Negros XI wins amid controversy

Focused on winning the crown despite controversies hounding the tournament, the Ceres-Negros Under-23 football team blew away Iloilo, 9-0, (12-goal aggregate) in the final game of the Philippine Football Federation Suzuki Men�s National Under-23 Championship at the Panaad Park and Stadium pitch yesterday.

Before an estimated 3,000 crowd at the stadium that included Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Mara�on Jr., Philippine Sports Commission chairman Ricardo �Richie� Garcia, Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Monico Puentevella, former PFF president Rene Adad, Vallacar Transit Inc. top executive Ricardo Yanson, and Suzuki president Satoshi Uchida, the Negros XI dominated and humbled their archrival Iloilo.

�The circumstances leading to the finals motivated our players to play well before the homecrowd. I know they will make more goals but not as many as 9,� Negros head coach Norman Fegidero Jr. said.

He was referring to the initial decision of the PFF Competitions Committee to nullify the decision that allowed two 15-minute extensions during the May 19 first game of the home-and-away finals at the Central Philippine University field in Iloilo. Regulation ended 1-1.

Negros won the game, 3-1, after scoring two more goals during the extensions, while two Iloilo players were issued red cards or an automatic suspension from playing in the final game at the Panaad pitch.

The initial nullification of the extension periods took away Negros� cushion of two-goals and allowed the suspended Iloilo players back into the game.

In a statement released to the media yesterday, the PFF said that after careful consideration with Negros and Iloilo team officials, it was agreed that the final score 3-1 during the May 19 game with all the corresponding cautions and suspensions will stand.

�The decision has affected our players. They played with a very low morale tonight,� Iloilo team manager JR Robles told reporters after the game.

He said the organizers should be blamed for not taking control of the decision and everybody should learn their lesson.

�We hope to bounce from this setback and do our best in the other tournaments such as the ongoing Under-19 men�s championship,� Robles added.

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