PAOLO Pascual again came up with the heroics to tow the Abellana National School led Cebu City Niños to a 4-0 win over Negros in the finals of the Central Visayas Athletic Association secondary football in Bohol.

Pascual, from Paref Springdale, blocked three kickers, while Cebu converted on their spot kicks for their scintillating shootout win, giving Cebu the title they lost last year after racking up seven straight wins in the annual meet.

In thier final game last Friday, Pascual also had a crucial save in another shootout win over the same team.

The win earned Cebu City, coached by Francis Ramirez and DAnny Ramos, a berth in next month’s Palarong Pambansa.

Both the elementary and high-school football teams of Cebu City are ready and raring to compete in the Central Visayas Athletic Association (Cviraa) meet in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The elementary team, represented by powerhouse Don Bosco College (DBC) with two reinforcements from City Central School and Cebu Learning Center, eyes to do better than last year’s second runner-up finish.

“We are targeting the Palarong Pambansa in Naga,” said DBC coach Joselito Bono.

DBC has prepared for more than two months for the annual meet and is set to face Cebu Province at 10 a.m. today.

“I don’t know which school is representing Cebu Province, but what I’m concerned now is Bohol, since it has big players,” Bono said.

High school

On the other hand, the high-school team, represented by Abellana National School with reinforcements from Paref-Springdale, Cebu International School and DBC, will meet Bohol in its first match today and will meet the winner between the Cebu Province and Tagbilaran City match tomorrow.

“Kaya ra ang (We can handle) Bohol, pero dili kakompyansa-an (but we can’t be overconfident),” said coach Francis Ramirez.

Just like the elementary team, the high-school squad, which finished runner-up in the Denker Cup Men’s Open two weeks ago, has prepared two months for the tournament – with emphasis on hard training as the Cviraa schedule doesn’t give the teams the luxury of rest.

First loss

“If you get to the losers’ bracket, there are days when you will play two games,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez eyes to capture the Cviraa crown after losing it last year for the first time in seven years.

This year’s squad is reinforced by Michael Sharpe, Paolo Pascual, RJ Sembrano, Timothy James Matteo, Kyle Soriano and Jerome Batad.

IF plans push through, Cebu City is set to host the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Men’s Under-17 Visayas Eliminations at the end of May.

The Cebu Football Association (CebuFa) has submitted its bid to the PFF and president Jonathan Maximo is hoping for a positive response after the Holy Week.

Since there is no planned national tournament for the age-group yet, the Visayas Leg could become a quasi-national tilt as the powerhouse teams come from the region.

Teams expected to see action in the tournament are from Cebu, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

“I believe Iloilo and Dumaguete are also interested in hosting the event,” Maximo said.

Cebu City will be bannered by Paref Springdale of coach Mario Ceniza after they won the Aboitiz 15-Under crown last year. Springdale defeated Hiroshi FC, 2-0, in a tough final in December last year to take the crown.

“We want to have our local qualifying way ahead of PFF tournaments. So we had our 2006 Aboitiz Boys 15 Cuplast yeart to prepare for 2006 U17. This is for players born on 1990 or earlier,” Maximo said.

“The next local qualifying tournament is the Women’s Open for and the Boys’ 18-under Cup for the PFF Under-19,” he said.

Last year’s the CebuFa U-17 team, coached by Glenn Ramos, defeated Dumaguete City, 3-2, before suffering a humbling 0-7 loss to Iloilo City. Just like this year, there was no national tournament for the age-group last year.

After losing last year’s Central Visayas Athletic Association (Cviraa) football crown for the first time in eight years, Cebu City coach Francis Ramirez is leaving no stone unturned for this year’s edition of the annual games set next week In Bohol.

“Last year we only had 10 days to prepare, this year we have been training for two to three months,” said Ramirez. Ramirez earned the right to coach Cebu City after his Abellana National School squad topped the Cebu City Olympics last year.

Prior to last year’s defeat, Cebu City held on to the Cviraa football crown for seven straight years.

“We were not able to pick up players last year also, since most of them were already on vacation, this year, we got reinforcements, so our team is really a Cebu City selection team,” Ramirez said.

The players Ramirez picked up for his team are midfielder RJ Sembrano, defender Timothy James Matteo and goalkeeper Paolo Pascual from Paref Springdale, Kyle Soriano and Jerome Batad from Don Bosco College and Michael Sharpe from Cebu International School.

“We have no problems in terms of bonding because the Springdale players were able to understand the system, while Sharpe had already played with us in Cagayan and the Don Bosco players are familiar with my players,” Ramirez said.

Aside from traditional powerhouse Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City, Cebu City will also have another problem to tackle in the Cviraa – the schedule.

