Ceres, Global booters set up title showdown

MANILA, Philippines - Negros Occidental Football Association’s Ceres-University of St. La Salle Bacolod FC and Leyte FA’s Global FC hammered out shutout victories yesterday to seal a showdown for the Philippine Football Federation-Smart National Club Championship crown at the Panaad pitch in Bacolod City.

Ceres, the defending champion, drew strength from J Baguioro’s spectacular six-goal effort as it walloped a listless Baguio State U FC, 11-0, to sweep their home-and-away semifinal series after the former took the first game, 5-1, a few days back.

Global also dominated Cavite FA’s Flame United Cherifer FC, 5-0, to forge a home-and-away title showdown with Ceres starting today and ending on Saturday.

At stake is the top P100,000 purse courtesy of Smart while gaining the bragging rights as the year’s best club team in the land.

A couple of days after scoring a brace in their first semis match, Baguioro struck anew, this time firing away with a whopping six goals to power the team to the championship in the annual tournament sanctioned by the PFF and bankrolled by Smart.

Other scorers for Ceres were Jalsor Soriano, Jayson Panhay, Joshua Beloya, Jaime Poderoso and Korean Sim Hyung Min.

With eight goals in the semis, Baguioro should be a marked man when Ceres duels with the Dan Palami-managed Global side.

Unlike Ceres, Global had a tougher time putting away Flame United Cherifer as it went into halftime with a shaky 2-0 advantage with Sudanese striker Izzeldin Elhabib and Ben Starosta delivering goals on the 28th and 41st minute, respectively.

But Fil-Spanish Angel Guirado, a member of the Phl Azkals team also managed by Palami, unleashed a rocket on the 57th before Spanish striker Rufo Familiar Sanchez delivered the dagger in the heart with two quick goals on the 71st and 73rd.

It was the second straight match that Flame United made it difficult for Global, which led by a goal in the first half before finishing off the former with a three-goal second half performance.