Cavite, Leyte booters off to strong start

MANILA, Philippines - Cavite FA and Leyte FA overpowered their respective rivals to kick off their title bids at the start of the third PFF-Smart National Club Championship at two separate venues in Bacolod City yesterday.

Represented by Flame United-Cherifer, Cavite FA waylaid Naga City’s CBSUA FC, which topped the Bicol regionals, 7-0, in Group B action at the Bago City Sports Complex. 

Global, playing for Leyte FA, also blanked Baguio FA, represented by Baguio State U booters, 8-0, in Group A over at the University of La Salle-Bacolod City pitch.

The win came just days after Global, one of the fancied teams in the annual event bankrolled by Smart and sanctioned by the PFF, turned back Cebu FA, 6-2, in the last of the qualifiers.

Global and Baguio are in Group A along with Zamboanga FA, Palawan FA and Davao FA.

As for Flame United and CBSUA FC, the two were drawn into Group B with Bukidnon FA and Ceres-La Salle Bacolod, which is representing host Negros Occidental FA.

North Cotabato FA has withdrawn due to a regional meet that it has earlier pledged to participate.

Focus will also be on the local team, Ceres, which is seeking a back-to-back championship after surprising everyone last year by snatching the title against fancied, more experienced squads.

The annual tournament is being staged by the PFF as a tool to discover potential talents from the provinces that it hopes to tap for future national teams for international meets, including the Southeast Asian Games.