CFA sends elite team to PFF Festival of Football
(This story came out in Sun.Star Cebu's March 7 edition)
WEEKS of hard work for some of Cebu’s best young footballers will finally be put to the test today as they join the Festival of Football in San Carlos City.
The Cebu Football Association started the tryouts for the Boys 12 and 14 and Girls 14-Under teams six weeks ago to identify the players who will represent Cebu in the Philippine Football Federation-organized meet.
Other FAs from the Visayas will also field teams and from the pool, they will select the representatives for the Visayas for the national youth squads.
“We held a tryout last Feb. 2 and since then, we’ve had training sessions every day at San Roque from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,” said coach Antonio Trebol.
Trebol said most of the players came from Cebu’s major football schools like Don Bosco Technological Center, University of San Carlos, Springdale and Ateneo de Cebu and St. Theresa’s College.
The teams are led by coaches Marlou Solon, Joaana Sabid, Sean Lasa, Jinggoy Roa, Edwin Arganza and Harry Bordalba and CFA officials Raffy Musni, Allan Medalle and Trebol.
“We focused on improving their football IQ during the training,” said Trebol.
In the festival of football, no champion will be declared though the teams will face other teams in a series of games.
“During the games, the coaching staff of the PFF will start making their choices, and those who will be selected will be asked to do a series of tasks to check their shooting accuracy, ball-handling and technical skills,” said Trebol.
Trebol also said some of the players had to skip the final week of training as they represented their different divisions in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association.
On the other hand, Musni said he is thankful for the support of the parents and Mayor Mike Rama, who lent two Kaoshiung buses and Mayor Celestino Martinez of Bogo, who sent one.
“We have one parent, Dr. Joseph Poblacion, who volunteered to be the physical therapists of the whole team,” said Musni, who added another parent even managed to convince the singer Jose Mari Chan to sponsor them.
This year, those who made the boys 14-Under team are Charles Unabia, Tristan Enad, JC Banzon, Dustin Ramirez, Antonio Alforque Jr., Januar Villarin, Churchill Jubac, Frank Semilla, King Baclado, Paolo Abalos, Angelo Colina, Yushi Suzuki, Lloyd Soco, Jacob Braun, Nathan Bajarias, Pomeroy Veloso, Julian Cabatingan, Ronald Bitor, while those who made the Boys 12 team are Adrian Bitoon, Christian Lumapas, Berne Cimafranca, Yoji Selman, Clouie Arreglo, Stephen Soria, Chevallier Estillore, Joshua Flores, Carl Polizon, Matthew Suico, Uriel Villacarlos, Kamil Amirul, Paul Mapula, James Uy, Emmanuel Tariman, Marc Tanedo, Marque Ruedas and John Candongo.
Those who made the girls 12 team are Alexandrea Gumilao, Dominique Badines, Gazleen Ybanez, Regina Echavez, Maria Neri, Mary Borromeo, Lea Birondo, Kay Dotillos, Thea Erasmo, Ariell Passion, Arriene Poblacion, Trizza Musni, Jasmie Luym, Ana Tiu, Terene Neri and Regina Sarrosa.
Musni said he is confident of the players chances as some of the FAs in the Visayas are looking at the Cebu grassroots program as a model.
“But I told them that let’s be serious and at the same time have fun. Let’s play football and also make new friends,” said Musni.
WEEKS of hard work for some of Cebu’s best young footballers will finally be put to the test today as they join the Festival of Football in San Carlos City.
The Cebu Football Association started the tryouts for the Boys 12 and 14 and Girls 14-Under teams six weeks ago to identify the players who will represent Cebu in the Philippine Football Federation-organized meet.
Other FAs from the Visayas will also field teams and from the pool, they will select the representatives for the Visayas for the national youth squads.
“We held a tryout last Feb. 2 and since then, we’ve had training sessions every day at San Roque from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.,” said coach Antonio Trebol.
Trebol said most of the players came from Cebu’s major football schools like Don Bosco Technological Center, University of San Carlos, Springdale and Ateneo de Cebu and St. Theresa’s College.
The teams are led by coaches Marlou Solon, Joaana Sabid, Sean Lasa, Jinggoy Roa, Edwin Arganza and Harry Bordalba and CFA officials Raffy Musni, Allan Medalle and Trebol.
“We focused on improving their football IQ during the training,” said Trebol.
In the festival of football, no champion will be declared though the teams will face other teams in a series of games.
“During the games, the coaching staff of the PFF will start making their choices, and those who will be selected will be asked to do a series of tasks to check their shooting accuracy, ball-handling and technical skills,” said Trebol.
Trebol also said some of the players had to skip the final week of training as they represented their different divisions in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association.
On the other hand, Musni said he is thankful for the support of the parents and Mayor Mike Rama, who lent two Kaoshiung buses and Mayor Celestino Martinez of Bogo, who sent one.
“We have one parent, Dr. Joseph Poblacion, who volunteered to be the physical therapists of the whole team,” said Musni, who added another parent even managed to convince the singer Jose Mari Chan to sponsor them.
This year, those who made the boys 14-Under team are Charles Unabia, Tristan Enad, JC Banzon, Dustin Ramirez, Antonio Alforque Jr., Januar Villarin, Churchill Jubac, Frank Semilla, King Baclado, Paolo Abalos, Angelo Colina, Yushi Suzuki, Lloyd Soco, Jacob Braun, Nathan Bajarias, Pomeroy Veloso, Julian Cabatingan, Ronald Bitor, while those who made the Boys 12 team are Adrian Bitoon, Christian Lumapas, Berne Cimafranca, Yoji Selman, Clouie Arreglo, Stephen Soria, Chevallier Estillore, Joshua Flores, Carl Polizon, Matthew Suico, Uriel Villacarlos, Kamil Amirul, Paul Mapula, James Uy, Emmanuel Tariman, Marc Tanedo, Marque Ruedas and John Candongo.
Those who made the girls 12 team are Alexandrea Gumilao, Dominique Badines, Gazleen Ybanez, Regina Echavez, Maria Neri, Mary Borromeo, Lea Birondo, Kay Dotillos, Thea Erasmo, Ariell Passion, Arriene Poblacion, Trizza Musni, Jasmie Luym, Ana Tiu, Terene Neri and Regina Sarrosa.
Musni said he is confident of the players chances as some of the FAs in the Visayas are looking at the Cebu grassroots program as a model.
“But I told them that let’s be serious and at the same time have fun. Let’s play football and also make new friends,” said Musni.
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