Cebu Football

A "CLERICAL error" rendered the weeks of tough and hard training by the Philippine Women's Under 19 team, formed to represent the country in the Asian Football Confederation U 19 championships in Thailand this March. The Philippine Football Federation missed the Aug. 31, 2005 deadline of submission of entries and had its final appeal denied by the AFC just yesterday. According to a chronology of events leading to the fiasco sent by AFC Women's Committee deputy chair, Cristy Ramos-Jalasco to Sun.Star, the women's team was formed in September 2005, or days after the deadline passed and were still undergoing training until yesterday. The PFF sent their entry form last Jan. 3, which was promptly rejected by the AFC as it was passed the deadline. The report also said that the PFF got the first invitation last Feb. 28 and another letter asking to confirm their participation on Aug. 12. Both invitations indicated the Aug. 31 deadline. PFF president Johnny Romualdez to

I'll be posting some stuff tomorrow. Will have to wait till it comes out in the papers right? hehehehe As to the one I'll post here, I'll include some tidbits that was not in the report.

THE Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) will send a youth coach for a one week training in Fukushima Japan by the Japan Football Association (JFA) on March. “The course involves theoretical and practical sessions, coaching practice and written test. It is designed for coaches handling players in the “golden age", U-12. JFA National Coaching Staff will conduct this course and successful participants will be given JFA "C" License,” CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo said in an email to Sun.Star. According to the CebuFa they will nominate the candidates to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and each candidate must “actively involved in the development within the CebuFA, can read and write in English and must be physically fit. The PFF Technical Development committee will deliberate on the credentials of all nominees before forwarding them to the JFA. The JFA, which will shoulder the accommodation, meals and airport transfers, will just inform the PFF if the nominated

Division B W D L GD Points Metropolitan FC 4 1 +36 12 Queen City FC 4 1 +28 12 Wild Cebu FC 4 1 +25 1 SRFC 4 1 +22 12 CSCST 1 4 -1 3 FC Inter Cebu 1 4 -24 3 FC Inter Lapu-Lapu 6 -86 0 IT was a day of blow outs in the Aboitiz League Div. B yesterday as two teams got buried by at least 15 goals as four teams scramble for the two slots to Div. A next season. Wild eCebu started the rout with a 20-0 whipping of FC Inter Lapu-lapu and Metropolitan FC followed suit with a 17-2 win over FC Inter Cebu while San Roque FC scored a 5-1 win over Cebu State College of Science and Technology. The three winners along with idle Queen City United now have identical 12 points on a 4-1 record. Only the top two teams in Div. B will be earn slots to Div. A. However, if Hiroshi pushes through with its boycott of all Cebu Football Association events, it could mean another team will get a spot. With their rout yesterday, Metropolitan is now on top of the standings, just eight goals ahead of

CEBU International School (CIS) stumbled in its quest to win the International Schools Athletic Conference (Isac) boys football crown as the injury-plagued team lost to Brent Baguio, 1-3, in yesterday morning’s semifinals. Only nine players showed up for CIS at the start of the game, with the rest nursing various injuries. "Grabe gyud tong three games namo yesterday (Saturday) and slide pa kaayo ang ground, na injured ako players, and worse, we had no substitutes," CIS head coach Joshua Fegidero said. Last Saturday, CIS played and won all its three games to finish second in the six team event behind European International School (EIS, with a 4-1 record. Their lone defeat was against EIS, 2-1 in their first game. Saturday's steady downpour also rendered the grass muddy and slippery. Among the players missing yesterday were Miguel Atienza, and defensive cog Peter Watson while Rafa Aboitiz played with an injury. “Gamit si Peter sa depensa, while Rafa wasn’t really much of

DESPITE horrible playing conditions, the Cebu International School (CIS) managed to sweep its three matches yesterday to finish second in the boys football event of the International Schools Athletic Conference (Isac) at the CIS CIS finished second to European International School (EIS) with four wins against a loss, while Brent Subic and Brent Baguio took the next two spots. CIS will next face Baguio in today's semifinals while EIS will face Subic. Yesterday's downpour turned the greenfield into a muddy plain, resulting to players colliding with each other as they slip. "It was very slippery and I got four or five players injured because of that," CIS coach Jun Fegidero said. Though they are yet to face Baguio in the semifinals, Fegidero expects a rematch with EIS in the finals. They earlier lost to EIS, 2-1 in their first game. If they get to the finals, CIS and EIS will play two straight games today and though Fegidero is concerned about his injured players he

