By Noel S. Villaflor
Footnote
Thursday, July 18, 2013Footnote
THERE is little fanfare as the RHB Singapore Cup 2013 resumes with the quarterfinal matches next week.
From the 16 clubs that saw action in the Round of 16, the number is now down to eight.
Two of those surviving clubs are from the Philippines: Loyola Meralco Sparks FC and Global FC, both of the United Football League.
Loyola holds the distinction of being the first club to play in the Singapore Cup after it was invited in the 2012 tournament. This year, Global FC, the 2012 UFL league champions, joins Loyola in a quest to win the Philippines’ first international club championship, as well as the $200,000 total cash prize up for grabs.
But since they belong to the same pool, a Loyola vs. Global semifinal is looming, that is, of course, if they get past their opponents in the two-leg quarterfinals.
Global sees action first, against Brunei DPMM FC. The first leg will be on July 24, Wednesday, while the second leg will be on July 27, Saturday. Both games will be played at the Jalan Besar Stadium and kick off at 8 p.m.
Now Brunei DPMM FC doesn’t ring a bell and sounds like an easy opponent for Global, but don’t be fooled.
And if Global’s legions of fans think that Brunei DPMM would be a walk in the park, they’re dead wrong. Brunei DPMM, which competes in the S. League, dumped Lao Police Club, the Lao League champions, 4-0 in the first round.
The reason for the strong showing of Brunei DPMM, whose chairman happens to be the Crown Prince of Brunei, is that it is, in fact, a champion club—it won the Singapore League Cup in 2012. (The Singapore League Cup shouldn’t be confused with the Singapore Cup, which is the older tournament of the two. Also, the Singapore Cup, which is now 16 years in the running, dangles the bigger prize money– $100,000 to the champion, compared to the Singapore League Cup’s $15,000.)
This tough quarterfinal for Global FC is the first bad news. The other bad news is that there likely won’t be any television coverage for both legs, since there has been no word yet from the Football Association of Singapore about a broadcast.
In another quarterfinal, the Sparks will face Tanjong Pagar United FC in the two-leg quarterfinal. The first leg will be held on July 25, Thursday, at the Queenstown Stadium. The return leg will be on July 28, a Sunday, at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Both matches kick off at 8 p.m.
If it plays it’s A-game, the Sparks, led by the Younghusband brothers, can handily beat The Jaguars, currently 12th in the S. League. That’s the first good news.
The second good news is that the second-leg of the Sparks vs. The Jaguars will have live television coverage, at least in Singapore.
“We are pleased to announce that the match between Loyola Meralco Sparks FC and Tanjong Pagar United FC will be shown “live” from Jalan Besar Stadium on 28th July 2013 at 8 p.m. on StarHub SuperSports Arena Channel 201,” said the Football Association of Singapore in a press statement last Monday.
“This is an intriguing fixture which pitches the firepower of Tanjong Pagar United in the form of the irrepressible Monsef Zerka, with the effervescence of Loyola Meralco’s Younghusband brothers, who contributed largely to the club’s lofty third position in the UFL in the Philippines,” the FAS said further. “Expect lots of end-to-end action in what could be a potentially explosive and emotionally charged game.”
While Singapore football’s governing body sounds thrilled about the Sparks vs. Tanjong Pagar match, there’s no word yet whether the match will be broadcast in the Philippines as well. That’s the not-so-good news.
Hopefully, a broadcast deal can be made in time for the Sparks vs. Tanjong Pagar second-leg quarterfinal. At least we can see for ourselves what the Football Association of Singapore is raving about.
(nsvillaflor@gmail.com)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 19, 2013.
From the 16 clubs that saw action in the Round of 16, the number is now down to eight.
Two of those surviving clubs are from the Philippines: Loyola Meralco Sparks FC and Global FC, both of the United Football League.
Loyola holds the distinction of being the first club to play in the Singapore Cup after it was invited in the 2012 tournament. This year, Global FC, the 2012 UFL league champions, joins Loyola in a quest to win the Philippines’ first international club championship, as well as the $200,000 total cash prize up for grabs.
But since they belong to the same pool, a Loyola vs. Global semifinal is looming, that is, of course, if they get past their opponents in the two-leg quarterfinals.
Global sees action first, against Brunei DPMM FC. The first leg will be on July 24, Wednesday, while the second leg will be on July 27, Saturday. Both games will be played at the Jalan Besar Stadium and kick off at 8 p.m.
Now Brunei DPMM FC doesn’t ring a bell and sounds like an easy opponent for Global, but don’t be fooled.
And if Global’s legions of fans think that Brunei DPMM would be a walk in the park, they’re dead wrong. Brunei DPMM, which competes in the S. League, dumped Lao Police Club, the Lao League champions, 4-0 in the first round.
The reason for the strong showing of Brunei DPMM, whose chairman happens to be the Crown Prince of Brunei, is that it is, in fact, a champion club—it won the Singapore League Cup in 2012. (The Singapore League Cup shouldn’t be confused with the Singapore Cup, which is the older tournament of the two. Also, the Singapore Cup, which is now 16 years in the running, dangles the bigger prize money– $100,000 to the champion, compared to the Singapore League Cup’s $15,000.)
This tough quarterfinal for Global FC is the first bad news. The other bad news is that there likely won’t be any television coverage for both legs, since there has been no word yet from the Football Association of Singapore about a broadcast.
In another quarterfinal, the Sparks will face Tanjong Pagar United FC in the two-leg quarterfinal. The first leg will be held on July 25, Thursday, at the Queenstown Stadium. The return leg will be on July 28, a Sunday, at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Both matches kick off at 8 p.m.
If it plays it’s A-game, the Sparks, led by the Younghusband brothers, can handily beat The Jaguars, currently 12th in the S. League. That’s the first good news.
The second good news is that the second-leg of the Sparks vs. The Jaguars will have live television coverage, at least in Singapore.
“We are pleased to announce that the match between Loyola Meralco Sparks FC and Tanjong Pagar United FC will be shown “live” from Jalan Besar Stadium on 28th July 2013 at 8 p.m. on StarHub SuperSports Arena Channel 201,” said the Football Association of Singapore in a press statement last Monday.
“This is an intriguing fixture which pitches the firepower of Tanjong Pagar United in the form of the irrepressible Monsef Zerka, with the effervescence of Loyola Meralco’s Younghusband brothers, who contributed largely to the club’s lofty third position in the UFL in the Philippines,” the FAS said further. “Expect lots of end-to-end action in what could be a potentially explosive and emotionally charged game.”
While Singapore football’s governing body sounds thrilled about the Sparks vs. Tanjong Pagar match, there’s no word yet whether the match will be broadcast in the Philippines as well. That’s the not-so-good news.
Hopefully, a broadcast deal can be made in time for the Sparks vs. Tanjong Pagar second-leg quarterfinal. At least we can see for ourselves what the Football Association of Singapore is raving about.
(nsvillaflor@gmail.com)
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 19, 2013.
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