Ateneo tykes bag U9 crown

MANILA, Philippines - In a stunning upset, the Ateneo 04 squad rebounded from a preliminary round 5-4 loss to Manila South United (MSU) Global to beat the same Don Bosco Makati team, 3-1, for the U9 7-a-side championship of the Pilipinas Cup at the Nuvali Evoliving pitch in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, recently.

It was Ateneo’s first win in three matches over MSU Global dating back to the RIFA Cumulative Tournament and the victory was the sweetest, coming in the finals of the eight-team joust. Ateneo posted a 2-1 record in the preliminaries, losing to MSU Global and trouncing FC Forza, 15-0 and Advance United, 6-4. Then, the kids edged UFL Youth favorite Manila Soccer Academy (MSA) Agila, 5-4, in the semifinals to book the title showdown with MSU Global. Marco Salud, whose grandfather Rudy was the founding WBC secretary-general and former PBA commissioner, scored the opening goal with teammates Jose Girang and Enzo Lucindo knocking in two markers apiece to book the win over Agila.

Ateneo coach John Francis Mabasa, a 25-year-old PUP graduate who is a specialist in the Coerver method of football training, credited the boys for sacrificing long hours in practice to prepare for battle. The hard work paid off in the finals as Ateneo leaned on Lucindo’s hattrick to shock MSU Global. Lucindo took MVP honors for his heroics.

“Exhaustion and pressure were setting in but the Ateneo boys didn’t back down,” said Salud’s mother Ginge. “They were all heart and mustered the last ounce of strength and will to propel themselves. The boys trained thrice a week and practically gave up their semestral break to clock in more training hours.”

Mabasa, an aspiring Physical Education teacher, said the win was the result of a total team effort. “I only had three boys to rotate as substitutes,” he said. “I knew the boys were tired but they gave it their all. They worked together as a team with everyone contributing to the victory.”

While Lucindo took care of the offense, goalkeeper Santi Pastor and sweeper Miguel Collo anchored the defense. Pastor was particularly spectacular with his amazing saves. The Ateneo team was made up of Pastor, Collo, striker Lucindo, defensive midfielders Salud, Gabriel Lariosa, Enzo Gamboa and Julian Ramos, right wing Gabriel Ramos, left/right wing Girang and left wing Ashton Africa. Pastor, Lucindo, Lariosa and Salud were on the Little Azkals squad representing the Philippines that won the U8 title of the Ark 5-by-5 Soccer Festival in Singapore last year.

  Placing third in the U9 category of the Pilipinas Cup was MSA Agila while Loyola Meralco Sparks finished fourth. Xavier School bagged the consolation plate trophy with Futbol Fanatics, Advance United and FC Forza next in that order.

The Pilipinas Cup assembled 1,446 players who competed in 286 games in six categories – U18, U15 and U13 boys and girls open in 11-a-side, U11 boys in 9-a-side and U9 boys in 7-a-side. Northern Marianas Islands was the only foreign squad to participate in the U18 bracket. There were 16 provincial and 55 Metro Manila teams that signed up for the largest amateur football competition in the country.

Loyola Meralco Sparks won the U18 title, Don Bosco Cebu the U11 and U15 crowns, I. Pagasa FC the U13 championship, Chelsea FC Ladies the girls open pennant and Ateneo 04 the U9 trophy.

The U9 matches were played in a single day so the boys were pushed to the limit. Ateneo and MSU Global were on the turf for five consecutive matches. The parents of the Ateneo tykes came in full force to support their sons. Noted ophthalmologist Dr. Arnold Salud and wife Ginge led the parents brigade in the stands. They were joined by Luigi and Margarita Pastor, Denis and Myca Lucindo and John and Vanessa Lariosa, among others.