De Castro hat-trick tows Laguna to 4-2 win over Team Baguio-Benguet

A Kevin De Castro hat-trick towed Laguna to a 4-2 win over Team Baguio-Benguet in the opener of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Under-23 Suzuki Cup on Wednesday at the UP Los Banos field in Laguna. De Castro scored the first of his three goals in the 39th minute and opened up the second half with a 47th-minute strike to give Laguna a two-nil lead. Baguio-Benguet's Alvin Aoas made back-to-back goals in the 52nd and 73rd minute to tie the count at 2-2, but was silenced by the Laguna defense in the final stages of the match. Jim Flores added a third goal for Laguna in the 85th minute to seal the outcome of the contest. De Castro scored in the 89th minute for the final tally. "Karamihan ng players ko naglalaro sa Manila, yun ang advantage ng team namin, yung experience na nakukuha nila sa Manila ay nadadala nila dito sa Laguna,"said coach Aquilino Pastoral III. Meanwhile, Philippine Azkals coach Michael Weiss and his staff watched the game to scout for players who can join the team that is being formed in time for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia. "We're always looking for quality players who are physically strong, who have a good technique, who have a good sense to play football. Anyone who can prove themselves can tryout," said Weiss. "I'm not sure, I don’t know about the level of the game that they have here, my coaching staff are looking for possible talents and we will have try outs on May and then we will see if they can play or not," he added. - JVP, GMA News