Cebu Football

EVENTS like Pinoy Pride, the PAL Interclub and the Xterra are big draw events that occupy the sports pages in the week that they are held. These are major crowd drawers, these are what sports tourism is about. And this week, they are all happening in Cebu.

IN THE final article in Sun.Star Cebu that Miguel Caindec and Christian "Jico" Noel were mentioned, the two former Don Bosco Technical Center standouts said they hoped to raise the flag of Cebu high when they take up college in Manila.  Also mentioned in that article was John Daniel Caballero, who opted to stay in Cebu. The article, "From buddies to national champions," came out on June 1, 2011 and less than two years later, the two have delivered.

WHEN coach Michael Weiss picked his team for the Myanmar friendly, I was pretty surprised with some of the names in there considering that a few weeks before that, we read about how the was batting for local talent to be in the team. Sure there were locals in the team, but they weren’t exactly local talents, and I’m not talking about the Filipino-Europeans who are already based here. Guys in their mid-30s still in the squad and guys who said they were getting ready to retire from the international game still in there?

IF I had the time, I would have brought flowers during the 10th Thirsty Football Festival and no it's not for the other woman as Feb. 15 is supposed to be their designated Valentine's Day. It's for football pitch, which, just three months ago, was considered by many to be one of the best conditioned in the country.

PHILIPPINE national team head coach Michael Weiss has signed the contract extension to handle the team for six months, more than six weeks after his initial two-year contract expired. Without going into details of the new deal, Weiss said the contract calls for an extension if the Philippines makes it to the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 in Maldives. "If we qualify, I will still be in charge until July 2014," Weiss said in a phone interview.

I SAW Cebu Queen City United president Stanley Villacin at the Cebu City Sports Center last Saturday and my first words to him were, "Oy, na-unsa naman inyong duwa sa UFL?" And oh, did he have a lot to say. However, he requested that those things be left off the record for now because a "he said vs. he said" exchange wouldn't solve this problem--Queen City's continued absence in the UFL Division 2.

I’VE been so serious in the previous columns lately, that, it’s getting boring.  Serious is boring.  Besides, one of the best pieces I wrote here was one when—a few months before it actually happened—I gave a round-by-round account of how Manny Pacquiao beat Oscar dela Hoya. Boy, this crystal ball business gets crazy sometimes….

There are 349 teams in this year's Thirsty Cup and no venue in Cebu can accomodate such tournament. In theory, any football field in Cebu, no matter how small, can accommodate such, but that would mean stretching a three-day tournament to, say, two weeks?

EMPERADOR, eto ang totoo.  Now that's the tagline for the sponsor of the United Football League's stadium. Well, 25 years from now, and if the stadium would still be standing, there is going to be a curious fact involving Cebu, or to be more precise, what didn't involve Cebu, when the Emperador Stadium opened shop--Cebu Queen City United didn't show up for their UFL Division 2 debut against the Dolphins. And to be honest? It's quite embarrassing.  

U23 standings as of Feb. 8 U23        W D L P GD USJ-R 3 - 1 9 11 USC 2 1 - 7 4 USPF 2 1 - 7 3 UV         1 1 3 4 04 PhilSca 1 - 2 3 -5 UC          - 2 2 2 -13 USJ-R leads the competition, which uses the league type format, with nine points but USPF and USC, which both have seven points, have a chance to overtake the Jaguars. USC and USPF have seven points and a game at hand and with the way things are going, are the only teams who have a chance to chase USJ-R for the right to represent Cebu in the Suzuki Cup U23.

Girls 17 Group A               W      D     L      P       GD USC       3 - - 9 18 Ateneo de Cebu    2 - 1 6 16 CIC-Mandaue        1 - 2 3 -11 CIS                - - 3 0 -11 Bracket B      W D L P GD STC               3 - - 9 14 SRFC       2 - 1 6 15 Bright       1 - 2 3 -18 South Hills        - - 3 0 -11 JESUSSEAN Gerobiese scored the lone goal in USC's 1-0 win over Ateneo in Group A of the Girls 17 division.  If the competition will use the crossover semifinals format (I'm so out of touch, I don't know whether they do), USC will face San Roque FC in the semifinals, while Ateneo will take on Group B no. 1 St. Theresa's College, which also won all its games and scored 14 goals without conceding any.

