2013 PFF National Club Championships promise to be the most competitive yet

 

Here’s the draw for the Round of 16 to be played over the next week:

 

 

 

A stacked first half draw includes the pick of the round

 

The winner of match one will therefore face the winner of match two, with the winner of match three facing the winner of match four, and so on for the quarterfinals. There will be tough competition in the tournament though, which will also be immediately followed by the 2013 UFL season which begins on February 5, prompting some questions regarding potential scheduling conflicts again. 

 

However most of the focus for this year’s competition is the stacked first half of the draw and how, if they win their games, the UFL big four are in the same bracket and so only one can qualify for the Final. 

 

The pick of the round will be Ceres FC hosting UFL Cup winners Stallion FC at the Panaad Stadium, as the two Ilonggo-based clubs will go head-to-head in the country’s largest stadium. Ceres FC have been handed the toughest possible draw and if they are to reach the final they would likely need to beat a top-four UFL Club in every round to do so.

 

Ceres FC is widely considered one of the best clubs outside Manila, and have represented Iloilo against Global recently, as the Azkals and Azkals U-22 squads played a friendly tournament versus the two clubs back in May 2012, in Bacolod.

 

Ceres narrowly lost to Global 1-0 before also being defeated by the Azkals U-22 side 2-0 in the third place playoff. Since then, they have been bolstered by the return of young striker Joshua Beloya, following a stint with Kaya, going back to the club he began his career with. 

 

Beloya came to the attention of the Azkals management while at the Iloilo-based club and scored two late and dramatic goals against Laos in the 2011 SEA Games to give the Philippine team its only win of the competition. He’ll be one to look out for in their first game against the Stallions.

 

 

Battle of the Scots

 

Should Ceres beat the Stallions, they will then be up against the winner of the clash between Nomads and UFL League Champions Global, as Scottish manager Brian Reid helms Global, for his first challenge against a Nomads side now managed by John Jofre.

 

Reid formerly managed Ayr United in the Scottish First Division, overseeing two promotions and two relegations during his time. They were the side Jason De Jong would have signed for, had it not been for the club's financial constraints. With Yu Hoshide aging, Reid may see Jason De Jong as his first transfer target for Global, which could use some punch in the middle of the park to balance their flair and technical skill. Whether De Jong would be willing to leave the Stallions for Global is another matter though.

 

Reid will be up against former Motherwell Under-18 Coach and scout John Jofre. Jofre was quick to praise leaving Coach Michael Denison upon his appointment and will be leading Nomads to his first Championships, but has hit upon a difficult draw against Global. 

 

Opportunity to step-up

 

The winner between Stallions or Ceres versus Global or Nomads will likely face the winner between Loyola Meralco Sparks and Kaya FC for the first semifinal matchup. This means only one of probably the five top seeds in the competition can therefore make the Final. This paves the way for one of the up-and-coming teams in the provinces to make their mark, though it may well be the Green Archers who can go one step further than their semifinal finish in the UFL Cup by reaching the Final here. 

 

The club has boosted their line-up with the signing of Chieffy Caligdong, though General Trias and Pachanga will prove to be difficult opposition during the earlier stages. - AMD, GMA News