Cebu City scores twinkill in football

CEBU - Team Cebu City’s Under-15 football squad made sure not to be outdone by its older counterparts by clinching the championship of its division at the close of the 3rd Philippine Olympic Festival in Cagayan de Oro City yesterday.

The TCC booters fought to a 1-all draw with Negros Oriental and that was all they needed to bring home the title. 

There was no more extension or shootout to settle the impasse because the competition follows a single round robin format wherein the team with the highest points gets the crown.

The TCC Under-15 mainstays nailed the first goal courtesy of Thomas Booth, one of the three carry-overs from the Under-14 squad that also won in the POF final last year.

The Cebuanos controlled the tempo of the game until Negros Occidental got the chance to tie the count with only two minutes left in the contest.

The Cebuanos, however, did not push the panic button with a very little time left.

“Time was already running out so even if Negros was able to score, my boys weren’t alarmed. They remained focused,”said coach Joselito Bono.

“Giiubanan gyud ta ni Niño, (Sto.Niño). He is with us all the way that’s why I feel so blessed. Before the start of the competition, I told the boys to pray hard and play well for their parents who came here to support the team and asked nothing in return but to win which we did,” Bono added.

The rest of the TCC Under-15 players are Rex Miguel, Raphael Clifford de Guzman, Christrian Jerico Noel, Miguel Caindic, Ethan Decena, John Caballero, John Paulo Labajo, Junjay Arizabal, Joseph Lorenzo Mercado, Christian Keen Agot, Valentino Calvo, Peter Diaz, Allan Abella, Rex Joseph Gealon, Dennis Noel Legaspi, Martin Mendoza and Carmelo Genco.

The team is composed 14 players from Don Bosco and two each from the Cebu International School and PAREF-Springdale. Their assistant coach is Rommel Ramirez, with Robert Nicart and Michael Culibra acting as team referees.

It was a resounding twinkill for TCC in POF football as it earlier dominated the 17-under category. (THE FREEMAN)