People, got this from an email CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 28 February 2005 Dato' Peter Velappan, General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), writes a letter of invitation (Ref. No: WF-022) to participate in the AFC U19 Women's Championship 2006 and also a letter of invitation to host this event (Ref. No: WF-023) to the general secretaries of 22 national football associations, including the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). The event is tentatively scheduled on 19-30 April 2006. The AFC faxes both letters to PFF on 28 February 2005. The letters clearly state that the deadline for submission of entries is not later than 31 August 2005. Attached also are the official entry forms. At the bottom of the entry forms, again the deadline of submission of entries of not later than 31 August 2005 is indicated. The date is in all capital letters and is even underlined. PFF President Johnny Romualdez acknowledges the receipt of the letters on 01 March with a marginal

WITH all the coup rumors flying around the country, there's another rumor, but its not about ousting GMA, its about ousting the Cebu Football Association. Three groups are apparently planning to create a new football association. Hmmm...interesting. Interesting indeed. I wonder how will the CebuFA or Philippine Football Federation react to this. Stay tuned.

The Philippines may miss the AFC U19 qualifications in Thailand, not because of a lack of preparation, or funds or team, but because the PFF forgot, yes they forgot, to submit an entry form. Click this link. http://news.inq7.net/sports/index.php?index=1&story_id=64270 Now, you've seen everything.

AFTER a sluggish start, the Cebu International School (CIS) finally showed its full strength with a 5-1 whipping of Mindanao Christian Academy (Mica) in the first day of the International School Athletic Conference (Isac) boys football at the CIS field. In its first game, CIS lost 1-2, with Michael Sharpe scoring the lone goal, to European International School, before coming back in the afternoon match against. "They had a tough time adjusting with the game, but in the second half and in the second game, they were already playing well," CIS coach and former national team member Joshua Fegidero said. CIS showed no sign of its early loss in its game against Mica, which earlier whipped Southville 5-1 as Sharpe connected with Jerry Lee in the first two minutes. However, Lee failed to hit the target. Lee got another chance when his shot richoceted off the keeper a few minutes later, but the ball hit the side bar. In the 12th minute, Lee made sure his third try will count as he ba

THE CEBU International School (CIS) is ready to defend its turf as it host the second tournament of this year's International Schools Athletic Conference (Isac) starting today. Seven other schools will be also coming for the boy's football and girl's high school basketball, which will be played over the weekends. This is the second tournament, and the Isac season closes out this March with girl's football and boy's basketball in Baguio City. Each school earn points in every tournament, which are then added after the final event to determine the over-all title holder. Last year, CIS tied Brent Laguna for the over-all title, despite having a fraction of Brent's population. Other schools joining the three-day event are European International School, Southvile IS, Brent South, Brent Bagiou, Brent Subic, Brent Laguna, Mindanao First Christian Academy, and British School Manila. "Actually, I expect us to perform better this year, the kids are a year smarter and

MIFFED by the Cebu Football Association's (CebuFA) decision to bar them form playing in the Philippine Football Federation regional eliminations, Aboitiz League Division A champion Hiroshi FC will no longer join any CebuFA-sanctioned tournament the rest of the year. Aside from its senior's team, some of whose players got into a fight with Crazy Horse in the Thirsty Cup, Hiroshi also has a 35-above team, and youth teams as young as 10-under. "Hiroshi FC will not join any CebuFA-sanctioned tournament this year in all age categories. HFC is composed of more or less 150 players," read a text message from Hiroshi goalkeeper Frederick Alazas. Asked for comment, CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo said, "I refuse to comment on that until CebuFA will receive an official letter from them. They have a team in Red Ribbon that will play this Saturday." Alazas also confirmed they have a team for the Red Ribbon, and that the kids have appealed the decision not to join any C

HIROSHI FC had its appeal to play in the Philippine Football Federation regional eliminations this weekend denied by the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) disciplinary committee. The board met last night to discuss the appeal of Hiroshi, which got punished for its involvement in a brawl last Jan. 8 in the Thirsty Cup semifinal round. Though disciplinary committee chairman Mark Bretherton is set to issue an official statement, Sun.Star Cebu learned of the decision from Frederick Alazas, Hiroshi FC's goalkeeper. "The board has decided to maintain the original decision. Hiroshi will not play in the PFF regional games, thank you for your inputs. We sincerely hope you will maintain your interest in football," said a text message forwarded by Alazas to Sun.Star. Alazas said the text message was from Bretherton. Even if it asks for another reconsideration, time is running out for Hiroshi as the regional elimination starts on Friday. After the Thirsty Cup brawl, which involved

