Smart-Phl Club football under way

MANILA, Philippines - The third Phl Football Federation-Smart National Club Championship kicks off today with 10 teams led by defending champion Ceres-La Salle FC clashing for the coveted championship at the Panaad pitch in Bacolod City.

Ceres, which edged PSG, 1-0, to clinch last year’s crown, will represent the Negros Occidental Football Association and should be one of the favorites seeking to take home the top purse worth P100,000 and the bragging rights as the best club team in the country today.

Another fancied squad, Global FC of the Leyte Football Association is the other team to watch but it took it a 6-2 triumph over the Cebu Football Association a few days back to gain the last berth in the round-of-16 of the 12-day tournament bankrolled by Smart and sanctioned by the PFF.

Global, managed by Azkals founder Dan Palami, has set out to win it all hoping to dedicate to an association whose home city was ravaged by a super typhoon Yolanda that hit parts of the Visayas last month.

Others vying in the annual meet for the best club teams in the land are Benguet FA, Camarines Sur FA of Naga City, Bukidnon FA, Davao FA, North Cotabato FA, Zamboanga FA, Cavite FA and Palawan FA.

PFF competitions department head Cyril Dofitas said the drawing of lots was done in the team manager’s technical meeting last night.

“We expect nothing less than exciting matches,” said Dofitas.

The 10 teams, the best performing squads from out of the original 46, which was the biggest participation in three stagings, will be divided into two groups.

In the group stage, they will play a single-round robin format from which the top two squads will advance to the crossover semifinals where the No. 1 team of Group A clashes with the No. 2 squad of Group B and the No. 1 team of Group B tackles the No. 2 side of Group A in a pair of two home-and-away matches.

The semis winners will move on the finals where they will battle it out for the coveted title, the nice top prize and the distinction as the best club team in the land.

Group Stage matches are scheduled from Dec. 9 to 13, take a one-day break, resume with semis matches on Dec. 15 and 17, take another one-day respite before the finals on Dec. 19 and 21.