A thrilling 1-0 win by San Beda

THE Younghusband brothers (Phil and James) and the Smart San Beda FC booters pulled a thrilling 1-0 victory over the hard-fighting Laos FC to ensure an exciting finale in the PFF-Smart Club Championships at Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center on Thursday.


Considered as their toughest rival in the Cagayan de Oro Group A elimination, Teknika FC earlier manhandled the winless Bao Breakers FC via a 9-0 rout.


"Sa Manila pa lang daan dumot na kining San Beda ug Teknika labi na sa mga foreigners ining pikas team nga gigil kaayo sa mga Younghusbands. So, we're expecting a highly-physical game between these two teams on Saturday," said Nonod Manganar of the local host, Cagayan de Oro-Misamis Oriental Football Association.


As both teams struggled on offense in the first half, San Beda's only goal midway of the final half came as a shocker to Laos FC's side as their goaler looked like having just secured with both arms the coming ball off a close-range San Beda attack.


But like a tragedy struck, the leather slipped through from that human stranglehold as if it did not like the Laos goalkeeper's gripping hands.


And the moment it touched down the surface, a wide-awake San Beda forward darted in for the killer just in front of the now wide-open hole.


"Human errors like that could happen anytime when tension builds up in a closely-fought battle," said CMOFA's top trainer Percy Guarin who guarantees a jampacked crowd when the Azkals-spiced Smart bootfest culminates on Saturday. (LLS)


Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on August 12, 2011.