Rizal, Baguio booters gain in Smart Club Luzon elims

Manila, Philippines - Smart-San Beda Football Club of Rizal and Baguio United FC finished 1-2 in the recent all-Luzon regionals to advance to the next round of the Smart Club Championships at the UP-Los Baños field in Laguna.

Spearheaded by the Younghusband brothers, Phil and James, the Rizal booters swept the opposition aside in the four-team tourney to wind up with a clean 3-0 win-loss record, capped by a 6-0 rout of the runners-up.

The charges of Baguio Football Association president Leo Arnaiz closed out their campaign with a 2-1 slate in the Smart-sponsored event organized by the Philippine Football Federation.

Masbate FC (1-2) and Naga City-Camarines Sur FC (0-3) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the competition.

Smart-San Beda opened its campaign with a 17-0 demolition of Naga, highlighted by James Younghusband’s five-goal barrage (20th, 22nd, 41st, 42nd and 44th minutes) while younger brother Phil had two (14th and 39th).

James also had five markers and San Beda ace Rox Dorlas added a hat trick in the side’s 12-1 whipping of Masbate in the next game.

Smart-San Beda FC and Baguio United will carry the cudgels for Luzon in the next phase of the Smart Club championships scheduled in August.