*(been meaning to post this one, never found the time) IT was a sight I have never seen, a sight, I long to see again. Twenty thousand football fans (30,000 by some estimates) screaming till they can scream no more. Chanting. Cheering. Shouting. As one. For that 90 minutes, nobody cared about Garci, nobody cared about the stupid squabbles up north. We were winning, 4-2, against Cambodia. Before the Southeast Asian Games (Seag), the most I’ve seen at a football match was two hundred. During the Seag, there were probably hundreds crammed at the gates, stretching their necks to see the action. People climbed trees, fire trucks and the gates itself to see action. That’s how jampacked the stadium was that day, Nov. 25, 2004. It was a day, I stopped becoming a sportswriter. Getting assigned to cover football in the Seag was a dream come true. It was akin to a politician, getting the key to the national bank, or Michael Jackson, getting the key to the Fountain of Youth. During the fir

THEY were playing a crucial match and won easily, 7-1, but yesterday, the only thing in the minds of the San Roque FC players when they played FC Inter Cebu was this -- did Manny Pacquiao win? Out of the 25 players in their squad, only 13 showed up for the match. Ang uban nagpabilin, nagtanaw Manny," said Eleazar Toledo, who scored a goal yesterday but made a bigger killing on the fight, winning P5000 on bets. Worse, one of their defender abandoned his position in the middle of the game, to get updates on the Pacquiao fight. SRFC player Paolo Cases's dad brought a radio with him in the match. "Murag amaw, mugawas sa field, gi-biyaan jud ang iyang posisyon kay nangita'g update," Toledo said. Other scorers in their game were Anthony Colina (19th), Romeo Bordador (22nd), Darwin Bordalba (26th), Berto Eco (67th), Jovie Bordalba (88th) and John Mayol (89th) It was the same problem for Queen City United, which defeated Metropolitan 4-2, though coach Mario Ceniza isn

WHEN 22-year-old Joanne Lardizabal Ignacio started playing football, on the prodding of a PE instructor at UP Manila in early 2001, someone told her to pick up another sport, saying she was “too lampa to be good at the game.” Fast forward a few years later, Ignacio, who has a BA Broadcast Communication (cum laude mind you) degree at UP Diliman, got her sweetest revenge, the obnoxious futbolero had to give her the trophy for winning the MVP award in a tournament. Still, success didn’t come easy for Ignacio, as once in a football game, the ref stopped her – pointing to her watch. “I guess I wasn't paying enough attention - I thought he was asking for the time! So I told him what time it was, and then everyone started laughing! Turns out he was telling me to take my watch off before he resumed the game,” she said. At 5-foot-4, Ignacio played all positions in the game except tending the goal – the changes due to her fast improvements in the game (for those who ever entertained such po

THE CEBU Football Association Disciplinary Committee is set to meet with Hiroshi and Crazy Horse officials regarding their recent sanctions after the two teams got into a brawl in the Thirsty Cup Men's Open semifinal round last Jan. 8. "I expect they will also bring their appeal with them," CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo said, "I will just let Mark Bretherton (Disciplinary Committee chairman) preside over the meeting." In their decision last week, the CebuFA said "team officials, manager, coach and captain from both clubs are to be summoned to a meeting with the CebuFA shortly. The CebuFA is to appeal to both teams for a better level of sportsmanship and goodwill during all future football tournaments. Both teams will be expected to sign an agreement that states future repetition of "free for all" situations by any team will result in a lifetime ban for the club concerned and the players involved." On the other hand, Hiroshi FC head coach E

THE Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) has moved the Red Ribbon Under-14 tournament from today to Jan. 28 due to the unavailability of the players in the nine-team event. “Four schools begged off because they are having exams,” CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo said yesterday. The postponement was agreed during the team managers’ meeting Thursday night, when the draw for the tournament was held. The teams are divided into three brackets with defending champion, Paref Springdale, and favorites Hiroshi and Don Bosco College, spread in the three groups. The top team in each group plus the best second placer will play in the semifinal round. To add flavor to the event, which the CebuFA will use as its talent-identification program for the Cebu City team in the International Children’s Games in July, individual awards will be given. They will hand out the Most Valuable Player, Best Striker, Best Defender, Best Midfielder and Best Goalkeeper awards at the end of the tournament. Meanwhile, af

