1-1 draw, while in the lone Division-B game, San Roque FC defeated Queen City United, 3-0. “Way ayo ang mga duwa karon sa Aboitiz (There aren’t any good games in this Aboitiz Cup),” Hiroshi assistant coach Francis Ramirez said. Martin Bontia scored the opener in the ninth minute and things got worse for Magone as Junard Aguilar scored four times, while Harold Buot had a hat trick and captain Voltaire Montebon scored twice. On the other hand, former national team mainstay Joshua Fegidero scored five times in Crazy Horse’s rout over Danao. Six minutes in, Fegidero struck, and a minute later, Excildo Dosdos added ano...

We won the Tri-Media tennis crown. With a team led by John Pages and with Pubs Briones and Carmel Geverola on board...nobody bothered to show up (again) on the finals.

Paolo Pascual saved Springdale from defeat as he came up with two saves for their exciting 5-4 penalty shootout win over Don Bosco College in the 15th Cebu City Olympics Sunday at the University of San Carlos-Technological Center field. "We were down by a goal after the first four kickers, before Paolo stopped the fifth kicker and the first in the sudden-death shootout," Springdale coach Mario Ceniza said. According to Ceniza, the two teams were evenly matched in regulation and none of them managed to get any upperhand. However, DBC, got a slight advantage after Patrick Garcia was sent off for earning two yellows. Garcia won't be able to play against defending champion Abellana National School this Saturday. Also last Sunday, Abellana National School defeated USJ-R, 3-1, after trailing by a goal in the first half. "We were on the attack the whole time when they got one on a counter," ANS coach Francis Ramirez said. In the other games, the University of San Ca...

In the 15th Cebu City Olympics, defending high school champion Abellana National School routed Camp Lapu-Lapu National High School 10-0 to open its defense on a strong note, while Paref Springdale routed Cebu City Science High School, 7-0. USJ-R also defeated USC, 2-0 while Don Bosco College blanked Sacred Heart School-Jesuit 3-0. "Our chances (of defending the title) are good because we are now playing on a bigger field and it's all about conditioning," ANS coach Francis Ramirez said. Football is played at the USC-TC field. In the elementary division, DBC also opened with a rout of SHS-J, 13-0, while CCS defeated USC 3-0. Defending champion Springdale will face DBC tomorrow. "We really can't tell whether we can defend our title because we lost to Hiroshi (CCS) in the Aboitiz Cup, though we have the advantage of a one day rest," said Springdale coach Mario Ceniza.

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Point of clarifications. The Cebu Football Association is not involved in anyway with this blog. This is not a CFA PR tool or machine. They have no say in whatever is post in here and anybody can post his or her own comments here, just as long as they make sense. Most of the entries here are match reports I write for Sunstar (They are also not involved with this Blog) which I also post here. There has been insuanations in the past that I am in the CFA's payroll, and I have made it clear here, (check the previous entries) that I am not and I do not receive money from the CebuFA for this blog or for any other matters. So if you have heard anything, or hear someone say things like that, post, so I can also rebut it here. I hope that clarify matters.

I talked with CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo regarding the sanctions they meted. On the DBYC coach, (I am still not 100 percent sure if it is David Gerali) since on the day that I saw a DBYC game, it wasn't David who coached the team). *The DBYC coach may play in the Aboitiz League since it is in his capacity as a coach that he was suspended. *I am sure there are a lot of pros and cons, one of this is whether he was suspended from football activities, or coaching activities or should suspensions differentiate the two? *On Glen Ramos suspension. *Glen may continue to coach in the Age Group, and his supension covers the Aboitiz League since it is the immediate tournament after the Cesafi. *again a lot of pros..and cons... Before you comment, let us ask why these sanctions were meted out and why the CebuFA had to do it? Again i request, i am not asking you to identify yourself..just try to use a nickname or alias..so that when one is rebutting another's comment..we could know w...

IN the tough Aboitiz 12-Under Cup, Don Bosco College showed it is one of the top teams after a close 1-0 win over Hiroshi FC in the finals last weekend at the San Roque Parish football Miguel Caindec scored the lone goal in the 41st minute to lift his team to its second title in three months. Don Bosco defeated Springdale to win the Milo Little Olympics football crown last September. In their previous encounter, both finalists battled to a 1-1 draw, with DBC taking the early advantage after Winrich Baclay scored in the 3rd minute. The title run also capped an impressive campaign by DBC, as it went unbeaten in all its matches and defeated an undermanned Cebu International School, 3-0, to set up the finals match. Meanwhile, in the equally competitive Boys 15 division, Paref Springdale topped Group B after a 1-0 win over Hiroshi FC in its final game. The win sets up thrilling semifinal matches with Springdale taking on Group A runner-up DBC, while Hiroshi faces this tournament's sur...

