Cebu Football

A shrug, a twitch and a grimace. That’s how coach Michael Weiss answered when I asked him whether a “SEA Games medal was a realistic target” while we were downing a few beers the other night.

A TECHNICAL advisor from the German Football Association will soon visit Cebu to evaluate the grassroots programs, local tournaments and the clubs. Philippine national coach Michael Weiss, who was in Cebu recently, said the visit of the technical advisor, who is also a former coach of the Philippines, is part of the aid program from the German FA to the Philippine Football Federation.

This is my latest Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu   Hey, do you want to know a secret? But do promise that you will tell. It’s a secret involving a group of guys who, for now, will be known as they-who-won’t-be-named. But unlike he-who-must-not-be-named, whose dreams involved all sorts of ugly stuff that led folks in the Potterworld to call him by an alias, their dream is for everybody, not just for themselves.

From Sun.Star Cebu A punching incident involving one of its members is proving costly for Hiroshi Football Club. This after Hiroshi Team was banned from playing in the Cebu leg of the Philippine Futsal Cup Winners’ Cup, which starts today at the Metrosports Club.

RIA de Leon , one of the most vocal Kaholeros, posted an interesting article in football fan pages yesterday, one that is a must-read for all Pinoys, not just footie fans. The author,  Mel Young , wrote about how the Philippines has added another dimension to the Homeless World Cup ever since joining the event.

DID you catch the circus in the Senate two days ago? When the dirty laundry of Philippine sports was revealed in the Senate inquiry? Yep, there is much to be desired in the way the NSAs, POC and the PSC are set up, but that doesn’t mean everything’s bad in Philippine sport.

 (Phil Younghusband tries to get past two Teknika strikers in the second leg of the Smart Club Championships finals. PFF Media Bureau Foto) MANILA--Rizal -SMART San Beda pulled out all stops to beat Teknika FC, 2-0, but fell short of wresting the first PFF-Smart Club championship in front of an animated crowd at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium Monday night.

I WAS chasing a hot chick in a blue number yesterday for about five minutes when I realized I was chasing a hot chick in a blue number for five minutes. Aaah, running, there aren’t that many better things to start a Sunday. Besides, it’s probably the only sport where you won’t be faulted if you spend 30 minutes chasing a hot chick.

IT’S been a while since I last saw a local football match and I finally got to end that streak when I caught a few matches in the Milo Little Olympics. And the first thing that came to mind during the games? My former boss Jack Biantan, who was both figuratively and literally a huge presence in local football.

TEKNIKA takes on an undermanned Rizal-Smart San Beda FC today at the start of the two-match finals of PFF-Smart Club Championships at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Aside from James and Phil Younghusband, the Rizal booters will likewise be missing mainstays Paul Concepcion and Andres Gonzales, who like the two brothers will be forced to sit out the 6 p.m. opening match against the NCR side for incurring two yellow cards in their previous games.

A year ago, the Dragon Boat team and the Azkals would have given an arm and a leg to get five minutes’ worth of air time, or even 5 MB worth of social networking space. Now, they don’t have to but along with it comes the ugly stuff. I don’t know who started it but I think I know why one poster started comparing the achievements of both teams and the team composition.

TEKNIKA trounced listless Pachanga, 2-0,  to secure the last finals slot in the PFF-Smart Club Championships at the University of Makati football field Wednesday night. With team owner and national men’s football team manager Dan Palami keenly looking on, the Pachanga booters banked on their solid defense and goals by Misagh Bahadoran (13th) and Izzeldin El Habbib (86th) in each half to earn the win and set up a championship showdown with Rizal-Smart San Beda FC.

I ONCE dreamt of trying motocross but since a two-wheeled contraption and me was a bad combination, my wish of spinning those monster tires in the dirt-tracks remained only a dream. But last Tuesday, I finally got to live it—sort of—thanks to the All Terrain Vehicles at the Doce Pares Zipline Park in Busay. My friend King Cortel told me Cebu Zipiline has acquired five ATVs and invited me and a couple of other media guys for a test run.