With almost 20 teams in the high-school and elementary divisions, organizers will be hard pressed to conclude the games as one venue will only be used for both divisions.

Two Paref-Springdale players made it to the training pool of the Philippine 14-under team which will compete in the Asian Football Confederation Under-14 Championships in Malaysia next month.

Kevin Tecson and Evan James Mendoza, members of Paref’s Red Ribbon champion team, got slots in the 30-man training pool in the Philippine Football Federation training center in Barotac Nuevo next month.

“He (coach John Carmona) liked their physique and height, and dili sad mabitin sa technical skills,” Paref coach Mario Ceniza said.

It will be a second time for Tecson, who stands at 5 foot 7, to play for the RP squad, while this is the first call up for Mendoza, who stands at 5 foot 8.

Twenty-five players showed up for the two-day trials last week.

“Naay dako chance para makuha sa RP team, if kaya nila mokayod didto,” Ceniza said, “Tanawun nato unsang ilang reaction…malingaw man sad siguro……sa gi ingun ni john..breathe football, eat football and sleep football for the next two weeks.”

Got this from my inbox.

To all concerned:

Cebu Football Association, Inc. (CebuFA) would like to clarify that a
particular website, www.cebufa.org is NOT an official website of the CebuFA.
The FA is not the owner of the above site and as such, it has no control
whatsoever over its contents.

Furthermore, it is not responsible for any information and/or data posted in
that website. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. For the
good of the game.

Yours In Football,

Cebu Football Association, Inc. (CebuFA)
Board of Directors

Jonathan M. Maximo
President

Cebu Football Association, Inc. (CebuFA)
G/F Unit 3, Friendship II Bldg.,
Hiway, Subangdaku, Mandaue City 6014 Phils.
Tel +6332 345-7885
Fax +6332 345-7886

THE self proclaimed CFA manager, Paul Weiler has been ousted.

Even from his own club, FC Inter Cebu, Weiler has been given the boot.

From the CebuFA — which Weiler insists on calling the CFA to the point of calling himself the CFA Manager – Weiler has been ousted, to FC Inter Cebu.

“It has come to our attention that certain person(s) are claiming to represent CebuFA. Only the CebuFA Board, thru its President, as mandated in its by-laws, is allowed to issue official statements for & in behalf of the organization. Furthermore, CebuFA has no “CFA Manager” in its roster of appointed officials. Thank you,” a text from CebuFA (not CFA) president Jonathan Maximo reads.

As to FC Inter Cebu, the vice president Manfred Schuwerk said, “Mr. Paul Weiler has no official function in our club FC Inter Cebu. This was the result of the meeting of FCIC board yesterday. The position he is claiming to have is not part of our by the SEC approved by-law. Anybody who wants to see it can come to me and read the official SEC document. Paul is dealing with other peoples earnings and work. He claimed that he is a Euro-multimillionaer. He claimed that he is the founder of our club. He claimed many things I dont need to mention here. Everybody here may decide by himself to believe him or not. Any statement of Paul Weiler is his private Opinion. He is not authorized to speak on behalf of FCINTERCEBU.”

Weiler is also best remembered by the Cebu football media for a failed publicity stunt during the Southeast Asian Games. When an energy drink company released a P.R regarding the amount of money they would give if the Philippine football team wins a medal at the Seag. Weiler released his own, calling and pestering reporters of his ‘million-peso’ incentive to help RP football.

He offered to triple the amount the energy drink was set to give. A news, which never came out in the papers.

One reporter said, “If he’s really serious to help Philippine football, why not invest this money in the grass roots development? Instead of bragging to the world he’s going to give this much if the Philippines bag the gold in SEA games football.”

Weiler’s offer didn’t see print. One editor said, “Kapoy to sya kastorya, maypag mag sige nalang ka’g OO para mahilum to, kung dili, dili mahuman ang storya.” (It’s tiresome to talk to him, it’s better if you just say “Yes” to shut him up, if you don’t, he won’t stop talking)

Up to now, Weiler still claims he is the CFA manager and that he got elected by a handshake.

He has become such an annoyance to football reporters that everytime they see Weiler on the field, they would take the longer circuitous rout to avoid him.

One unfortunate lady reporter, who has left the football scene, told another reporter after a grueling 30-minute discourse on football, “Ngano gi-byaan man ko nimo, tanawa, nagantos ko niya, wa gyud ko kasabot sa iyang gipangyawyaw,” (Why did you leave me, see, I had to endure him, I didnt understand a thing what he was talking about)

In one instant, while talking to the three reporters, (a guy in the back said), “Hala mo, di na siya mu-undang,” (Guys, he won’t stop talking)

After that, if ever Weiler approaches the reporters, they would find any excuse to avoid him, moving to the other side of the field, or in the unfortunate time that they get to talk to him, they would leave him abruptly if he looks away.

