FOR Don Bosco College (DBC), which secured all the major titles in this year�s local tournaments, an impressive sweep of the Milo Little Olympics football titles capped a great year.
DBC started its dominance after its elementary and secondary teams bagged the Milo Little Olympics Football title, dethroning defending champions Canduman Elementary School, 6-1, for the elementary division and Abellana National School (ANS), 3-1, for the high school crown.
(Milo Little Olympics national finals foto by Alex Badayos)
Its title run continued when it dethroned the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, 3-1, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) secondary football, winning back the crown DBC lost last year when it was forced to forfeit a Cesafi game due to a scheduling conflict.
And two weeks later, DBC scored another sweep, this time in the tough Cebu City Olympics, which serves as the selection process for the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association. The Joselito Bono-coached elementary squad blanked Bright Academy in the elementary finals, while DBTC foiled ANS anew in the secondary finals, 4-2.
DBC set the bar high again in the Milo Little Olympics finals, sweeping both titles with the secondary team�led by Junjay Arrizabal, Valentino Calvo and Jerome Vestil among others � showing it is a cut above the rest with a 24-0 rout of Luzon, a 15-0 humbling of the National Capital Region, and a 4-0 win over Mindanao. The elementary squad, which had Glenn Thomas Ramos and Agustin Rafael Roa, also beat Luzon, 2-0, Mindanao, 4-2, and NCR, 11-1.
Palaro
The four teams could meet again in the Palarong Pambansa after both DBTC teams got the Cviraa titles, with a 7-0 win over Bayawan in the high school finals and a 6-0 win over Mandaue in the elementary finals.
While DBC was busy harvesting titles, the Cebu Football Association also got busy with seminars and the launching of a province-wide grassroots program.
The CFA sent coaches Eleazar Toledo, Oliver Colina and Bro. Mari Aberasturi to the Fifa Grassroots Pro-Active Instructors Course in San Carlos City, where it introduced the Festival-type format for grassroots football and also hosted the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) B License Coaching Course at Don Bosco Boys Home.
In the collegiate scene, the University of San Carlos also ended a five-year drought after beating the University of Southern Philippines Foundation in a tough finals.
Cebu joins UFL
The success of the Philippine Azkals and the rise of football also led to a growing interest in the United Football League, the country�s premier tournament.
And for the first time, a team from Cebu�the Cebu Queen City United FC�joined the fray, spending almost P500,000 on airfare alone as the 25-man squad flew in and out of Manila every weekday. Though the team failed to score a goal, it is preparing anew for a better showing in the UFL Division 2.
(UFL foto by Dr. Joel pascual)
A few Cebuano booters also suited up for various national teams, while two successful local coaches got an extended stint.
The list is bannered by young Cebuano goalkeeper Paolo Pascual, who made the Southeast Asian Games squad and was named to a couple of Azkal matches. Pascual, now based in Manila, also plays for Global Smartmatic FC in the United Football League.
Collegiate players Hanesin Prince Anthony and Dan Villarico also made it to the Under-19 Philippine Team that played in the Asian Football Federation Championship in Myanmar, while Dean Ebarle, Mario Lorenzo Ceniza, Moiselle Angelo Alforque, Vincent Lobitos, Kintaro Miyagi and Lawrence Colina joined the Little Azkals Under-13 national team under Cebuano coach Oliver Colina.
The successful DBC coach, Glenn Ramos, also headed the Teen Azkals Under-16 in the AFF Under-16 and had Cebuano Koko Gaudiel in his lineup.
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