Big surprise for unbeaten leader Mandaue Gunners, they lost their 1st game in the 5th round of FCINTERCEBU football-league against newcomer Team Basak, 0-4, and drew with CSCST-TECH who won 4-1 against Ticgahon.

Both now have 12 points but the Gunners have three more goals.

Results and standingsTeam Basak vs. Mandaue Gunners 4:0

Ticgahon shooters vs. CSCST SCI-TECH 1-4
Abuno FC vs. Pajac goalgetters 9-4
Tabor Hill Saints vs. Imperats United 3-7

Table: July 30
Team Points Goals
1. Mandaue Gunners 12 + 25
2. CSCST SCI-TECH 12 + 22
3. Imperats United 9 + 9
4. Tabor Hill Saints 9 + 8
5. Abuno FC 6 - 6
6. Ticgahon shooters 3 - 2
6. Team Basak 3 - 2
8. Pajac goalgetters 0 - 52

CIC continue to dominate the youth-league with wins over Pajac U14 and Abuno U16. Tabor Hill took the lead of the U 16 teams with a 3:1 win over Pajac.

Folks, there were a lot of requests in the cbox, sorry, I just got back.

I got home.

I saw the field in school, where we used to play, and the field in my place where we learned the game.

They were unused.

Nobody played.

I passed by our school and I remembered, once in my second year, everybody thought we will be the first Mindanao team to win the national Coke title.

I passed by the field in my subdivision and I remembered how it was packed during the weekends.

It’s sad really, to note, how a once promising place could sink so low.

Adjancent to our field was a basketball court and a tennis court. Back then, all three places were always packed. The people who play football, would disperse to play basketball, while some would go on to play tennis.

That is the advantage in our place, we can play all sports.

Heck, I’m even willing to bet against the best football team in Cebu, Hiroshi? Crazy Horse? Don Bosco? Name it.

I bet in a one-day series of a game of football, tennis, baseball, basketball, volleyball and table tennis, we’d whip your ass. No doubt about that.

You may beat us in football, but the same guys cant beat us in all the other sports. That’s how good and diverse sports was in our hometown.

Now, nobody plays. And, sadly, as what the old folks back home say, the kids are preoccupied with things not prescribed by law.

What a waste.

Polomolok has, at last count, has six football fields.

Yet, the Don Bosco FC outnumbers the football population back home.

I went home, last Thursday to attend my friends’ wedding — to fulfill my promise that I would be there when they exchange vows.

In the process, I missed a lot of football action in Cebu, but so what?

My friends will only get married once, Cebu can host another regional, there’s another women’s open.

Still, when I got back, I thought, heck, I didn’t miss much. Leading 2-0 at halftime and losing 2-4 after full time? Losing to Bacolod (was it) by five goals? Wheew!

I haven’t seen any of the games and but I can surmise on the facts.

Cebu did their best. That is for sure.

There was no hometown factor.

The players — who have practiced and sacrificed a lot for the tournament — are their own biggest critics.

You can’t blame the coach, I don’t know about you, but the Cebu U17 coach is the best coach in Cebu as far as I am concerned.

But no matter how good a coach you are, there are some things that cannot be taught.

Things that a player learns by playing barefoot under the sun with opponents a generation older. Cebu football is learned in the school level, Barotac football is learned in the streets.

In this case, street education wins over school education, hands down.

In the past two years, there are more competitions, more and more kids are playing the game — and those who have left it have returned in the 36-above categories.

Cebu hosted the under-19 nationals and is set to host a regional tournament.

There will be a coaches seminar this month (or has that been moved to next month)

DBC won the Palarong Pambansa title, Springalde sprung a few national football festivals title, CIS is one of the top teams in the Inter-IS league.

San Roque has come back to life, the Call Centers are putting their own teams, we have a two-division league.

Fifa officials are here in Cebu.

Guess what happened.

What — please distinguish it isnt ‘who’– the CebuFA president should be.

Tada!!!

A few reactions on those nominated in the chatbox.

First me.

Seriously, that’s not possible and I’m not interested. Thanks for the vote of confidence though, but I do what I do because I love football and I want to help it grow, not because I want to be part of the policy making body — here’s a thought, you can help influence policy without the need of being in the body.

Second nominee, Ronaldo.

First, I’ve learned to admire and take seriously Ronaldo’s posts and comments here, but seriously folks, must we nominate (no offense bay Ronaldo) a guy for president because of his posts in this blog?

Third nominee (s) Elying and Babot.

I know both guys though I know Elying better, but still, they can serve Cebu Football more as coaches than as president and it’s not about lack of skill or what.

Fourth. Hi red horse

Fifth… I was gonna put something really smart here…but I kinda of got………..

MULBACHS FC was supposed to be the second-best team in the Aboitiz Women’s Open, but against San Roque FC, the second seed was anything but as Mulbachs fell, 0-1, yesterday at the San Roque Parish football grounds.
On the other hand, there were no surprises in the opening game as the defending champion and top seed Queen City United hacked out a masterful 6-1 demolition of sister team, University of San Carlos.

