Cebu Queen City United to make UFL debut

By Mike T. Limpag

Saturday, October 8, 2011

CEBU Queen City United will make its UFL Cup debut against Pachanga today (Sunday)in Manila.


The 18-man team, led by coach Mario Ceniza, left for Manila last night for today’s game against the Norman Fegidero-coached Pachanga.


The Cebuanos will be led by co-captains and former national team members Jan Michael Flores and Rocky Garciano, with Alex Buanghug as the starting keeper.


The other members of the 18-man team are Frederick Ktec Alazas, David Gerali, Niño Zapanta, Lemar Baunsit, Julius Acre, Junard Aguilar, Rommel Cuizon, Rene Menchavez, Jack Reston, Ronald Mahilum, Martin Bontia, Marion Rey Cubelo, Ariel Cahilig, Mitsu
Tsunakiri and Christian Joy Delan.


The UFL Cup had a great opening match yesterday, featuring a great goal, a comeback foiled by a controversial call and an upset.


Global FC lost its UFL Cup debut, 3-2, to a determined Stallions squad that had rare offensive chances but found itself ahead, 3-0.


Francis Gustillo scored the first goal of the match with a brilliant strike from 40 yards, catching Paolo Pascual off-guard in the 10th minute. Jovani Simpron made it 2-0 in the 44th before Ruben Doctora tapped in his own rebound to an empty net in the 54th.


Global had the most chances in the first half with 11 attempts—six on target—but the defense of the Stallions managed to hold on.


In one frantic play, the defenders managed to clear three shots from Global off a corner.


“They (Stallions) took their opportunities and Global didn’t. Global created enough to win the game but football is all about scoring goals and taking opportunities and the Stallions did that better than Global,” Graeme Mackinnon, the incoming Global FC coach, told Sun.Star Cebu.


Mackinnon, who is still in Australia, will arrive in Manila this week to take over as head coach of Dan Palami’s team.


In the 66th, Remi Sery finally struck for Global and Izo Elhabib made it 3-2 in the 84th with a beautiful header. Global seemed to have gotten the equalizer a few minutes later but the goal was disallowed for offside, sparking protests from Global.


Mackinnon, who was following the match on live stream, said, “Sometimes you get that call and sometimes you don’t. They shouldn’t have needed that to get the draw, they should have had it before that.”

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 09, 2011.