MANILA – The Cebu International School Girls 17 team did what its Boys 15 team couldn't - win a penalty shoot out - as it fished out a runner-up finish in the 10th Alaska Football Cup at the Alabang Golf and Country Club. The CIS ladies had to survive two straight penalty shoot-outs in the quarterfinals and semifinals to arrange the finals match against De La Salle Zobel, where it lost 0-1. On the other hand, after topping its group, CIS Boys 15 team lost steam in the quarterfinals, dropping a close 3-2 duel to Del Monte Bukidon. "Before going to the Alaska, we adopted a hockey technique called the shooter tutor," CIS athletic director Brian Bedford said, "We bought 30 balls, and have a kid shoot them all, then go back," It apparently worked wonders for its girls team as Monica Moraza, Mara Reinam Amanda Darza, Stephani Sharpe all scored in its 7-6 win over South Hill in the quarterfinals. South Hill took a 2-0 lead before Gabi Mercado came up with the heroics t...

THE Cebu Football Association is set to issue its verdict this Friday on the University of Cebu and Don Bosco Youth Center. UC 'walked out' of its final game against the University of San Jose-Recoletos in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc, a CebuFA sanctioned event, while DBTC has forfeited its last two matches in the Aboitiz U 15. Will there be a suspension, fine or ban for the erring coaches? CebuFA has promised to fax its statement to the media outlets this Friday, so wait for the story on Saturday, or you can check this site, Friday night. That is if, I am sober.

AFTER winning the battle for third in an Ilo-ilo tournament, Hiroshi FC went home early so as to catch a boat ride home. Since it couldn't attend the awarding ceremony, it asked the other Cebu team, Don Bosco FC, to receive its Fair Play and Best Striker award for them. No problems right? Five months after, it alleged, that DBC has yet to hand over the trophies. Click link below. http://www.philfootball.info/forum/index.php?a=topic&t=247&min=60#p5

THE Philippine men's football team, christened "Askals" by the fans, will face defending champion Thailand in its first game in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games (Seag) on Nov. 23 at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod. In the two countries last match in the 2004 Tiger Cup, the Philippines took a 1-0 lead before Thailand recovered to win 3-1. Emilio Caligdong scored the lone goal for the Philippines. However it is a different story in the Seag as the biennial meet is limited to 23-year-olds while the Tiger Cup had no age limit. The Philippines is grouped together with Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. They will play Cambodia on Nov. 25 and close out its elimination round against Malaysia on Nov. 29. "We will be hoping for a draw against Malaysia and Thailand and a win against Cambodia," Philippine Football Federation president Johnny Romualdez said. Also in the Tiger Cup, the Philippines lost to Malaysia 1-2, to Myanmar, 0-1 and defeated Timor Leste, 2-1. In the pre-sea...

THE CEBU Football Association (CebuFA) is set to punish Don Bosco Youth Center (DBYC) for forfeiting its last two matches in the Aboitiz 15 Under Cup at the San Roque Parish football grounds. Last Sunday, DBYC was supposed to play Cebu International School but failed to show up. A week before, it also did not show up for the game against FC Inter Cebu. "I have asked Sherwin (Rodriguez of CebuFA) to make a referee's report of the forfeiture and we will forward it to the disciplinary committee for their possible sanctions against DBYC," Maximo said. "It's also very unfair on the part of the other team, and the coaches has been informed about this (sanctions on forfeits) at the start of the tournament," Maximo said. CIS was chasing Hiroshi FC for a semifinal spot in its Group and needed to bury DBYC by 23 goals to qualify. DBYC lost its first match 10-1 against Hiroshi and 7-1 against Springdale. "It was a long shot for CIS, but the ball is round, anythi...

TEAM Philippines’ chances of bagging a medal in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games football event just got a bit brighter after yesterday’s draw. Philippines is in Group A together with defending champion Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia. Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia are in Group B. “Chances are better (to qualify for the semifinals) since Malaysia and Cambodia are not that strong,” said RP training pool member and former University of San Jose – Recoletos striker Oliver Colina. Team Philippines is hoping to win its first medal in football in this year’s Seag. In 2001, it managed to qualify for the semifinals but lost both its matches to finish fourth. As defending champion, Thailand is expected to top Group A and the Philippines is hoping to finish second to make its second semifinal appearance in the biennial meet. In their last match during the Pre-Seag event in Vietnam, Malaysia defeated the Philippines, 2-1, with former Carmen National School booter Arnie Pasinabo ...

