Coach bares Cebu Elite Team line-up

By Mars G. Alison
Cebu Daily News


The Coach of the Cebu Elite Team has already come up with an official list of players who will be seeing action in San Carlos City from March 25 to 31 for the pre-selection of the RP team U-14.

Oliver Colina said he has high hopes for the 22 boys that he had chosen from among the many who have tried out to be part of the U-14 team.

Those who made it to the Cebu Elite Team U-14 are Kennedy Cuizon, John Dexter Espirito, Clint Ligan, Dominique Canonigo, Mark Joseph Arranguez, Pedro Agustin Diao, Jushua Miguel Kwan, Jaybee Malinao, Richel Villarba, Sean Low, Christian Reyvin Millebo, Kyle Knigth, Rafi Lipardo, JR Dakay, Antonio Eduardo Rafols, Ibo Caballero, Koko Gaudiel, Adriane Paul Covero, Adoi Machacon, Christian Dave Paez, Marvin Jade Baroro and Shane Larry Sarmiento.

They will go up against booters from Iloilo, Dumaguete and San Carlos City.

Colina said that the toughest team that the Cebu Elite Team could go up against will be Iloilo.

After the pre-selection, those picked will be made to do join the training pool under Colina, who will also be coaching the national team.

Official members of the RP U-14 team will be picked from the training pool who will be made to undergo a training camp here in Cebu City after the Holy Week.

Of the 22 boys, Colina is hoping that with the tough competition, at least four of the Cebuano boys will make it to the training pool and eventually to the RP team.

“I told the boys to do their best because they have an advantage of having me as their coach in the Cebu Elite Team. They already know the drills that they will undergo in the training camp because it is what I am making them undergo now during our weekend practice at the Aboitiz field,” Colina said.

Abellana National School coach Francis Ramirez said he has high hopes for his boys—Sarmiento, Diao and Cuizon.

The Cebu Elite Team is a pilot project of the 10-year program of the Asian Football Confederation and implemented by the Cebu Football Association.

The program is aimed to select the best of the best for the boys U-8, U-10, U-12 and U-14; and girls U-12, U-16 and U-19 categories.

Aside from the 22 U-14 boys, also to see action in San Carlos City is Cebu Elite Team's U-11 to be coached by Glen Ramos.