RIZAL-SMART San Beda FC slipped past Stallion FC-Barotac Nuevo , 2-1, and into the finals of the PFF-Smart Club Championships at the rain-soaked and muddy University of Makati football field Monday night. On a soggy pitch that made it doubly hard for both sides to score, San Beda banked on enterprising first-half goals by Vaugh Melendres and Eliezer Fabroada in the 16th and 36th minutes, respectively, to survive the Stallion’ strong comeback in the second half.

FOUR teams remain in pursuit of the first PFF-Smart Club championship with two of them taking the spotlight today Aug. 16. as the crossover semifinals kick off the University of Makati football field. Group A topnotcher Rizal-Smart San Beda FC, runner-up Teknika FC, Group B leader Pachanga-NCR FC and second placer Smart-Stallion FC of Barotac Nuevo vie for the two slots up for grabs in the two-match title series starting on Saturday.

My latest column on Sun.Star Cebu. IF YOU’VE followed the Azkals closely in their last three home matches, then the Blue-Haired Fanatic is not a stranger to you. In Panaad against Mongolia, he was that dude who surprised everybody—and perhaps even himself—when he grabbed a Philippine flag, ran both sides of the grandstand to the fans’ amusement and somehow found himself on the tracks. (On an interesting note, the guy who owned the flag BHF borrowed was from Cebu.)

CAGAYAN DE ORO – Teknika held Rizal-Smart San Beda to a gritty 2-all standoff last Saturday to barge into the PFF-Smart Club Championships semifinals at the close of group eliminations here and in Iloilo. The Teknika booters were able to seize the initiative twice over their popular foes bannered by Phil and James Younghusband through goals by Misagh Bahadoran and Altichie Aaron in the 17th and 50th minutes, respectively. Both were from free kicks by El Habbib Izzeldin.

CAGAYAN DE ORO –  A P100,000 cash prize awaits the  first champion of the PFF-Smart Club Championships, Smart Sports executive Epok Quimpo announced Saturday. “We are giving this as an incentive to the  remaining teams left in the tournament especially with the semifinals set to kick off at the University of Makati next week,” said Quimpo at the close of the tourney’s group eliminations here and in Iloilo yesterday.

This is my Sun.Star Cebu  column for Aug. 13, 2011 I DON’T have much hopes for this year’s Smart Club championships as I believe the Philippine Football Federation didn’t have the preparation it would have wanted in holding such a tournament, just like the Suzuki U23 championships. The clubs, too, I think weren’t able to prepare and I’m not only talking about the clubs that are in the national finals.

Group A (Cagayan de Oro) 1:30 p.m.  - Laos FC vs. Bao Breakers FC 3:30 p.m. – Teknika FC vs.San Beda FC   Group B (Iloilo)   3 p.m. – Columbia FC vs. Stallions FC (Barotac Nuevo)) 3 p.m. – Baguio United FC vs. Pachanga FC (CPU) Smart-San Beda's David Fornea (right) strips the ball ball from Laos FC's Angelo Almazan during Group A action in the PFF-Smart Club Championships in Cagayan de Oro last Thursday. Looking on is teammate Phil Younghusband. San Beda won, 1-0, for its second straight win to advance to the event's crossover semifinals. CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Rizal-Smart San Beda FC and Columbia FC-Davao scored stirring 1-0 wins over separate rivals to enter the semifinals of the  PFF-Smart Club Championships last Thursday highlighting football action at the Don Mariano Pelaez  Memorial Sports Complex  here and at the Barotac Nuevo pitch in Iloilo. San Beda skipper David Franz Fornea tapped in the marginal goal  on a follow-up in the 49...

CAGAYAN DE ORO – The Philippine Football Federation has tapped its best referees to officiate in the group eliminations of the  PFF-Smart Club Championships, including six who passed the rigorous week-long FIFA referees’ course held last May in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte. Two of them are in the Group A competition being held here at the Don Mariano Pelaez Sports Complex here,  and they are referee Wilfredo Bermejo and assistant referee Roberto Hernandez, fresh from officiating in the Asean Football  Under-16 boys championship held in Vientiane, Laos last July 5-20.

DESPITE writing about Philippine Sports Commission stuff, on and off, for the better part of 10 years, for the life of me, I’m still confused what the PSC is all about. At one point, it was a separate entity, one that could think on its own, one that could recognize which athlete to support.

