Philippines Football Thread II[R]

A 10th team has applied for the PFL.

This is good news. An even number of clubs means that there will be no team having a bye day every week

 

Fil Australian national team player Iain Ramsay, who used to play in the A league and the Persian Gulf Pro league has signed with Ceres FC(one of 2 teams that are participating in AFC competitions this year) in the PFL. Fil Italian national team player Simone Rota has also transferred to Ceres FC.

 

15 January 2017
Football’s next kick

By: Cedelf P. Tupas
When the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) declared in September last year that it was kicking off the Philippines Football League (PFL) in April 2017, the announcement was met with both excitement and apprehension by club owners.
The Metro Manila-based, semi-professional United Football League (UFL) has kept the sport in the limelight, but the idea of having teams based in different provinces and cities in the country playing in a home-and-away format is just as fascinating for fans of the “Beautiful Game” in the country.
Not a few personalities during a recent meeting among PFF officials and potential club owners in a posh hotel at Ortigas Center in Pasig expressed concerns with questions ranging from the timeline until kickoff to club licensing requirements to franchise fees.

The apprehensions stemmed from the league’s potential to lure crowds and attract sponsors, with lessons from the UFL coming to mind after the league—save for the five-year broadcast deal with TV5 that expired last year—struggled to generate sponsors.
Having clubs based in different cities outside Metro Manila, however, makes the PFL an exciting prospect.
“Making clubs community-based is a game-changer,” says UFL president Randy Roxas. “It’s definitely the way to go. But sustaining it will be a question mark. How much is it going to cost? Until today we haven’t got that answer.”
The PFF and the club owners are in a race against time to get the league up and running for the April launch.
Football took huge strides in recent years with the Azkals’ success in international play and with clubs like Global, Ceres-La Salle, Kaya and Loyola Meralco making their mark in tournaments overseas. But the sport could take its biggest leap yet with the creation of the PFL.

Truly professional league
“International recognition is already there, so we can say that a truly professional league is just what we need to really strengthen the football programs in the country,” says PFF general secretary Edwin Gastanes. “Young players can now aspire to become a football player and see it as a source of livelihood, in the same way young basketball players aspire to be in the PBA.”
The challenge of creating the league is immense as the corporation supposed to be made up of PFF representatives and club owners that will run the day-to-day affairs of the PFL has yet to be formed. Clubs expected to transfer from the UFL also face a tougher challenge financially with rising costs due to the island-hopping, home-and-away format.
History hasn’t been kind to sports competitions with the regional format that require teams to travel all over the country. The Metropolitan Basketball Association, formed in 1998, folded up after four years. The P-League in the early 1990s also hardly created a ripple despite having its games televised.
But Gastanes is firm in his belief that the PFL will succeed, noting a survey conducted by Nielsen that concluded that a professional football league is feasible in the country.
“The major difference is that from Day 1, Fifa and AFC have been behind us,” says Gastanes. “I think football has more traction now compared to five years ago. Sponsors are waiting in the wings. It (PFL) has a better chance than a lot of the previous leagues, and the main difference now is that social media is something that can help an activity like this.”

Stringent AFC criteria
More than the financial aspect, getting the license needed to enter the PFL compels clubs to comply with very stringent criteria under sporting, infrastructure, personnel and administrative and legal requirements set by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Gastanes assures that the PFF is there to “help” rather than “block” bids to join the league. Among other requirements, clubs need a youth development program and are required to have an AFC “A” License coach, while its stadium must pass the bare minimum in competition standards.
“You want to play in the best league in the Philippines,” says Roxas, who also sits in the board of the Loyola Meralco Sparks. “And the best league in the country that also gives you a chance to play in the AFC is the PFL.”
Says Kaya FC general manager Paul Tolentino: “It’s a fantastic project and we all want it to succeed. But the organization and preparation have come too late. What that means is the clubs have to swallow all the costs in operating under this format.”
Kaya recently announced a partnership with Makati as its home base for the league, while Global will have Cebu City as its home. Stallion is eyeing Biñan, Laguna, as its partner LGU, while Ceres-Negros will be based in Bacolod. Loyola Meralco is finalizing an agreement to play at McKinley Stadium in Taguig. JP Voltes is looking at Marikina or Baguio as home base. Green Archers United has yet to name its partner LGU. Another club will be based in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, while Davao will also have its own team.
“We’re looking, on average, [a] P6 million [budget] for travel alone and it’s not going to be easy to find that money for the clubs,” says Tolentino. “With the way the league has moved, realistically we could have launched in 2018. There’s still no structure in place right now. If there are no sponsors, we have no chance.”
With clubs moving to the PFL, Roxas says the UFL will now focus on improving its youth tournament, while possibly holding a second division.
Gastanes justifies the decision to start the PFL early this year, saying the idea was to kick off the league and make it grow—a view shared by Stallion coach Ernie Nierras.
“The important thing is we have a true professional league,” says Nierras. “Not all the leagues in the world have identical programs. Even the top countries had to start somewhere. Start it first, then keep moving forward, sometimes with baby steps. We should not be scared to fail.”