“Most of my players are still new (to the game) and are very young,” said USC head coach Joshua Fegidero.

In the second game, San Roque, playing in front of a few brave souls from San Roque who braved the drizzle, had Mulbachs on the defensive most of the first half.
However, their lack of finishing had the score at 0-all after the first 45 minutes.

The wily Christine Mantos, who played for Cebu in the National Under-17 finals last summer, kept feeding Melanie Bordalba and Monica Trebol from left flank but the two strikers couldn’t capitalize on the their chances.

Against the Mulbachs defense, the young Mantos seemed a veteran, outpacing and outplaying her defenders almost at will.

“She’s (Mantos) really smart and good, she waits for the player to commit before making her moves,” said one match official in the sidelines.

In the second half, coach Eleazer Toledo placed Rhodora Toledo, a former Queen City player, upfront to bolster their attack to no avail.

However, 19 minutes in, Grace Carion brought down Trebol inside the box and referee Archie Reyes promptly called the foul.

Carmel Colina, another former Queen City player, converted the penalty for the lone goal of the match.

Meanwhile in the first game, the prolific Marlou Solon again came up with a signature performance as she scored four goals — including a hat trick in the first 23 minutes – in the first half.

Jan Salac and Cristina Fuentes added one each for Queen City before Roseton Bariñan banged in USC’s lone goal in the 86th.

Next week, San Roque will take on Queen City, while Mulbachs will face USC.

*bahala’g late, basta na-ay update
** photo by Ruel Rosello

ENGLAND may have gone out in the quarterfinal round on penalties, but the ‘England’ team of Don Bosco Boys Home alumni took the opposite route as they won the BPI Inter Don Bosco Cup over the Netherlands, 5-4, yesterday at the SVD field.
The shoot out was still tied after the two-sets of three kickers got their chance, giving the respective goalkeepers a chance to save their team.
Fr. Leo Dizon, who had one stop in the shootout, converted his, while Ramil Lachica missed high for their win.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the ‘England’ squad, composed of a few members of the 1996 National Coke-Go-For-Goal champion, were wearing the colors of Espania.

“They were supposed to wear the England colors, but the uniforms they ordered were that of Spain,” said one bystander in the one-day contest which gathered the football heroes of Don Bosco Technological Center and DBBH.

The eight teams were wearing the colors of the eight quarterfinalists in the FIFA World Cup.

England/Spain, composed of Rocky Garciano, David Gerali, Robert Nicart, Lemar Baunsit and with Dizon at goal, finished on top of their bracket and defeated Italy, 2-0, in the semifinal round, behind goals by Baunsit and Alex Boanghog.

On the other hand, Argentina finished second to England/Spain, and unlike the Germany World Cup, lost by shootout to the Netherlands in the semifinals.

Italy defeated Argentina, 1-0, in the battle for third.

Meanwhile in the finals, both teams tried hard to score, but Dizon and Lachica kept their goals clear, sending the match to a futile extension and to a shootout.

Things started badly for England after Gerali missed wide and Junex Genson converted for a 1-0 lead. Dave Intong equalized for England and Mark Buglosa gave them a chance after bungling his shot.

“They (Bosconians) are suggesting that we make this quarterly, so we may hold this again,” said the event’s organizer Alex Bucao.

*bahala’g late, basta na-ay update
** photo by Ruel Rosello

ENGLAND may have gone out in the quarterfinal round on penalties, but the ‘England’ team of Don Bosco Boys Home alumni took the opposite route as they won the BPI Inter Don Bosco Cup over the Netherlands, 5-4, yesterday at the SVD field.
The shoot out was still tied after the two-sets of three kickers got their chance, giving the respective goalkeepers a chance to save their team.
Fr. Leo Dizon, who had one stop in the shootout, converted his, while Ramil Lachica missed high for their win.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the ‘England’ squad, composed of a few members of the 1996 National Coke-Go-For-Goal champion, were wearing the colors of Espania.

“They were supposed to wear the England colors, but the uniforms they ordered were that of Spain,” said one bystander in the one-day contest which gathered the football heroes of Don Bosco Technological Center and DBBH.

The eight teams were wearing the colors of the eight quarterfinalists in the FIFA World Cup.

England/Spain, composed of Rocky Garciano, David Gerali, Robert Nicart, Lemar Baunsit and with Dizon at goal, finished on top of their bracket and defeated Italy, 2-0, in the semifinal round, behind goals by Baunsit and Alex Boanghog.

On the other hand, Argentina finished second to England/Spain, and unlike the Germany World Cup, lost by shootout to the Netherlands in the semifinals.

Italy defeated Argentina, 1-0, in the battle for third.

Meanwhile in the finals, both teams tried hard to score, but Dizon and Lachica kept their goals clear, sending the match to a futile extension and to a shootout.

Things started badly for England after Gerali missed wide and Junex Genson converted for a 1-0 lead. Dave Intong equalized for England and Mark Buglosa gave them a chance after bungling his shot.

“They (Bosconians) are suggesting that we make this quarterly, so we may hold this again,” said the event’s organizer Alex Bucao.