CEBU, Philippines - The University of Cebu-ERCO Bro Nationals, Cebu’s representative to the group staging of this year’s PFF-Smart National Club Championship, is now ready to take the challenge on September 19-21 at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Engr. Rodney Orale, CFA Board member and one of the team owners of UC-ERCO BRO, just hope that the upcoming event will not be moved anymore since it will affect their budget in preparation for the three-day tilt.
The Bro Nationals have been preparing for the tournament for two months now. They are most thankful to Mayor Mike Rama for letting them use the CCSC at night for free so they can be at ease with the playing venue already.
Longtime Azkal player Ian Araneta and another player from NCR in Martin Ferrer plus five foreign booters are beefing up UC-ERCO's lineup.
UC-ERCO-BRO, which is under group B, will be going up against Davao del Norte FA, which topped the cluster 4 action, and Dipolog FC, the second-ranked team in the Mindanao battle.
Unlike Mindanao, NCR and Luzon, Visayas do not have a cluster action anymore.
For this year’s PFF-Smart tiff, there are a total of eight clusters, with the top squads moving up to the group qualifiers
The top team in all five groups will proceed to the national groupings along with the top three squads in the United Football League’s last edition - Kaya, Meralco, and Global.
The national groupings will be split into two groups, with the top two squads playing in the crossover semifinals. The winners will then clash for the national championship and the P200,000 cash prize that goes along with it on November 9 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. —
(FREEMAN)
Huh? What happened to CQCU?! Did they disband? And whats with Airforce?? Has the same happened to them as well or has IA just moved for the Smart Cup?
ReplyDeleteThis article raises more questions than it actually answers and is so damn confusing! This years Cup seams so random and ridiculous with Global not representing the Leyta FA and no Visaya cluster. An overview of all the qualified teams for the upcoming group stage would be great!
Nag iba naman ang tono ng PFF dito. wlang clear na guidelines about club participation. Kung sino ang malakas ang kapit sya din ang nagdidikta kung sino pwede ang sumali. Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk....
ReplyDeleteCQCU did not compete or did not qualify ?
ReplyDeleteIan Araneta is probably only playing for them since there was no NCR qualifiers ?
Anyway the qualifiers in Cebu have now been moved to October.. Qualifiers scheduled in Leyte will also be moved to Cebu .
Overview of all qualified teams would be fine for me too :) I been posting all results I know. Check also wikipedia.
Jonny I did check out the Wikipedia site.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia: “Top three teams under National Capital Region Football Association gain direct entry to the Group Stage. Global FC and Stallion FC, although playing in National Capital Region Football Association's United Football League, underwent regional qualifications in their respective Provincial Football Associations (PFA) - Leyte Football Association and Iloilo Football Association respectively.”
Fact: Top 3 teams of the UFL are Global, Loyola, & Kaya FC. Since 2013 Global has ceased to be a member of the NCRFA and is presently a member of Leyte FA. President of Leyte FA is also owner of Global FC & Laos FC.
Ceres, Global, Stallion & Laos FC are the 4 provincial guest teams in the UFL and ARE NOT UNDER THE NCRFA they are only considered by the NCRFA as guest teams in the UFL. As guest teams and being a member of another PFA these clubs are not qualified to represent NCRFA in any local or national tourney. All provincial teams in the UFL mentioned above underwent provincial qualifiers with their respective PFAs with the exception of Global FC who did not participate in the Leyte provincial qualifiers.
It was also written in Wikipedia that the top 3 clubs from the UFL earned a spot in the National Capital Region Cluster. Further it stated that the National Capital Region eliminations were held from August 22–24, 2014. The above is completely inaccurate and untrue. There were NO eliminations held in NCRFA from August 22-24 or any other dates. The top 3 clubs in the UFL cannot earn a spot in the National Capital Region Cluster for one the NCRFA has not authorized such action and more importantly the top 3 clubs are not all members of the NCRFA. How can Global FC earn a spot in the NCR Cluster when they are not members of NCRFA—this would be a gross violation of the NCRFA Constitution and Bylaws.
As far as the NCRFA is concerned the UFL is representing itself in the PFF National Men's Club Championship. Had the NCRFA conducted its regional qualifiers and sent its representative to the PFF National Men's Club Championship the UFL would have still be give an automatic 3 slots thereby technically NCRFA will be represented by more than 1 club and the same for Leyte FA (Laos & Global) while all the other 31 provincial members of PFF are only given entitled to ONE slot. How fair is this?
Great post! For me this also shows how much the PFF gives a sh*t about the fans. They leave us in the dark for ages and never publish anything directly. To us it looks as if everything is random and chaotic. This tournament has not had the same mode of qualifying for two times in the row. Atleast when the UFL change something we are informed beforehand but not much changes there anyway! This combined with how they handled the ultras during the Peace Cup only shows one thing: The PFF doesn't give a damn about the fans!! Against a Premier League run by the PFF! The UFL is our Premier League!
DeletePFF memo on Aug 4 from Gen Secr Gastanes that UFL top three teams play in the PFF Smart Club Championship finals.
DeleteThey are not representing NCR but UFL , maybe that is why Global get a spot without competing in Leyte qualifiers.
Very good for Global and Laos Fc...
NCR local qualifiers (cluster 5) was scheduled for Aug 22-24 , but like previous year was not organized.
"This tournament has not had the same mode of qualifying for two times in the row."
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact if I am not mistaken this will be the 4th edition of the PFF Smart National Club Championship. For whatever reason the qualifying rules of this tournament is changed every year!
PFF sends a memo (last July) to have a PFA Youth Tournament for U15 and U12 this month but what happened until now wla pang naibigay na rules and regulations yung mga FA's at kung sino ang dapat i-imbetahin na mga clubs. Number one example of PFF stupidity..
ReplyDeleteSecond ranked Mindanao team is still not decided . A protest from the qualifiers in Koronodal about ineligble players from Sultan Kudarat has not yet official been decided. I belive it must be South Cotabato that have been protesting . They finish second on goal difference., after their match against Sultan Kudarat was forfeited.
ReplyDelete