Guiao: We’ll be thoroughbred in title race

In the din and clutter at Cafe Provincal at Megamall toward midnight Wednesday, hours after Red Bull’s decisive win over Purefoods, Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao brought out some sort of homespun analogy for his team’s coming title series with San Miguel Beer.

True to his other calling, Guiao, an accomplished race horse owner and a racing enthusiast, likened the coming duel to a battle royale between a young thoroughbred and a veteran stakes campaigner.

"Kung baga sa karera, ang team ko mola (If it were a race, my team is a thoroughbred), said Guiao who, bereft of pressures of the cutthroat semifinals, talked freely and confidently of their chances against the Beermen in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title playoff.

The best-of-seven series will start Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

"No question, San Miguel will be the favorite in the series. Pero itapat mo ang team ko sa kanila at tingin ko hindi kami mapapahiya (but pit us against them and I feel we won’t lose face). We will fight them toe to toe," said Guiao, a two-time champion coach who’s back in the finals for the first time since steering Swift to a runner-up finish behind Alaska in the 1994 Governors Cup.

"I believe we can match up with them. It will be a great matchup. I think their only advantage is their championship experience," Guiao added.

Alaska coach Tim Cone agreed. He said SMB’s overwhelming edge – not in the lineup because he felt both teams are equally tooled – is the vast experience it has.

"I see it going six or seven (games) but it will all come down to whether Red Bull can win close games against San Miguel. Red Bull will give them a battle but I don’t foresee San Miguel losing the series," Cone said.

But Guiao thought they could beat the Beermen although he stressed they have high respect to the multi-titled squad. "It’s a big honor for us to play them in the finals. They’re on a hot streak with a chance to have another granslam season. Our mission is to spoil their party," said Guiao.

Though having a losing record in their head-on clashes with the Beermen, Guiao insisted Red Bull has a good shot at avenging all its defeats because of import Tony Lang – who could blitz through defenses like, yes, a thoroughbred – and the team’s fighting attitude.

Only in their second year in the league, the Thunder have figured in two previous playoffs (2000 Governors Cup semifinals and 2001 All-Filipino quarterfinals) with the Beermen. They lost them both.

"I don’t remember losing to San Miguel by more than five points. We’ve been giving them a good fight. Ngayon mas magandang laban ito dahil makaka-matchup na kami sa kanila ng husto. Tony Lang is our ace. He can play all positions. We have the advantage in import matchup," said Guiao.