Paging mr Jonathan Maximo...daghan nag request foto sa imong PaBol girls..hehehe

ONE of the biggest casualties in the Thirsty Cup brawl between Hiroshi FC and Crazy Horse FC is Joshua Fegidero, one of Bacolod City's most loved football sons. Fegidero, a product of West Negros College and former national team player, got a one-year ban for his part in the brawl, and the news has also hit his home city. Fegidero, along with teammates Gary Panagsagan, Francis Parampan and Hiroshi's Harold Buot, Richard Romero and Rommel Cuizon got suspended for a year, while Ariel Cahilig and Vermonel Resuena got two-year suspensions. The Crazy Horse striker said they were just forced to retaliate during the brawl because they were the ones attacked. "I pulled Gary (Panagsagan) aside to protect him and backed away from them. I backed away too far that from Pitch 3, we reached Pitch 1," said Fegidero. Fegidero plans to appeal the one-year suspension. "Sayang, I can't play in the Aboitiz League, and then there's a coming tournament in San Roque. I can'

The Pabol girls...off the field(o, kinsa to nagrequest pic sa pabol girls, naa na jud) The young keeper and the Younghusbands Me and my two escort girls...hehehe Painted faces at the Paglaum Park and Stadium. 23rd Seag Kadto ko to ya! Fly with me

ASIDE from the two year ban on two players, the Cebu Football Association disciplinary committee also handed out one-year ban to six other players involved in the Hiroshi FC - Crazy Horse brawl during the Thirsty Cup semifinal round last Jan. 8 at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field. Told to sit out for a year were Hiroshi's Harold Buot, Rommel Cuizon, Richard Romero and Gary Panagsagan, Francis Parampan and Joshua Fegidero of Crazy Horse. The board also banned for two years, Hiroshi's Ariel Cahilig and Vermonil Resuena as it was already their second offense. However, the board also decided not to let Hiroshi and Crazy Horse represent Cebu in the regional eliminations set Jan. 27-29 in Dumaguete City, giving the University of San Jose-Recoletos, third in last year's Aboitiz League Div. A, the chance to represent Cebu. Crazy Horse was second ranked in the league and could have represented Cebu. The board also fined Crazy Horse, P10,000 and Hiroshi, P15,000. That decision,

People here is the decision by the Cebu Football Association, as written by Disciplinary Committee chair, Mark Bretherton. ---- The CebuFA has held two disciplinary meetings with the full board invited to review the incident that occurred between Hiroshi and Crazy Horse Football Clubs during the Men’s division semi-finals of the Thirsty Cup Football Festival on Sunday, January 11th. These meetings were held on Thursday, 12th and Tuesday, 17th of January 2006. Following initial discussions and review of the referees report, the organizers report and the referee’s coordinator report on Tuesday, 17th of January it was decided to request written statements from the players indicated in the reports and the management of the two teams. The reports submitted by those concerned were reviewed at the meeting on Tuesday, 17th of January 2006. The following decisions were made: 1. Players banned for one year (initial violent offense). Harold Buot (Hiroshi) Rommel Cuizon (Hiroshi) Richard Romero (H

There's nothing official yet, the Cebu Football Association is set to issue an official statement tomorrow (January 18), I just hope that it is more detailed than the previous one. However, that doesnt stop me from snooping around, after nobody would issue an official statement a few hours ago, I learned from a reliable source that two players will get a two-year ban, while the rest will sit it out for one year. As for Hiroshi representing Cebu in the regional eliminatins, my source didnt say anything but hinted that Hiroshi might not see action at all. Ouch. Hope lessons are learned from this one, tune in for more.

THE PHILIPPINE Football Federation (PFF) is set to put a check on the practice of players jumping from one team to another in the Men's National Championship on Feb 20-26 in Iloilo City, but has also allowed teams to recruit foreign players for their squad. "Teams can hire five foreign players for the national finals, but only three can play at the same time," Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) president Jonathan Maximo said. Maximo added that the foreigners will have to be registered first with the PFF before they can play. Aside from the foreigners, the PFF has also restricted the practice of players jumping from one place to another, which led to some officials joking during last year's championships that the champion team, NCR, had no player who can speak Tagalog, since most of them came from Visayas and Mindanao. The new rules were part of the guidelines on players' eligibility sent by PFF to the local associations for the regional and national meets this yea

