PFF-Suzuki U23 elims unwraps all Luzon leg

MANILA, Philippines - The 2013 Philippine Football Federation-Suzuki Under 23 National Cup blasts off with the All Luzon Regional Qualifying Round on April 8-13 at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños fields.

Home side Laguna Football Association, Masbate FA and Baguio FA – the top teams in the All Luzon pre-qualifying held last year –  will duke it out in a double round robin affair to dispute the two regional slots to the final round of the country’s premier competition for the U23.

The All Luzon hostilities will usher in action in the Cup’s Regional Qualifying Rounds with the All Visayas qualifiers featuring Negros Occidental, Iloilo, and Cebu slated for kick off next on April 15-20 in San Carlos City and the All Mindanao starring North Cotabato, Iligan-Lanao del Norte, Davao and Zamboanga penciled for April 22 to 27 in Davao City. The top two teams of each region will advance to the Final Round set on May 20-25, tentatively in Cebu City.

“Based on what we’ve seen in last year’s (pre-qualifying) matches, there will be a very good show coming from the regional qualifiers and it will be anybody’s game,” said PFF competitions committee head Cyril Dofitas yesterday when the federation, the hosts, and sponsor Suzuki Philippines led by president Satoshi Uchida and general manager Eiji Kobayashi launched the Laguna regionals at Bonitos Bar and Resto.

Laguna, according to coach Enrique Padilla, will be bannered by Ali Baldo and stalwarts of  Letran Calamba. Masbate will bank on booters who are playing for universities in Manila while Baguio will rely on mostly local bets.

A local adaptation the Asean championship, the PFF-Suzuki U23 National Cup, aims to discover potential mainstays for the Phl national U23 team, which will do battle in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

“Through the PFF-Suzuki U23 Cup, we hope to develop a new generation of Azkals, bring up the brightest talents coming from the grassroots who can bring honor to the country in the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar,” said Uchida in reassuring the commitment Suzuki Philippines, the only integrate automobile and motorcycle company in the country, to the development of Phl football and sports in general.