GLOBAL Cebu FC and Ceres Negros FC renew their rivalry when both collide in the Philippines Football League (PFL) tonight at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Fresh from finishing second in the prestigious RHB Singapore Cup last Saturday, Global Cebu FC is currently at fourth place with 44 points off 12 wins, seven defeats and eight draws while Ceres Negros FC is at second with 57 points (17-4-6) closely behind FC Meralco Manila Sparks, which leads the standings with 58 points (17-4-7). Kaya Makati FC is at third with 47 points (14-9-5).
If Ceres Negros wins against Global tonight, it will take the top spot from FC Meralco Manila.
It will then face Global Cebu in the crossover semifinal series on Dec. 2 while FC Meralco Manila and Kaya Makati FC will play the other semis in a home and away format.
If Global Cebu wins, it will face FC Meralco Manila in the semis with Ceres and Kaya facing off in the other semis pair.
In a pre-match press conference yesterday at the Golden Prince Hotel, Global Cebu’s head coach Akhbar Nawas said their objective now is to play smart and make sure nobody gets hurt.
“The semifinals is just three days away. Some players must rest and we want to avoid getting yellow cards tomorrow to avoid suspension. All this I have to consider even though we want to play this match but I cannot risk our players. We are talking about recovery, so many things to think about other than records in the standings and rivalry,” said Nawas.
On the other hand, Ceres Negros FC’s assistant coach Rolando Ian Treyes revealed that team captain Martin Steuble and midfielder Manny Ott will miss the match tonight to nurse their injuries while key player Bienvenido Marañon will serve a one game suspension for accumulated yellow cards.
Ceres beat Global twice in their three meetings in the PFL.