The Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) Under 15 Boys selection with Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella. | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Under 15 Boys selection of the Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) face the Negros Oriental Siquijor Regional Football Association (NOSIRFA) in the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Under 15 Boys National Championships Visayas elimination on Saturday, July 27, 2019, at the Silliman University Ball Field in Dumaguete City.
CVFA, which is hoping to end the first round of elimination in the top 2 spot, is in third place in Group E with four points off a record of one win, one lose and one draw.
NOSIRFA is currently at second place with six points owing to its 2-1-0 win-loss-draw record.
Their match-up will be their fourth and last for the first round of eliminations.
Both teams will be looking to stay within the top two since only the top two teams in Group E will advance to the national finals to be held sometime in September.
“Our aim is to win, to get the top 2 spot for the first round,” said head coach Martin Ferrer, who is back to hold the reigns for the team.
Ferrer missed the last two games of the team as he was in Manila attending the first phase of the PFF ‘A’ Coaching Certificate Course.
“Most of the players that I brought for the NOSIRFA match are attackers, who can continue to fight in transition. For the defense, I balanced the back 4 since we are complete right now,” added Ferrer.
CVFA has 38 booters on its roster, from which Ferrer can choose from. Each team is allowed to bring 18 players on an away game.
Also back to see action is team captain Vaugh York Pacaña, who now has recovered from a right ankle injury.
“They can expect that I will be giving my best so I can make up for the two games that I missed due to my injury,” said Pacaña, who left the field in tears in the second half of the team’s first match against Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) last June 29.
Aside from Pacaña, manning the team against NOSIRFA are John William Oberes, John Philip Tabar, Kristian Mari Lusoc, Nathan Khail Lingatong, John Carlos Vitualla, Reiji Tabuelog, Joseph Kyne Garces, Gianzo Custado, Dominic Alfred Labus, John Zhel Sala, Carsten Pumareja, John Mehl Rondrique, Mark Lester Zafra, John Andrew Mandawe, Franz Jun Salimbot, Edgar Paredes, and Simon Andrei Del Campo, who is done serving his red card which he got for getting served two yellow cards.
The team left for Dumaguete Friday morning, July 26, after making a courtesy call to Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella at the Cebu City Hall. The team was accompanied by CVFA president Rodney Orale and Board member Josephril Partosa and team manager Michael Pato.
Holding the top spot in Group E is NOFA with seven points off a 2-0-1 card. It will face bottom dweller Eastern Visayas Regional Football Association (EVRFA) as the team has yet to tally a point after losing its first two games.
At fourth spot is Panay FA with two points owing to its 0-0-2 card. /bmjo