Cebu whimpers away with third loss

IT seems the gap between the traditional powerhouse and the pretenders to the throne is widening.

The young squad from Cebu, which is aiming to position itself as the new center of Philippine football, suffered its third straight blowout loss, this time against Dumaguete City, 2-5, in the Philippine Football Federation Under-19 Visayas Championships at the West Negros College

The first Team Cebu City Football finished dead last in the four-team competition with no points to show in three games. Cebu lost its first two games against Bacolod and Iloilo, 1-3.

Dumaguete finished on top with seven points and two wins and a draw, while Iloilo took the second spot after yanking host Bacolod, 2-0.

Consolation

Both Iloilo and Dumaguete move on to the national finals in Zamboanga later this year.

Still Cebu can seek consolation in the fact that most of the members of the Under-19 team, culled from select players from the Cebu International School, Abellana National School, Paref Springdale and the University of San Carlos, are eligible for two more U19 tourneys.

Cebu's bottom finish also shuts out the team from joining the national finals for the second straight year since finishing runner-up to Davao in the 2004 edition, which was played here.

In the 2004 edition, Cebu defeated Iloilo 1-0 in the semifinals. Iloilo's team then were mostly U17 players.

Yesterday’s carnage started with Dumaguete’s Michael Dev Tulang scoring in the 14th minute. Jan Patrick Millan doubled the lead in the 33rd, while Tulang added another goal in the 37th.

Roy Jose Sembrano cut Dumagete’s lead 3-1 in the 54th, but Millan sealed the win with a 75th-minute goal. Cebu’s Michael Sharp snatched a goal in the 90th.

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