NEWCOMER Blessed John XXIII Seminary (BJS) handed favorite Don Bosco College (DBC) its first defeat after a 1-0 escape yesterday, in their Aboitiz Cup 15-Under match at the San Roque Parish football grounds. On the other hand, Cebu International School (CIS) lost its chance of barging into the semifinal round despite an easy win. CIS needed to score 23 goals in its game against Don Bosco Youth Center (DBYC) yesterday to overtake Hiroshi at second and grab the last semifinal spot of the 15-Under division. But DBYC, the weakest team in the tournament, forfeited its match against CIS - the second consecutive time it failed to show up for its match - which automatically gave CIS a 3-0 win - a far cry from the 23 goals CIS needed to score to advance to the semis. BJS and DBC, who both scored big wins in their last three games, were evenly matched in the early going before a crucial error by the goalkeeper did DBC in. The DBC goalkeeper misjudged the ball's flight and failed to tap it o...

Champion mi sa ping-pong sa tri-media kay ang kontra, paghuman kulata sa elimination round wa na nagpakita sa semifinals.

DON Bosco College (DBC) and Hiroshi FC set up a thrilling rematch after surviving separate foes in the Aboitiz 12 Under Cup semifinals at the San Roque Parish football grounds yesterday. DBC outlasted an undermanned Cebu International School (CIS) squad, 3-1, while Hiroshi blanked Paref-Springdale, 3-0, to set up an exciting finals next Sunday. In their first encounter, Hiroshi fought DBC to a 1-1 draw. “It just wasn’t our day,” Springdale coach Mario Ceniza said. Dan Villarico scored first in the 20th and Anthony Prince connected in the 32nd before Joselou Bacunawa scored two minutes from time for the rout. On the other hand, despite playing with only nine players, CIS took the lead courtesy of Emmanuel Cunningham before a full strength DBC squad took over with Winirch Baclay and Miko Limalima scoring a minute apart while Miguel Caindec struck in the 15th. In the Under 15 division, Michaele Sharpe was a one-man scoring machine for CIS, scoring four goals in its 4-4 draw with Hiroshi,...

OUTGUNNED and outskilled in all flanks, FC Inter Lapu-lapu got on a wrong end of a 15-0 Metropolitan FC rout in their Aboitiz Men's League Division B match-up at the San Roque Parish football grounds yesterday. In the first game, Dexter Arrojado scored twice to tow Queen City United to a tough 2-0 win over Cebu State college of Science and Technology (CSCST). Former University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) striker Ronald Loayon connected for seven goals against FC Inter Lapu-lapu, one of four new teams in the men's league. "They (Lapu-lapu) were definitely outmatched, wa'y kaya jud," referee Kurt Acre said. Loayon had just arrived from Manila and wasn't able to play for the USJ-R Alumni FC in Division B, and immediately got invited to play for Metropolitan FC. "He was the goal scorer for USJ-R in the Cesafi before he joined the Philippine Air Force," Acre said. Five minutes in, Loayon struck, and had five to his name after the first half as Met...

IT was among the top four teams in the last Aboitiz Cup, and if not for the staggered work-hours of its players, Queen City United (QCU) could be one of the top contenders in the Aboitiz Men's League Division A. However, the Mario Ceniza mentored club won't clash with the best of Cebu as it will debut today against newcomers Cebu State Colleges of Science and Technology (CSCST) in the second division at the San Roque Parish football grounds. "We decided to play in Division B because we can only get the players together for practice on Sundays," said Ceniza, a former member of the national champion M. Lhuillier of Graeme Mackinnon. The club still has Ivan Dimco, Dexter Arrojado and most of its players last year. It has also solved its goalkeeping problems with the addition of Benjamin Sanchez, formerly of the University of Southern Philippines. However, it lost defensive workhorse Josaphat Sacil and striker Joshua Fegidero. Fegidero now plays for Crazy Horse, scorin...

THE GAP between experience and promise in the Aboitiz 15 Under Cup is still wide, 13 goals wide to be exact. This as the football-rich Don Bosco College (DBC) buried newcomers University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF), 13-0, last Sunday at the San Roque Parish grounds. Don Bosco is now on top of Group A, with a 3-0 card, dislodging idle leader Blessed John XXIII Seminary by 11 goals. BJS, which routed Colegio Inmaculda Concepcion-Mandaue (CIC-M) last Saturday, is also undefeated in three games. In the next game, CIC-M bagged its second win after scoring a 4-2 escape over hosts SRFC. Aljohn Armamento struck first for the hosts in the 19th, but CIC-M got back through Jomar Salvaleon in the 25th and Jules Matugaina in the 44th for a 2-1 count. Jon Nadera and Jon Ceniza scored in the second half before Jay Pardillo salvaged a consolation goal for SRFC, as it dropped its third straight match. The Don Bosco win started slowly, after flirting with near-misses, Michael Pato found...