http://sports.inquirer.net/235031/footballs-next-kick#ixzz4VpAtu4Dw

 

Nope. The UFL was based in Metro Manila, even though many of teams were owned by management teams based in other areas. The successor Philippine Football League, will be national based and many of the UFL teams will be moving their teams permanently to these provincial locations. They just need to find the proper stadiums that can fulfill the criteria set by the PFF and the AFC.

I also think that they should wait until 2018 so that they can line up properly their sponsors, market their teams, set up tv contracts and to give time to the host cities to upgrade their stadiums, but the PFF and some of the teams that are managed by owners based in the provinces want to start it this year. As is usually the case, the PFF tends to organize events on the fly without proper preparation. That is why the Suzuki Cup hosting was such a disaster. They even started the PFF Women's League in the last quarter of last year I think with just a week or two notice to the participating teams forcing some of them to scramble to recruit enough players to form teams.

But I don't also don't blame them for wanting to do it now. Aside from the fact that FIFA and the AFC has been supportive and insistent on the setting up of a national professional league, many of the regions have been waiting for this to happen already. The President of the PFF is from one of the football mad provinces and they want a team right now and excitement is building in this areas as the prospect of the PFL finally taking off the ground is close to becoming a reality. The fact that more and more teams are applying(10 as of today), some of which were never part of the UFL, is proof that there is a lot of interest nationwide. I just don't think that is such a good idea financially to do it this year.

 

REACTIONS TO THE RESULTS OF THE AFC WOMEN'S ASIAN CUP #JORDAN2018 QUALIFIER DRAW:

"It's a great opportunity for the Philippines to be grouped with Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Iraq and Tajikistan. Jordan may be the only team ranked higher than us but we all know it won't be an easy journey for the women's team. I'm sure all teams will put up a good match. We don't really go against these teams so this will be a new experience for us. It's actually very exciting because it'll be a good exposure for the Philippines. No matter what the outcome will be as long as we reach the maximum potential of the players and see improvement and progress then I guess that contributes to the betterment of our program."
— Inna Palacios, Goalkeeper and Captain

"It's an extremely exciting time for the PWNT. It's the first time in a long time where we're staged in a group where we have the potential to not only beat a couple teams but actually win the group. It's been a really long time for the Philippines to win and go through group staging, so I think it's time for the PFF to capitalize on this opportunity and make some solid decisions on who and when they're going to bring in players to begin training camp. This is a huge deal. The Philippine national pool of players is really strong. Especially when you add in the overseas girls into the equation. It's time to have the Philippines be a substantial threat in the AFC rather than being on the opposite side. If the PFF can begin executing their preparations now and ring together their strongest players, there's no doubt we will be a threat in this tournament. And heck, actually be able to make some history and win the tournament to qualify for the World Cup qualifiers. The time is now, we need to make it happen!"
— Jesse Shugg, Striker (2013, 2015)

"I think the draw has put the Philippines in a very favorable group, knowing that we are ranked higher than all the teams in Group A, except for Jordan. We just need to make sure that we take advantage of this draw and work hard in our preparation."
— Marielle Benitez, Midfielder/Captain (2003-2013), Assistant Coach (2016)

Since it is a continental cup qualifier, it looks like Shugg who plays in Europe, might be released for this competition. With a complete team, I think this team can be quite competitive in this tournament with the potential to win their group. It is up to the PFF though to make the proper preparations as well as assembling the best players for the tournament.

 

Manila: Global FC and Tampines Rovers open the 2017 edition of the AFC Champions League courtesy of their Preliminary Stage 1 encounter in the Philippines, with the winner set to face Brisbane Roar in the next stage of qualifying.

