Football games in Bocaue

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is exploring the possibility of holding football matches in the immediate future at the Philippine Sports Stadium, an outdoor facility located beside the gigantic Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

PFF secretary general Ed Gastanes said yesterday they plan to talk with Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) officials in hopes of staging games at the 20,000-seat stadium which is part of Ciudad de Victoria.

Gastanes, however, ruled out the possibility of having the Philippine Azkals play a home match in Bocaue should they make the home-and-away semifinals of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup later this year.

The PFF, however, is eyeing the stadium as one of the sites for the group stage of the 2016 Suzuki Cup which the Philippines and Myanmar are slated to co-host.

The Philippine Sports Stadium was part of the Ciudad de Victoria project that included the indoor Philippine Arena, a 55,000-seat venue that was launched during the INC’s Centennial celebration.

However, the Philippine Arena can’t host football matches as the space only permits to hosting indoor events like INC gatherings, concerts and basketball, among others.

For now, the PFF is focused on staging matches at the Rizal Memorial Stadium which recently launched an artificial turf that replaced natural grass.

The Azkals are scheduled to hold a series of training camps at the Rizal pitch next month, and is expected to host the Philippine Football Peace Cup in September.

tempo