This story by Cheska Geli came out on Sun.Star Cebu on Aug. 11 THE Philippine national football team gears up for another challenge when it faces neighboring countries in the Long Teng Cup at Kaoshiong, Chinese Taipei on Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. Team manager Dan Palami said the national team will take on the host, Macau and Hong Kong’s under-23 team and possibly Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia after the three nations were invited by the organizers.

Group A (Cagayan de Oro) 1:30 p.m.  – Bao Breakers FC vs. Teknika FC 3:30 p.m. – Laos FC vs. San Beda FC Group B (Iloilo) 1:30 p.m.  – Pachanga  FC  vs.  Columbia FC 3:30 p.m. – Baguio FC vs. Stallions FC San Beda,  Pachanga win PFF-Smart Club group elims openers CAGAYAN DE ORO – James Younghusband scored a hat-trick in powering Smart San Beda FC past Bao Breakers, 6-0, while Pachanga stunned Stallions FC of Barotac  Nuevo, 2-0, as the group eliminations of the PFF-Smart Club Championships got under way here in Iloilo last Tuesday.

CAGAYAN DE ORO – Pleased by the outcome thus far of the inaugural PFF-Smart Club Championships, Smart Sports executive Epok Quimpo announced Tuesday that they intend to have “a bigger and better” competition next year.   “We aim to institutionalize the PFF-Smart Club Championships to promote the development of football clubs all over the country,” said Quimpo on the day that the tournament’s  group eliminations kicked off simultaneously here and in Iloilo.

CAGAYAN DE ORO – Sports fans here and Iloilo are in for a football treat when the PFF-Smart Club Championships group eliminations begin Tuesday at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Memorial Stadium and at the Barotac Nuevo Football Field, respectively.   PFF executive vice president Mike Batiles, who is also president of the host Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Football Association (CMOFA),  will formally  kick off the Group A tourney here to be graced by Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno.  

THE Cesafi, Cebu’s premier inter-collegiate tournament, is now on its 11th year but despite that time, it still has to gain that massive following from the students.   Perhaps, it’s time for Cesafi to innovate? Here are a few suggestions.    

THE University of San Carlos Technological Center ended the unbeaten run of Crazy Horse, 2-1, in the Men’s Open of the 2nd Mandaue Football League at the San Roque Parish field yesterday.

Columnist Jerry Tundag raised quite a ruckus when he wrote that he never got onboard the Azkal train, not because football is just a passing interest but because he “cannot relate to those who he knows to be Filipinos just now .” That last statement is what pisses off most fans and a lot of colorful words were used against Sir Jerry, who was then the Associate Editor when I started my career at The Freeman.

AFTER the match against Kuwait, I only had one thought in mind—that it’s time the country steps up and host a major football tournament again. Sure, there are plans to hold a four-nation tournament in October, but that’s not what I’m thinking.

I PANICKED a bit a few minutes into the Kuwait vs. Philippines match after I realized I could hardly make out the players’ jerseys. Try as I did, I couldn’t read the damn jerseys on the players’ backs. How was I supposed to take notes if I can’t tell who’s who? It was easy for the players I’m familiar with, as I don’t need to check their uniforms to see who they were.

This is the last of four parts of the PHL vs. Kuwait games fotos. All pics taken by Dr. Joel Pascual, who was one of the dozens of accredited photojournalists during the game. (You may grab a copy of the pic but please credit Dr. Joel Pascual and www.cebufootball.blogspot.com. Thanks-----------------Mike)

This is the third of four parts of the PHL vs. Kuwait games fotos. All pics taken by Dr. Joel Pascual, who was one of the dozens of accredited photojournalists during the game. (You may grab a copy of the pic but please credit Dr. Joel Pascual and www.cebufootball.blogspot.com. Thanks-----------------Mike)

This is the second of four parts of the PHL vs. Kuwait game fotos. All pics taken by Dr. Joel Pascual, who was one of the dozens of accredited photojournalists during the game. (You may grab a copy of the pic but please credit Dr. Joel Pascual and www.cebufootball.blogspot.com. Thanks-----------------Mike) 

This is the first of four parts of the PHL vs. Kuwait game fotos. All pics taken by Dr. Joel Pascual, who was one of the dozens of accredited photojournalists during the game. (You may grab a copy of the pic but please credit Dr. Joel Pascual and www.cebufootball.blogspot.com. Thanks-----------------Mike)