• Global FC are the first team from the Philippines to compete in Asia’s premier club competition
• Singapore’s Tampines Rovers will be hoping to improve on last year’s showing, when they were eliminated by Mohun Bagan at the first hurdle.
• Having also appeared in the now defunct AFC President’s Cup in 2013, Global made their AFC Cup debut in 2015, when they finished third in their group behind South China and Pahang.
• Tampines Rovers have never qualified for the AFC Champions League proper, but have made several appearances in the AFC Cup since their debut in 2005, reaching the quarter-finals four times.

Date: January 24, 2017 (Tuesday)
Time: 7:30pm PHT, 11:30am GMT
Venue: Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila
Referee: Liu Kwok Man (Hong Kong)

2016 Overview



Global FC won their third United Football League Division 1 title at a canter, rising to top spot in Round 3 and staying there for the rest of the season as they finished six points ahead of the chasing trio of Ceres, Loyola Meralco Sparks and JP Voltes. Japanese-Filipino striker Hikaru Minegishi lead the team with 17 league goals as he also won the Golden Ball award given to the season's best player. Global also claimed the 2016 UFL Cup title by beating Ceres 3-1 in the final thanks to goals from Misagh Bahadoran and Matthew Hartman.



Tampines Rovers made early headlines in 2016 with the signing of former English Premier League winger Jermaine Pennant but were pipped to the S.League title by Japanese satellite team Albirex Niigata (S) despite a thumping 5-1 victory over the very same opponents on the final day. Canadian winger Jordan Webb and Irish journeyman striker Billy Mehmet finished joint-top scorers for the club on 12 league goals as the Stags ended the season only a point behind the White Swans, a result that was enough to see them secure an AFC Champions League qualification spot. Tampines also finished runners-up in the 2016 Singapore Cup, losing once again to Albirex, while their AFC Cup run ended with a 1-0 aggregate loss to JSW Bengaluru in the quarter-finals.

Key Players

Misagh Bahadoran, Global FC
The Iranian-Filipino forward is a popular figure in Manila thanks to his exploits for club and country. Capable of both scoring and creating goals, the Global FC captain can be a handful to mark when in the mood. While Minegishi took top scorer honours for the club last year, Bahadoran made headlines for scoring four goals against Forza and five goals against Manila Nomads in 12-0 wins. Bahadoran will be ably supported by the likes of Minegishi and Hartmann, while national team rock Amani Aguinaldo holds the fort in defence.

Khairul Amri, Tampines Rovers
The Stags are looking quite different up front this season following the departure of Pennant, Webb and Mehmet to Bury FC, Warriors FC and Brunei DPMM respectively. Veteran Singapore striker Amri has therefore returned for his third stint at the club as Tampines attempt to fill the void in attack. The 31-year-old is a known quantity, having accumulated over a century of caps for the national team and is still considered Singapore’s top striker. Tampines’ latest acquisition adds to an already very experienced core, with Amri joined by several national teammates including Madhu Mohana, Daniel Bennett, Izwan Mahbud and Yasir Hanapi.

Head to Head Record
02/07/16 Global 1-2 Tampines
29/06/16 Tampines 3-1 Global

WHAT NEXT?
The winner of the game will face Australia’s Brisbane Roar in an AFC Champions League Preliminary Stage 2 fixture. The successful team from that tie will then meet Shanghai Shenhua in the competition’s Play-off phase with a spot in Group E up for grabs.

http://www.the-afc.com/afc-champion...y-stage-1-global-fc-v-tampines-rovers-preview



I don't think Global FC will be as strong as last year as some of their players have moved abroad, and they are quite rusty as their season ended a couple of months ago so there will be fitness issues with the team as well. I don't expect them to make it to the group stage. It is nevertheless a history making event for Global FC as they will be the first Filipino team to participate in the AFC Champion's League.

 

Quibbles. As the AFC article above mentioned, "Global FC are the first team from the Philippines to compete in Asia’s premier club competition" aka the AFC Champions League, and it also says that their opponent "Tampires Rovers have never qualified for the AFC Champions League proper" which includes the group stage and which I never mentioned at all. If you have anymore objections, I suggest you contact the writer of the article for the AFC.

 

#AsianCup2019 Qualifiers Final Round
Group F:
Philippines
Tajikistan
Yemen
Nepal

Decent draw.

 

Global FC defeats Tampines Rovers 2-0 and will face Brisbane Rovers next in the AFC Champion's League 2nd playoff round.

 

tiebreakertimes.com/tbt/global-outclasses-tampines-rovers-advances-to-next-afc-champions-league-phase/75544

It’s one small step, but an important one nonetheless for the sake of Philippine football.

