Baguio opens bid in Philippine football tourney

BAGUIO United Football Club (BUFC) opens its bid today, Monday, as the tough Philippine Football Federation Smart National Men's Club championships open in two fronts.


Fresh from their championship performance in the recently Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan Football Cup, the Goshenland-backed BUFC is set to fly to Iloilo Monday where they will see action in the tough group B actions.


"Yung Domogan Cup ang pinaka-preparation ng team pero mababa pa rin ung level. We need a better venue and stronger opponents if we want good result sa nationals," said BUFC-Goshenland coach Aries Bocalan.


Azkals's Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Phil and James Younghusband and Misagh Bahadoran will also bring their act to the tournament from August 9 to 13 in Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo.


Caligdong and Araneta, along with the Fil-Iranian Bahadoran, will banner the bid of National Capital Region's (NCR) Technika Football Club against the Younghusband brothers of Rizal's Smart San Beda Club in Group A action.


Out to steal the limelight from the prominent Azkals in their bracket set at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Memorial Stadium in Cagayan de Oro are Iligan's Ba-o Breakers and Leyte's Laos FC.


Vying for glory in Group B are Iloilo's Stallions FC, which is backstopped by former members of the Philippine youth team, NCR's Pachanga, Davao's Colombia, and Baguio's Baguio United. They will hold their group matches at the Central Philippine University and Barotac pitches in Iloilo.


The clubs will be a group single-round-robin play with the top two advancing to the crossover semifinals slated at the University of Makati.


The championship will feature a home-and-away format but the PFF is looking at the possibility of staging the two legs at Rizal should an all-NCR or all-Luzon finale take place.


A revival of the long-dormant nationwide club meets, the PFF-Smart tourney is part of the multi-million peso 10-year partnership of the PFF and the telco giant.


Despite the tough assignment for the Baguio squad, Bocalan sees the tournament as an avenue for his players to compete in a higher level of football.


"Bilog ang bola, mahirap magsalita pero at least yung pressure eh nasa mga kalabana kasi underdog tayo. We will give our best lang," added Bocalan. (Roderick Osis)


Published in the Sun.Star Baguio newspaper on August 08, 2011.