THE CEBU Football Association (CebuFA) has learned a lesson from the Thirsty Cup brawl between Hiroshi and Crazy Horse FC last Sunday and will institute stricter security measures in future seniors matches. However, the FA will have to balance in protecting the players with protecting the integrity of the game. "We don't want to make it appear that football is violent in Cebu, na dili pwede maka-dula kung walay pulis," CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo said. (That you can't play with out the presence of the police) Last Sunday, the Hiroshi FC - Crazy Horse FC semifinal ended abruptly after they got into a free-for-all. Among the factors some of involved players blamed were the lack of security personnel to control the crowd. "Was this brawl initiated by organizers? Why no security, why no separated team bench, why was the crowd allowed to stay in the field?" said Manfred Schuwerk, a supporter of Hiroshi FC. The first tournament after the Thirsty Cup, is the

People, got this from the Philfootball.info. This gal, fellow football fan, needs our help, get your phones off your pockets and start typing!!! Hi everyone! =) I joined GamePlan's host search late last year and somehow ended up a finalist! There are 6 of us - 3 boys and 3 girls (out of 300+ applicants), and I seem to be the only footballer in the bunch. Unfortunately, they're only going to choose 1 boy and 1 girl. They're featuring the girls' profiles this Sunday, Jan. 15. I'm playing futbol with my teammates in my segment. I know I'm not as skilled as other players out there, but I love the sport just as much - just as madly - as any fanatic! And although our team just plays for fun, we've won our share of tourneys over the years. Our shoot was actually quite funny because we weren't used to being filmed while playing. Maybe you'll catch a few bloopers since there were times we'd get a bit distracted by the camera. I'm actually wondering ho

The Cebu Football Association will meet again on Tuesday for the decision regarding the fate of those involved in the free-for-all in the aborted semifinal match between Hiroshi FC and Crazy Horse FC in the Thirsty Cup. “We got the referees report and it was mentioned that four players form Hiroshi and three from Crazy Horse were involved,” CebuFa president Jonathan Maximo said. Maximo said, that in the interest of due process, they will ask the players mentioned and the Crazy Horse and Hiroshi managers to submit their own versions of the incident, to get their side. “We also want to listen to the players,” Maximo said. The sanctions from the CebuFa will be stiffer since it will affect all CebuFa sanctioned tournaments and will be forwarded to the PFF. According to Maximo, the PFF Code of Discipline stipulates that “all cases of violence must be severely punished” and that the suggested 12 months suspension for getting involved in a free for all “must be considered as a minimum”

THE LATEST footbrawl has put the Cebu Football Association (CebuFA) between the fire and a burner -- and whichever direction it takes, it get burns. On the one hand, as the governing body for the sport in Cebu it must punish those involved in the ugly fracas, but on the other hand, it's role in the Thirsty Cup was only to provide the referees - nothing else. "In the next tournaments we sanction, we will set a minimum standard on the pitch size, the security. We will be taking a more active role in the technical aspect," CebuFa president Jonathan Maximo said. Hiroshi FC, and Crazy Horse FC, the top two teams in Cebu football and owned by Japanese football philanthropists, figured in a brawl in the semifinal round of the Thirsty Cup, with Crazy Horse leading 2-0. In the quarterfinal round, Hiroshi B also lost to another Crazy Horse team. Hiroshi was riding on a seven-title streak and was set to represent Cebu in the Philippine Football Federation regional eliminations

THE decision to hand a lifetime ban on Crazy Horse in the Thirsty Cup didn't go well with the team, but it is willing to accept it. Team representatives said the sanction was excessive considering their players were the ones attacked and were just forced to defend themselves as they were already leading, 2-0. "We can't just let them hit us," Crazy Horse player Hayato Ayabe said. However, organizer Neil Montesclaros said the incident, which happened during the aborted Thirsty Cup Men's Open semifinal last Sunday, was already Crazy Horse' second offense in the tournament, after its manager, Ayabe's father Yozo, had an altercation with tournament officials last Saturday when they were refused to change their line-up. Hayato explained that they wanted to change their line-up because they were told they could do so before their first game. The younger Ayabe added that six other teams were also trying to do the same. For the Ayabes, the Thirsty Cup was their fi

BANNED for life. For harassing a tournament official and for getting involved in a brawl the players, manager and coaches of Crazy Horse FC are banned from the Thirsty Cup for life. “As to Hiroshi, we are thinking of a one-year or two-year ban for them,” said Thirsty Cup organizer, Charlie Pages. Although only Hiroshi and one of the two Crazy Horse teams were involved in the brawl, all their players in this year's Thirsty Cup will get the axe. “That is their decision, we can do nothing about that,” said Crazy Horse goalkeeper Jesus Singson Jr. Singson was with the other Crazy Horse team which defeated Hiroshi B, 2-0, in the quarterfinal round. Despite being physical, the Hiroshi-Crazy Horse quarterfinal game had no untoward incidents. Aside from Singson, Crazy Horse players banned from Thirsty are former national team member Joshua Fegidero, Albert Nangkil, Kim Relucio and the rest of their line-up. Early Saturday, the Crazy Horse manager had an altercation with Pages and Neil Mon

Sumbagay mo ani niya bay. Or isug ra mo kung gadagan ang kontra?

