DBC, Springdale move to finals
AGE group rivals Don Bosco College and Paref-Springdale scored contrasting wins as they split their semifinal matches in the Aboitiz Boys 12 and Boys 15 Cup at the San Roque Parish football grounds yesterday.
Don Bosco got the first win after a hard-fought 3-2 escape over Springdale to bag the first seat in the Boys 12 finals next week.
Noel Christian opened the scoring in the fourth minute before Shawn Haosen leveled the count in the 12th.
The wily Miguel Caindec, the division’s MVP in the Aboitiz Youth Festival last year, then wove his magic to give DBC the lead in the 13th.
However, Springdale managed to level the count in the 18th before Caindec scored the go-ahead goal in the 23rd.
Don Bosco will next take on Pepito FC, which outlasted a gritty Cebu International School, 2-1, in extra time in the other semifinals.
Joselou Bacunawa gave Pepito the lead in the 22nd before Thomas Booth banged in the equalizer three minutes from regulation.
Pepito needed only four minutes in extra time for Rogelio Castillon to score the game winner.
Meanwhile, Abellana National School and Springdale scored blowout wins in the Boys 15 semifinals to set a finals showdown also next week.
After seeing their younger team lose a close match to Don Bosco, Springdale turned things around with a 4-0 whipping of DBC, while ANS defeated San Roque FC, 3-0.
Miguel Arriola found the back of the net in the third before Dominic Garcia and Evanjames Mendoza added their own goals just two minutes apart late in the first half.
After putting in Hubert Buot in the second half, DBC managed to get some semblance of an attack but their best chance—Buot’s curling free kick—sailed harmlessly towards Paolo Pascual.
The best chance DBC got was when a complacent Pascual fumbled an easy catch before managing to pick it just near the goal mouth.
Kevin Tecson could have made it 4-0 six minutes in the second half, but his free kick just kissed the bar.
Mendoza got his second goal late in the match after redirecting a perfectly-taken freekick by Tecson to the far post for the final goal.
Yesterday’s matches were observed by national youth coach John Carmona, who is scouting players for the national team. Carmona is expected to return next week for the finals of the two divisions.
Meanwhile, the Aboitiz Men’s League will close out today with Don Bosco facing Queen City and Crazy Horse taking on University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) in the only meaningful matches.
Crazy Horse leads Don Bosco by three points and 14 goals and for the Bosconians to take the title, it needs to bury Queen City by more than 14 goals.
Comments
the P12 championship will be a close one. DBC has several holdovers from last year's Palarong Pambansa Champions still with the team that will give them a distinct advantage, but everbody acknowledges that Pepito FC, despite being smaller in size, are quicker and more aggressive towards the ball. I'm still predicting a DBC win but by the slimmest - if not a slim - margin.
so, after these two championships, when will the P8 tournament resume. and how about the P10. the CESAFI high school games also is being awaited together with the Men's Division B games. and let's not forget the ladies U17.
I was told, he was also present during the morning games. I wasn't.
i was told carmona is here to scout for U17 and U14 national squads. i also heard that the PFF will have an U14 (born-1993) regional championship (much like the U17). however, i haven't heard anything coming from the CebuFA to verify this. friends from NOFA told me that they were already informed about the regional U14.