Global Football Club enjoyed a memorable 2-0 win over Singapore club Tampines Rovers to advance to the second preliminary round of the 2017 AFC Champions League.

Ahamd Azzawi (61′) and Misagh Bahadoran (73′) provided the goals for the home side tonight at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. Khairul Amri could have pulled one back at the 88th minute but his penalty was saved by Global goalie Patrick Deyto.

Global’s reward is a trip away at Australia to face Brisbane Roar on January 31, 2017. The game shall kickoff at 5:00 PM Philippine time.

“I think Australian players, they are taller and they have good power. But I think our strong point is agility and good technique so many players have good ability. Next game… I hope our team will have a 100 percent performance. I hope,” concluded Toshiaki.

 

Aside from the AFC Cup, a Philippine club, Stallion will also be participating in an international club tournament.

11 February 2017
Stallion confirm participation

The lineup of participating teams for the 2nd Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup tournament was completed when the fifth and final foreign club from Philippines confirmed their participation on Friday.
Stallion Laguna FC, who have recently been promoted to the top-tier Philippine Football League from United Football League, were the last outfit remaining from the tournament as four of the five foreign clubs – Afghanistan league champions Shaheen Asmayee, Nepal National League champions Manang Marshyangdi Club, Korea's Challengers League champions Pocheon Citizens FC, Maldives Premier League runners-up Trust and Care Club – had confirmed their participation earlier.
Three local clubs – Dhaka Abahani, Mohammedan SC and hosts Chittagong Abahani – will compete in the eight-team tournament as well which is scheduled to get underway from February 18 in Chittagong.

http://www.thedailystar.net/banglad...otball/stallion-confirm-participation-1356091

 

New book on Philippine football detailing the prominence of the sport in the first half of the 20th century, its slow demise as basketball supplanted the sport and its resurgence since 2010:

Football’s promise
THE GAME OF MY LIFE By Bill Velasco (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 11, 2017 -

Finally, the book “Philippine Football: Its Past, Its Future” is out on the market. It is a thorough, detailed, passionate look at how the world’s favorite game was once a treasured part of Filipino lives, and is gradually regaining the luster it once held in the country. Edited by renowned economist and professor Bernardo Villegas, Ph. D. of the University of Asia and the Pacific, it is the story of how intrepid men of earlier times helped the sport gain prominence, how it was eventually eclipsed by basketball, and details its return to prominence, particularly since 2010.

The project was two years of data gathering, research, collecting, collating and curating of old photos, updating, and interviews with the players, coaches and officials who sculpted football’s early years until its peak in the 1950’s. The country’s most prestigious colleges and universities had their own rivalries that fired up the imagination of spectators and developed traditions that have since been seen in other sports. Inevitably though, the Americans’ infiltration of the educational system, victory in the Liberation in World War II and penetration of Filipino culture propelled basketball into greater prominence.

Of course, all of this is in the hope that the proud history of Philippine football reaches a new audience, and that translates to a greater appreciation of the beautiful game.

Though football’s growth may be gradual, it is steady, with palpable interest from the public and therefore, advertisers. This makes it a bigger responsibility for succeeding players to honor the sacrifice and commitment of their forebears and add their own police on the new face that Philippine football is showing the country.

www.philstar.com/sports/2017/02/11/1671171/footballs-promise

Filipinos of Spanish descent played a big part in football's popularity back then and usually made up a sizeable chunk of many Philippine national football teams to the present day. Here is a pic of the 1930 Philippine national football team to illustrate that point:



The Filipino Spaniard Ugartes in that picture have contributed 2 generations to the national team and a current one Antonio Ugarte, is trying to make it a 3rd in the present era.

 

I guess Stallions will not be playing after all. They will be replaced by a team from Kyrgyztan.

In this edition of the tournament, 8 club teams will participate to fight for the prestigious trophy including five foreign teams.

The teams are: Shaheen Asmayee FC (Afghanistan), Manang Marshyangdi Club (Nepal), TC Sports Club (Maldives), Pocheon Citizen Football Club (South Korea), FC Alga Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dhaka Abahani Limited, Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited and hosts Chittagong Abahani Limited.

The official draw and trophy unveiling ceremony of the 'Sheikh Kamal International Club Cup 2017' will be held at 3:30 pm on February 13 (Monday), 2017 at the ball room of Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

http://www.bff.com.bd/bff/index.php...-begins-feb-18&catid=34:latest-news&Itemid=74

 

It sounds like only 8 out of the 10 clubs who were interested in joining the PFL have submitted their documents and were able to comply with all the requirements in time. The other 2 apparently will try again next year.