IF you have pictures of the Thirsty Cup and want to have it published in this site, please email your photo to mikelimpag@gmail.com Thanks, Mike

JUST eight days into the Year of the Dog, the Cebu Football Association now has two incidents to resolve. “Pagkalabad sa ulo ani,” Cebu Football Association president Jonathan Maximo said after learning of the Hiroshi-Crazy Horse fight yesterday. It was Hiroshi’s second fight-marred game in two years, after they also got involved in a fracas against Exas Philippines in the Aboitiz Champions League in February last year. And just like the first fight, their stint in the Regional Finals of the Philippine Football Federation Men’s Open could be in jeopardy. Last year before leaving for the regional, they had four players suspended because of the fight and may face a similar punishment before this year’s regional eliminations at the end of this month in Dumaguete City. “The board will just have to wait for the incident report from the Thirsty Cup and we will deliberate on this,” Maximo said. If Hiroshi FC gets suspended, the second team ranked team in the Aboitiz League Div. A will repres

FOR the second time in just 11 months, Hiroshi FC found themselves in another ugly free-for-all, marring an otherwise festive 3rd Thirsty Cup at the Sacred Heart School Jesuit. In a heated match against Crazy Horse, whom they fought to a 2-2 draw to claim the Aboitiz League Div. A crown last month, the defending champion Hiroshi found themselves down 1-0 after a perfectly taken grounder by Joshua Fegidero. That raised the intensity of the match, forcing ref Kurt Acre to ask for another ref to man the sidelines after Fegidero and Ariel Cahilig got into a heated exchange. Cahilig was replaced by Harold Buot and in the second half, with Crazy Horse ahead 2-0, all hell broke loose. Buot got into an argument with Albert Nangkil and when Nangkil turned away, Buot slapped Nangkil at the back of the neck. "I was about to give him (Buot) the red card but there was already a commotion in the side," Acre said. A Hiroshi and Crazy Horse player got tangled near the Crazy Horse bench just

Another year, another fight, another suspension, another tournament ban, another ugly incident in Cebu Football. The repercussions of the fight will be felt in the days to come, in that split second, when both teams abandoned fair play and turned into bullies, the fate of both teams will lay. What will happen? Stay tuned.

FOOTBALL teams live and die by their goal keepers and Miguel Red and Jake Allen Vicen made this true as they carried their team to the championships in yesterday’s 3rd Thirsty Cup at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field. Red staved off the final shot of Don Bosco – UC in the Under 17 shoot-out to the propel Cebu International School (CIS) to the title,2-1 while Vicen also had a similar title clinching move, stopping the second kicker of San Roque FC in their own finals shoot out for Don Bosco College’s, 1-0 win. It was CIS’ fourth straight title in the U17 dating to last year. They also won the CIS Friendship Cup in March, SRFC in August and Aboitiz Football Festival in September. Oddly, their final trophy started badly after Paolo Cases missed his first shot but they got a break after referee Louis Arriesgado called Delvon Kim’s shot in – while the DB/UC bench protested that the whole ball, which bounced off the lower corner did not go in. Andre Antigua drilled in his shot to give CIS

Drop by Ayala for the games, the 3rd edition of the Thirsty Cup opens Saturday.

THE third edition of the Thirsty Cup – Cebu football’s opening salvo of the year – kicks off with a launching party tonight at the Bright Academy compound in Barangay Banilad. Just like last year, players and football fans will have a chance to pit their skills in the digital domain in the Fifa 2006 Playstation contest, while the best jugglers will again try to come up with the winning moves in the juggling contest. There will be also contests for the most accurate kicker, best dribbler, and best in football attire. All winners will get a certificate and a football. Organizers have also set aside football gear as door prizes. Last year, Sun.Star Cebu editor and weekend goalkeeper Noel Villaflor, defeated Hiroshi’s Frederick Alazas for the Fifa 2005 crown, while Ace Mangohig bested the other jugglers to win the competition – highlighted by his trademark bicycle kick in the hard court venue at Kaona Grill. “Everybody is invited to the party, not just the players,” Thirsty Cup organizer