The Cebufa website has banned me from their forum, now, I guess it’s time to pull my weight, don’t you think?

I mean, I’ve been helping the FA get lots of media mileage.

So I guess, I will stop writing about the FA, concentrate on other football news, if this ‘thing about their website” doesn’t get cleared out.

And I’m not talking about the ban, I can live without that forum.

I have a few advice for Weiler, and I have to keep it simple.
1.) Learn to listen
2.) Learn to understand what other people say
3.) Forcing your ideas is bad.
4.) Learn to read posts in forums.
5.) Just because people doesn’t agree with you, it doesn’t mean they are football “destructors”

THE Philippines held India to a 1-1 draw in their second match of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup in Bangladesh Monday night.

The Azkals are now third in their Group with one point and have a slim chance of making it to the final eight.

“I hope to make it to the last eight stage. My players have done quite well in the last game against India and I have confidence in them,” RP coach Aries Caslib said in the AFC website.

To make it to the final eight, the Philippines, playing minus top strikers Freddy Gonzales and Chelsea reserves Philip and James Younghusband, must beat Afghanistan and hope the Chinese-Taipei versus India game ends with one team winning by more than two goals.

India and Chinese-Taipei, which defeated the Philippines by one goal last April 2, share the top two spots with four points. Chinese-Taipei was held to a 2-2 draw by Afghanistan in its second game.

However, if Chinese-Taipei and India draw their match, both teams will advance to the quarterfinal round of the Challenge Cup, a tournament created for the bottom 16 teams in Asia.

The Philippines came up with a better showing in the second half of its draw against India, creating chances after chances.

Vimal Pariyar scored in the eighth minute for India before Mark Alvin Valeroso leveled the count 10 minutes later.

“(The) Philippines is a strong team and they played good football. We had to adopt defensive strategy in the second half because our players were tired,” said India’s head coach Islam Akhmedov.

India is ranked 118th in the world, Chinese-Taipei 157th, Afghanistan 189th and the Philippines 191st. After the Challenge Cup, the country’s ranking is expected to improve.

(Keeper) Hope I’m not too late.

RJ Sembrano, dances on air.

Guess where the open guy is.

The Cviraa bound team.

Ball vs hair gel. Ball wins.

Kicking with the head.

My chest is stronger than your knee.

The team.

Anticipation…(guy in background) Ok, lami ni……

Should I head this or should I kick this?

ELEAZAR Toledo banged in the lone goal in the final game to give the San Roque FC the Denker Cup title over a gritty Hiroshi FC Under-18 squad at the Mepz Field in Lapu-Lapu City.

Toledo got the ball just 20 yards from the goal, faked right and turned left before blasting a grounder to the lower right corner past Paolo Pascual in the first half for the title-clincher.

San Roque finished on top of the five-team elimination round of the Denker Cup, which is organized by Manfred Schuwerk and FC Inter Cebu, with one win and three draws, after beating Queen City earlier, 1-0.

The Denker Cup is a full 11-a-side game with teams playing 15 minute halves in the elimination round. The top two teams played for the title, while the third and fourth-ranked teams played for third spot.

After yesterday’s Men’s Open, the Denker Cup resumes on April 23 for the 1991 age group, April 30 for the 1989 age group, May 7 for 1993 and May 14 for the 1987 bracket.

Queen City took the third spot after beating Inter Cebu, 1-0.

“At least with this tournament, we have known the strength and weakness of the team,” said Queen City coach, Mario Ceniza.

Tune-up

Ceniza is using the tournament as a tune-up for Queen City before they host the Cebu Invitational Inter Club tournament later this month, against top teams from Bacolod and Mindanao.

“We are still accepting players to join us, since we have only 15 ,” said Ceniza.

Among their latest recruit is former Hiroshi FC midfielder, Martin Bontia and Toledo.

Bontia now joins his former Carmen National School teammates Randel Cano, Jack Reston, Agustin Bardinas, Ronald Mahilom and Ivan Dimco in Queen City.

Meanwhile, Ceniza will assist national Under-14 coach, John Carmona in a trials for Cebu’s best players in the 1992 age-group this April 7-8 at the San Roque field.

Players who get picked for the team will play in the Asian Football Confederation Under-14 tournament in Malaysia on May 29 to June 4.

“After the trials, the players from Mindanao and Cebu who will be picked will go to Bago for thier training. Two weeks before they leave for Malaysia, they will transfer to Manila for the final phase of their training,” Ceniza said.