 

That is what I heard.

 

AFC Cup preview: Who will be Global's game changer?

The league champs host Burmese side Magwe on Tuesday. Which player will step up?
Bob Guerrero
Published 1:12 PM, February 19, 2017
Updated 1:12 PM, February 19, 2017


BACK TO BASICS. Global FC may have fallen short in qualifiers for the AFC Champions League, but they'll be one of two Philippine sides in the AFC Cup. Photo by Bob Guerrero/Rappler

Global FC were unable to sneak into the AFC Champions League through its qualifying stage, falling to a heavy defeat at Brisbane against A-League side Brisbane Roar.

But the good news is that the Pinoy champs will instead join Ceres as the other Filipino club in the second-level AFC Cup. This is the third consecutive year that the Philippines is represented in this competition for clubs from Asia's up-and-coming member associations. Global pioneered Filipino representation in the tournament in 2015, narrowly missing out on the group stage.

Global are in Group F with defending champs Johor Darul Ta'zim of Malaysia, Magwe of Myanmar, and Boeung Ket Angkor of Cambodia. Ceres is drawn in Group G with Hanoi FC of Vietnam, Felda United of Malaysia, and Tampines Rovers of Singapore.


The format in the group stage is double-round-robin, home and away, with the top two teams reaching the knockout stage.




There will be plenty of pressure on Global to perform. The side beat Tampines Rovers in the first Champions League qualifier before being walloped by the Roar 6-0. Global fans then took solace in the fact that Brisbane went on to defeat Shanghai Shenhua 2-0 in the final qualifier in Shanghai to progress to the group stage of the AFC Champions League. Shanghai Shehnua features the brilliant Argentine Carlos Tevez in attack.

Global will need some or all of their starters to be on their A-Game. We al know that Misagh Bahadoran will be their marquee player. Here are the other vital cogs of coach Toshiaki Imai who are looking to make a splash.

Matthew Hartmann. Matty has gone from precocious senior team debutante at the age of 15, to persona non grata for his walkout in the 2011 SEA Games, to elder statesman of Global.

His maturation and development on and off the pitch has been heartening and just in time for Global's Asian aspirations. The 27-year old will likely play left back on Tuesday night since regular LB Serge Kaole is out injured.

“I used to play left back in England, although there it's different. In England it's all about the number of crosses you put in. Here it's a challenge to go up and down the field in the humidity and with the fast tempo of the game,” Hartmann explains.

The Southampton native, who was once referred to as “the best left-footed player in the Philippines, bar none,” by ex-Nomads coach Mick Dennison, is also relishing the possession-based approach of Imai. Expect to see Global try to play out of the back and through the midfield instead of sitting back and counterattacking or hoofing the ball long.

Hartmann also has the added motivation of being a father to fifteen-month old Olivia, his first child. The names of Olivia and Danielle, his longtime partner and Olivia's mum, are tattooed on his right arm.

“I do everything for her,” he says of his daughter. “All the work for my next (player) contract will be for her.”

“Having a kid has definitely made me wiser,” adds Hartmann.

Matt will also be inspired by the goalscoring exploits of brother Mark, who is making hay for Sarawak in Malaysia. Check out this stupendous goal in a recent match.

Paul Mulders. The 36-year old Filipino-Dutchman is on his second spell with Global after two years with Ceres.

In the game against Tampines, Mulders was deployed in central defense and looked uncomfortable all night, eventually being subbed. On Tuesday he will play in a more advanced position in the center of the park.

“We don't need him to run, we just need his technique,” says Hartmann.

The onslaught of time has not forced Mulders to evolve his game. He says he still plays the same way as he ever did.

“I want to keep possession and dictate the tempo,” says the Eredivisie veteran.

“At 36 years old my body still feels fit,” he adds.

It helps that Mulders is not a fan of junk food in general, and that he claims the hot weather in the Philippines allows him to lose weight very quickly.

The dribbling magician still has quite a few tricks up his sleeve and we could see some on Tuesday.

Amani Aguinaldo and Dennis Villanueva. When asked which of the players impressed him, Imai mentioned these two. Aguinaldo is a centerback and Villanueva, a Fil-Italian, is a holding midfielder.

Global FC players Dennis Villanueva, Matt Hartmann, and Misagh Bahadoran walk the practice pitch. Photo by Bob Guerrero/Rappler



Global FC players Dennis Villanueva, Matt Hartmann, and Misagh Bahadoran walk the practice pitch. Photo by Bob Guerrero/Rappler

“The both have very good physiques and can play at a higher level. They just need good training and competitions,” gushed the former Mongolia and Chinese Taipei head coach.

