Organizers show the banner for the upcoming Liga 2002 slated February 25-27 at the Paref Springdale Football Field. (CONTRIBUTED)
Football players will get a chance to be more familiarized with the standard 11-aside format competition when the Cebu Liga 2002 kicks off on Feb. 25 to 27 at the PAREF Springdale Football Field.
Organizer Carl Baring is aiming to adapt the US and Canadian Youth Soccer programs focusing on 11-aside developmental tournament where a mandatory substitution is needed to give each players the much-needed exposure.
“FIFA requires a minimum playing hours for each player depending on their age bracket and here in Cebu, we rarely have 11-aside tournaments, most of the tournaments here are festival type with seven-aside format which in result won’t give our young players the much needed time to develop themselves. That’s why we came up with the idea to put up this series here in preparation also for PFF’s program to scout for the Philippine team’s u-17 squad for the World Cup,” said Baring in yesterday’s coaches meeting at the Sunburst in Mango Avenue.
Also in the meeting were tournament director Dino Musni and other organizers.
The upcoming tournament is targeting the top eight under-14 boys teams here in Cebu
This will be the only tournament in Cebu where each team must substitute the entire first 11 players in the first half to give chances for other players to play.
The eight competing teams will be the host PAREF Springdale, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC), University of San Carlos (USC), Guardian Strikers Talisay, Alegria FC, Phoenix Warshocks FC and Tabor Hills FC.
The tournament will only have an under-14 category with 60 minutes playing time.
Musni said they chose the teams to join the tournaments that are capable of fielding in 11 players in an 11-aside format.
After PAREF Springdale, SHS-AdC will have its turn to host the second leg on March or April. DBTC will host the third leg.
Baring said they are targeting to have five legs in the tournament’s inaugural year and they are also planning to invite out-of-town teams and Philippine youth teams.