The Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) Under 15 Boys celebrate after winning against the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) on Saturday, August 3, at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City. | Contributed Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) Under 15 Boys have improved their chances of advancing to the national finals of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Under 15 Boys.
The team manned by a selection of players from the Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC), Sacred heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, KN Ferraren, Don Bosco Boys Home and Balamban FC now has seven points that is equivalent to a win-loss-draw record 2-2-1.
The three points came from their win over the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) in a rain drenched match last August 3, at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.
The CVFA was leading 2-1 at halftime but NOFA was able to score an equalizer in the second half. It looked like the match was going to end in an 2-all draw when Vaughn York Pacaña of DBTC scored the winning goal with the minutes trickling out.
Hobbled by cramps, Pacaña ran after the ball despite defenders crowding him and volleyed it past the goalkeeper who came out before stumbling. He, however, picked himself up immediately to flick the ball to the side and found the back of the net.
“I feel blessed and happy kay abi nako nga sub-ban nako ni coach Martin (head coach Martin Ferrer) tungod di na kaayo ko mo dagan tungod nag pugong ko sa akong cramps so mao toh ni salig rajud si coach Martin nako, mao toh naka goal kog last 2 mins then pag goal nako diritso kog higda kay na cramps nako,” narrated Pacaña who is validated after missing two matches due to a right ankle injury.
(I feel blessed and happy because I thought coach Martin would replace me because I wasn’t running much anymore as I was trying to hold off my cramps. But coach Martin believed in me, and so I was able to score a goal in the last two minutes. After scoring the goal I laid on the ground because of my already experiencing cramps.)
Pacaña was also replaced as team captain for the match against NOFA by John Carlos Vitualla so he wouldn’t be guarded as much by defenders, according to Ferrer.
Although they still stands at the third spot in Group E which is the Visayas eliminations, CVFA has improved its chances of advancing to the top two spots.
In the Visayas eliminations, only the top two teams will advance to the national finals wherein the top 1 team from the Visayas will join the top two teams from Luzon while the second ranked Visayas team will join the top two teams from Mindanao.
“When we arrived, at night after our rosary, we had an open forum the whole team. We tackled the issues of each player because we’ve heard that there was a gap among them. We resolved the issues,” said Ferrer.
Ferrer added that when he presented the game plan before they left for the match, he motivated them by telling them to focus on their plan, on how they will attack and how they will defend.
“And lastly, my talking point to them was that we must win all our remaining games, so play hard with honor and pride. Play the game for all Cebuanos and for the Sto. Niño,” added Ferrer.
The CVFA U15 Boys have three more games in the second round of eliminations. This Saturday, August 10, 2019, they will face Panay FA that is also fresh from a 7-0 win over Eastern Visayas Regional Football Association (EVRFA) which gave them five points, just two points behind CVFA. The match will be played at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu.
On August 17, the team will travel to Baybay to face EVRFA before playing its last home game against the Negros Oriental Siquijor Regional Football Association (NOSIRFA). /dcb