While Aguinaldo is already a known entity, Villanueva still flies under the radar and could really make his mark in this competition.

Kemy Agustien. The midfielder is a new pick up for Global and hails from Curaçao, a tiny island off Venezuela that is a former Dutch colony. Agustien, 33, was a former Netherlands youth national team player who is capped by Curaçao at the senior level.

Agustien has played in the English Premier League for Swansea and in the Dutch top tier for AZ Alkmaar. The central midfielder is a good choice to fill up one of the three non-Asian import slots. His vast experience and good size will be assets. In training on Saturday he showed his tremendous passing touch and vision in the scrimmage.

Of course there are other fine players on the roster, like keeper Pat Deyto, wingers Hikaru Minegishi and Shu Sasaki. Darryl Roberts, a new Trinidadian striker, is also very promising. Anyone of these players could very well make an impact.

Global is brimming with quality but there are concerns. Magwe has been very difficult to scout online, and precious little is known about them. Paolo Bugas, another influential midfielder, missed his Saturday match for FEU in the UAAP due to injury, so he is probably day-to-day.

As of this writing, there is no word on any TV broadcast or livestream of the match, so fans really should come out to the game. Ceres is luckier: their away game will be aired live on Fox Sports 2, and it kicks off at the same time.

Global's motto is “Play to Inspire.” If one of these players comes up large on Tuesday, they will be doing just that. – Rappler.com

www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/161916-afc-cup-global-game-changer

 

TOUGH HANOI CHALLENGE AHEAD FOR CERES


Ceres-Negros FC will face the highest ranked club in Group G of the AFC Cup in Hanoi FC. The 2016 V.League 1 champions have been in the cross-hairs of Ceres Coach Risto Vidakovic for some time now and he expects a tough match against the home team.
“I think I saw 5 or 6 games, practically all the games they played in this season
so I think its a very strong team especially because they started the league already. Maybe its a small advantage for them because they (Hanoi) played in a lot of competition games and we didn’t play any games, only the tune up games. They have a lot of players, Gonzalo is a very good player and Quang Hai also is a very good player,” said the Ceres mentor.
“I think for me the must important thing for me is the motivation of the players. For me the formation is not so important so I think I expect form my players that they give a hundred percent tomorrow,” added the Ceres coach when asked about the teams strategy.
Ceres co-Captain Martin Steuble has played in the My Dinh Stadium in the AFF Cup and the Philippine International relishes his return on a different level. “It’s the first time after coming back from 2014. So Its nice to, its nice to be back here and compete on club level representing the still the Philippines and Ceres-Negros, the whole region. We’re excited for the game like the coach said and I’m sure that all the players will give their one hundred percent even its our fist game in competition. We hope to give them a good game and compete with Hanoi,” said the Ceres midfielder.
The match versus Hanoi will kickoff at 7PM Philippine time and will be broadcasted live over cable channel Fox Sports 2
http://ceresfootball.com/tough-hanoi-challenge-ahead-for-ceres/

 

21
Feb
Global Begin AFC Cup Campaign vs Myanmar’s Magwe

From their stint in the AFC Champions League Preliminaries, Global FC now set their sights on the AFC Cup, which begins with a match against Myanmar’s Magwe FC tonight at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

This will be Global’s second stint in the AFC Cup after a brief run in 2015. Global are in Group F along with Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim, Cambodia’s Boeung Ket Angkor, and Magwe. The three group winners, plus the best second placed side will advance to the next round which will determine the ASEAN representative in the Zonal finals.

According to skipper Misagh Bahadoran, Global are eager to impress in the group stage despite the challenges that await them.

“Every loss makes you stronger. We were just new in AFC Cup (then) so we didn’t know how to face the problems, how strong the other teams are,” said Bahadoran. “Now we know what it feels, everything needs to be organized, we are more disciplined and physically ready.”

Global made several changes in their squad following their Champions League exit at the hands of Australian side Brisbane Roar last month. Former Dutch youth player Germaine Agustien, Trinidadian Daryl Roberts, and Brazilian Wesley Dos Santos are Global’s new foreign reinforcements. Japanese midfielder Shu Sasaki was the only foreign player from the Champions League squad that was retained.

“Our team system is changing a little bit,” said Global coach Toshiaki Imai. “I’ll make some tactical adjustments for the players.”