UFL Cup gets redrawn as four more teams pull out

Since the UFL Cup groups were drawn last September 20, four more teams have pulled out from the competition, thus necessitating a re-draw for the competition, which was accomplished, Wednesday.

Nomads FC had already dropped out after their request for exemption to the league's foreigners cap was denied, but since then, PSG, Manila Tala, Hurricanes, and Mendiola FC have also confirmed that they have withdrawn from the tournament.

PSG officially stated that they couldn’t field a competitive team, with several key players having left the club, while Manila Tala, Manila Hurricanes, and Mendiola FC all had similar reasons for leaving the competition.

The UFL confirmed they are looking into sanctions for those clubs and had to redraw all the groups again for the competition, set to begin on Saturday, October 12.

New draw format sees 5 groups with 23 teams. Groups A, C, and E will feature 5 teams each. Groups B and D with 4 teams each.

— UFLphilippines (@UFLphilippines) October 2, 2013

For the redraw, with 23 teams now competing, three groups of five and two groups of four were drawn.

Group A
Pachanga Diliman FC
Philippine Army
Laos FC
Ceres-La Salle FC
Manila Jeepney

Group B
Kaya FC
Union Internacional Manila
Cimarron FC
Manila All-Japan FC

Group C
Stallion FC
Philippine Airforce FC
Agila FC
Bright Star FC
Cebu Queen City United FC

Group D
Global FC
Team Socceroo FC
Forza FC
General Trias International FC

Group E
Loyola FC
Green Arches United
Philippine Navy
Blue Guards
Dolphins United

Top 3 teams per group will advance, with a best fourth from all 5 groups going through as well to complete round of 16.

— UFLphilippines (@UFLphilippines) October 2, 2013

Format

Qualifying for the knockouts stages of the round of sixteen, scheduled for November 12, will be the top three of each group, plus the best fourth-placed team from all the groups. Conceivably, then, the entirety of Group B or Group D, the groups of four, could qualify, should the bottom team of the group be the best fourth-placed team.

Reigning UFL Cup champions Stallion have the best draw of the contenders, with relegated Air Force the next best club in the group. Agila, Bright Star, and Cebu Queen City will be fighting for the other automatic qualification spot in the group.

Meanwhile the current Smart Club Championship holders Ceres have a potentially tricky group with Pachanga, Philippine Army, Manila Jeepney and Laos FC contending. Loyola and the Green Archers should qualify comfortably from their group, while Global have once again been handed the toughest group, with Team Socceroo, General Trias, and Forza, the latter having pulled out some impressive results in preseason, all looking for a top-three spot.

Kaya once more find themselves drawn alongside Union and Manila All-Japan, but Cimarron were drawn in their group to replace the Manila Hurricanes, and so they are also expected to qualify comfortably for the next round.

All games will still be played at the Emperador Stadium.

What happens next for the UFL and those clubs who withdrew is uncertain. It does look as if they will be barred from UFL competitions in the future with the opening of the tournament just ten days away.

As for the UFL Cup itself, hopefully the progress of football on the pitch can once again be highlighted despite off the pitch concerns. The dispute between Stallion and Global over Rufo Sanchez’s contract, the PSC and POC not including the U23 Azkals in the SEA Games contingent, and the now-brewing conflict in the 2013 PFF Smart Club Championships, have all stolen the thunder from the actual games.

But come October 12, football fans will be treated to the ever-growing spectacle of the sport and will hopefully be reminded that on the pitch, the progress has been great.  - AMD, GMA News