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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Friday, February 10, 2017
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AS IT PREPARES for the 2017 Asian Football Confederation Cup, the Ceres-Negros Football Club is currently undergoing training camps as well as friendly games with some teams based in Singapore.
The Negros Occidental-based squad is successful in its first friendly against the Geylang International Football Club, which it defeated, 5-2, behind the goals of Bienvenido Marañon, Kevin Ingreso, Jose Elmer Porteria, and Jason DeJong.
The Ceres-Negros’ friendly against Garena Young Lions on Monday was cancelled due to poor lightning at the game venue. Its last practice game was against 2016 RHB Singapore Cup defending champion Jurong Albirex Niigata Singapore FC on Thursday.
“We flew to Singapore to play some international friendly match,” said Ceres-Negros team manager James Dinsay. “This is also a great opportunity for our new players to adapt the system.”
Among the Ceres-Negros’ new acquisition are Philippine Azkals members Porteria, DeJong, Ronald Muller, Iain Ramsay, Simone Rota, Junior Muñoz, and Filipino-Australian Joshua Grommen.
Also enlisted are foreign-based players Kota Kawase of Japan, who last played in Australia, and Spanish Manuel Herrera and Fernando Rodriguez.
“We will do our best to make the Negrense fans proud,” said DeJong. “Ceres FC is a great organization. It’s an honor to play for this team. This is a great team with respectable coaching staff, medical team and great management.”
The Ceres-Negros squad will once again participate in the 2017 AFC Cup, where some of the games will be held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.
It has been drawn in Group G, where it will face Tampines Rovers of Singapore, Vietnam League champion Hanoi T&T and Malaysian Super League runner-up Felda United.
The other Philippine team in the tournament is Global Football Club, which was grouped with Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia, Myanmar club and 2016 General Aung San Shield winners in Group F.
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A fiery head coach of a recently eliminated PBA team has threatened to have massive changes via trade during the off-season. But the question is: Will he have the power to do so, just like what he did in his former team?
As much as the fiery head coach wants to make changes in his team, his hands are tied as it is reportedly the team manager who has the power to do it, a source told Buzzer Beater.
“Malabong mangyari dito sa bago niyang team ‘yung ginagawa ni coach sa dating niyang team kasi si team manager ang may K na magkukuha ng players at ang No. 1 criteria niya, dapat gwapo,” said the source.
“Yes. Hindi tumitingin sa talento si team manager, sa mga players na pinapapirma nila sa team. Basta gwapo ka, the more chances na ma-lineup ka kahit pa mahina ka sa court.
“Hindi nga ba nung nasa amateur pa sila, type na type ni team manager na mapapirma si (handsome Kapamilya actor) kaso hindi natuloy kasi me kontrata siya sa station niya at may teleserye siya na gumaganap na may tililing noon.
“Ganun pa rin ang kalakaran niya ngayong nasa PBA na sila. Pansinin mo yang team na yan: wala kang itatapon in terms of face value. Yun nga lang, kung ganyan lang ang basis nila, wala mararating ang biyahe nila kahit na may pambayad ka ng toll fee.”/PN
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