Cebu Football

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's April 28 edition. I wrote this before the Philippines vs. Malaysia friendly) IN THE past few days, I’ve met some of the guys who work behind the scenes in making sure the Philippines vs. Malaysia match would push through. And they pretty much have had nothing else in mind since the friendly was announced and they all say the same thing, “ Wa’y tulganay .”

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's April 26 edition ) UNDER the previous coach, you could pretty much bet the house on who would make the training pool, the starting lineup and who would replace who on the field and come out the winner. Under coach Thomas Dooley, you’d lose everything if you’d be crazy enough to do that.

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's April 24 issue ) I PASSED by the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) last Tuesday, and I have to say, I’m impressed with the improvement of the field. Long forsaken and given up for dead after it was spruced up, first for the Singapore game on Nov. 15, 2012, and for the AFC President’s Cup in May last year, the football pitch looks like a football pitch again, not the dust bowl CCSC was famous for. (That's Dino Musni watering his baby.)

JUST like in the 2012 Suzuki Cup, Cebu will host the final home game of the Philippines before the senior team leave for its  major tournament of the year, the AFC Challenge Cup. This time, we are hosting Malaysia anew, a team we haven't beaten since we hosted them in the 1991 Southeast Asian Games, when Asean's  sporting meet wasn't a U23 match.

THE last time I saw University of San Jose-Recoletos keeper Peter Onde play was in a finals shootout between the Kicking Jaguars and the University of San Carlos for the CAAA crown, if I remembered it right. And the gifted keeper played a key role in that win.

IT is encouraging to see teams like the University of Cebu-Koreans and UC Nigerians join local tournaments, as these foreign laden squads help raise the level of competition. I've been encouraging schools to let their foreign students join local competitions as it is a great way of letting the foreign students assimilate get connected with the local community. Sports, too, is a chance for foreign students in Cebu to come together.  In the Aboitiz Cup finals between the UC Nigerians and Leylam, some of those who cheered for the eventual champions were members of Samba FC, a team of Nigerians from Southwestern University.

I FINALLY met Coach Thomas Dooley when the amiable coach, Dan Palami and Jaron Genota met me and fellow columnist Noel Villaflor for a late night chat last Sunday. While discussing his philosophy and approach to the game, I got to ask a coach that I think most fans want to ask; the Philippines played so beautifully in those two games against Malaysia and Azerbaijan, what did coach Dooley do in those training sessions he had with the team that transformed the squad?

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's April 7 issue) A FEW high school buddies flew all the way from Mindanao and Singapore for the wedding of Harry and Mitch the other day and one of the things they asked me about was The Photo taken by Allan Cuizon. Harry, our next-door neighbor, was our a goalkeeper in high school whom we would regularly pick for DepEd meets and the talk eventually drifted to sports during our high school days. (Lest I be shunned in future gatherings, I won’t use the full names of my high school friends)

(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's April 5 issue) WHEN I heard of the Bro National Tournament for the first time, my first thought was why would a religious organization hold a football tournament? Of course, the BRO in the name doesn’t refer to a religious organization but is simply the initials of the organizers--Keith Buyco, Glenn Ramos and Rodney Orale.

AS AN alumni of the University of San Carlos, I’ve always followed the school in the Cesafi. I saw the team win the title once, and come close a couple of times. For such a big university, it’s surprising how for years, USC has simply ignored--or failed to realize--its potential but now, it seems, there’s going to be a change.

(Here's the banner story for sports in Sun.Star Cebu's April 1 edition) HERE'S a piece of good news to skaters--the Department of Public Works and Highways will raze the iconic Fuente Osmena circle  and turn it to an Olympic Skating Area. DPWH Region 7 spokesperson Beigh No Ang said the national goverment has allocated P10 billion for the project, which was conceptualized  when Cebu City traffic personnel announced that they would start apprehending skateboarders and roller-bladers in the highways.

(This news will come out in the special edition of Sun.Star Cebu. I will post link once available) TO HELP curb violent incidents that marred their tournament last month, organizers of the Aboitiz Football Cup will add two divisions to their tournament next year--the pinweight and pinhead divisions. Last month's Aboitiz cup tournament was marred by a free-for-all between two 18-under teams that was aggravated when some spectators-- including a parent--joined in the fray.

THE Philippine Football Federation has launched a contest aimed at bringing at least 25 fans to travel with the team for free in the AFC Challenge Cup at the Maldives in May. Since the PFF recognizes the unique makeup of Pinoy football fans, they have come up with seeral contests that will cater to all sorts of fans--from the hardcore, to the self-proclaimed ultra, to the real ultra and to the casual fans and to those who possess analytical minds that rivals Ryan Fenix.