Boys 14 standings as of Feb. 9 Bracket A           W D L P GD Springdale A 4 - - 12 18 Ateneo A 2 1 1 7 14 Canduman 2 1 1  7 5 Don Bosco 1 1 - 3 3 -4 H.  de Jesus - - 4 0 -34

Players 12 standing as of Feb 9 Bracket  A W D L P GD Bright                  4 - - 12 17 CIS                     3            -         1 9 14 Springdale 2 - 2 6 24 BMALV 1 - 3 3 -23 CPMS -              - 4 0 -33

Players 10 standings as of Feb. 9 Bracket A           W D L       P GD Canduman 4          -         - 12 22 Warzshocks 3         -         1        9      22 BMALV 2 - 2       6 0 Don Bosco          3 1 3 3       -8 CPMS - - 4 - -35

Players 8 Final standings  Bracket A W D L P GD BMALV 4 - - 12 12 * Bright A 3 - 1 9 15 Springdale A 2 - 2 6 -3 Don Bosco A 1 - 2 3 -13 Don Bosco  2 - - 4 - -11

Boys 17 standings as of Feb. 8 Bracket A W D L P GD Don Bosco 2 - - 6 24 CIS                     1 - - 3 1 USC BED 1 - 2 3 -3 DB Razkals - - 2 0 -21

Boys 14 standings as of Feb. 8 Bracket A           W D L P GD Springdale A 4 - - 12 18 Ateneo A 2 1 1 7 14 Canduman 2 1 1  7 5 Don Bosco 1 1 - 3 3 -4 H.  de Jesus - - 4 0 -34

Boys 12 standings as of Feb. 8 Bracket  A W D L P GD Bright                  4 - - 12 17 CIS                     3            -         1 9 14 Springdale 2 - 2 6 24 BMALV 1 - 3 3 -23 CPMS -              - 4 0 -33

Players 10 standings as of Feb. 8 Bracket A           W D L       P GD Canduman 4          -         - 12 22 Warzshocks 3         -         1        9      22 BMALV 2 - 2       6 0 Don Bosco         3 1 3 3       -8 CPMS - - 4 - -35

Players 8 standings as of Feb. 8 Bracket A W D L P GD Bright A 3 - 1 9 15 BMALV 3 - - 9 11 Springdale A 2 - 1 6 -4 Don Bosco A 1 - 2 3 -13 Don Bosco  2 - - 4 - -11

A WIN's a win and we'll take it anyway.  That's what team manager Dan Palami told ABS CBN after that 1-0 win against Myanmar in the Philippines’ first friendly of the year. This time, I disagree with him. I'd take a scrappy win like that--or even worse--when it's in the Challenge Cup or Suzuki Cup, but when you're preparing for a tournament just two months from now?  I'd probably be taking a look at the panic button.

DURING the one and only time the Cebu Football Association  dopted the league format, the keeper of the champion team nearly cost them the title due to his theatrics.  While leading, 1-0, against a new team in the first game of the season, he came up with one of his signature antics. The guy, who I think redefined "flamboyant keeper," was known for making simple moves complicated.  Instead of a simple pick up, he'd go on a roll, and sometimes, taunt the striker by shoving the ball at him.  

Myanmar just beat us in the Southeast Asian Games medal race 11 months before the tournament will kick off. The Philippines finished sixth overall in 2011 with a gold-silver-bronze haul of 36-56-77, while Myanmar was seventh with 16-27-37.

IN terms of sports tourism, the PAL Interclub golf tournament is considered one of the biggest things. Sure, it doesn’t have as many participants as the Palarong Pambansa, but the PAL Interclub tournament is manna for the tourism players, that’s why Davao, Bacolod and Cagayan--which have alternated in hosting the event--always look forward to the games.