National football tilt resumes

Jaelle Nevin Reyes

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Football Federation-Smart National Club Championship will resume on Thursday, January 22 for its round of eight stage at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The national group round of the countrywide football meet will banner the top eight football clubs that underwent the elimination round in several locations around the country during the past months.

The remaining teams will be divided into two groups with the defending champions of the nationwide tourney Ceres-La Salle FC seeded in Group A while UFL champs Global are in Group B. Meanwhile, remaining teams Loyola FC and Kaya FC, both representing the UFL and the NCRFA, will form Group A together with Laos FC of Leyte. M'lang FC of North Cotabato, Erco-Brothers FC of Cebu and Stallion FC of Iloilo will form the rest of Group B.

"I think its a tough group but I think I'm getting used to it because we always end up in a tough group. I think its gonna be very exciting and we're looking forward to it," said Ceres FC club director Ali Go during the pre-tournament press conference at the PFF headquarters.

He added that they cannot be complacent.

"Pressure is always there especially now were back-to-back champions. But anything can happen," he stated.

Consequently, local football powerhouse Global FC, who is still yet to add a national crown unto their list of victories, aims to take their rivals on their group head on.

"We cannot be complacent. We'll prepare the same for the Stallion game and with the other teams. We're not taking this group lightly," according to head coach Leigh Manson.

Group A will have matches on the 22nd and the 24th while Group B will have their games on the 23rd and 25th.

The first match date on Thursday for Group A will feature a bout between Loyola FC and Laos FC followed by Ceres FC versus Kaya FC.

Admission is free for all the games for the tournament. – Rappler.com

Ray Jonsson to sign for Global Fc ?

Ex Azkals Ray Jonsson is expected to sign for Global Fc soon. He is already in Philippines.

Ray was born in Philippines but moved to Iceland when he was 8 years old. He is soon 36 years

PFF Smart National Club Championships to kick off Thursday

Ryan Fenix, special to InterAksyon.com 

The 2015 PFF-SMART National Club Championships is set to kick off at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium on Thursday with eight teams competing for the right to be hailed the best club in the country.

Eight participating teams will be divided into two groups of four, with United Football League powerhouse squads Ceres-La Salle and Global FC as the only seeded teams in the competition.

Reigning UFL champion Global got an outright slot in Group A, while defending national club champion Ceres is seeded in Group B.

The rest of the teams include M’lang representing the North Cotabato, Erco-Brothers for Cebu, Stallion for Iloilo, Laos for Leyte, and Kaya FC and Loyola Meralco Sparks from the UFL.

The final draw will be made during the team manager’s meeting set on Wednesday, 10 a.m. at the PFF office.

The competition format could also allow one group to be comprised of UFL first division teams, providing fans exciting football action should it happen.

According to PFF-Smart National Club Championships general coordinator Ritchie Gannaban, Group A games will be held on January 22, 24, and 26, while Group B games will be played on January 23, 25, and 27. Kick-off times are at 4 p.m. and at 7 p.m.

Semifinals and finals are slated on January 29 and January 31, respectively.

http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/pff-smart-national-club-championships-to-kick-off-thursday

U-23 Azkals get chance to prove mettle in SEAG

By Olmin Leyba

MANILA, Philippines – It looks like the Philippine Under-23 Azkals will get their shot at the football competitions of the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

No less than the chef de mission of the Phl delegation, Julian Camacho, has said that the Philippine Olympic Committee's SEA Games management committee (mancomm) is opening the doors to the Pinoy booters' return stint in the biennial games after getting dropped from the contingent in 2013.

“There are eight or nine players from the Azkals who are under-23 and maganda naman performance nila(they performed well) so bibigyan natin sila ng chance (we’ll give them a chance),” Camacho, who also heads the mancomm that screens the contingent, said.

“In a sense, they’ve not been joining the SEA Games (in many editions), so we’ll give them the chance to prove themselves in Singapore,” Camacho further said.

The Pinoy booters missed out on the action in the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar after failing to get the nod from the POC to join the delegation.

For the Singapore joust, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) said it is ready to prepare and send a competitive team which will be beefed up by the likes of Azkals mainstays Amani Aguinaldo and Daisuke Sato.

The U-22 squad will have its hands full in the 2015 conclave, though, especially with the core of the squad that ruled the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup last year carrying the fight for Thailand.

The Phl last participated in the SEAG in 2011 in Indonesia, placing sixth and last in Group B with three points on one win and four losses.

Prior to the Singapore SEAG, PFF president Nonong Araneta said the U-22 Azkals will hold training camps and compete in the qualifiers for the 2016 Asian Football Confederation U-23 championship this March in Thailand.

The U-22 Azkals are in Group G with North Korea, host Thailand and Cambodia, hoping to land in the Top 2 to boost their chance of making it to the final round where three berths to the Rio Olympics will be at stake.

http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/01/17/1414054/u-23-azkals-get-chance-prove-mettle-seag

'Crippled' ERCO gets big boost for PFF-Smart finals

CEBU, Philippines - The ERCO Bro Nationals got a sigh of relief following the sudden departure of their key players as they were able to loan four players from the Green Archers United FC led by Chieffy Caligdong to bolster their campaign in the finale of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF)-Smart Men's Club Football Championships in Manila next week.

With Caligdong in the ERCO lineup are Cebuano goal keeper Paolo Pascual, Ronnie Aguisanda, and Reynald Villareal. All four have been under the Philippine Azkals.

There is also one foreign player included in the new ERCO roster. He is Kabulo Pintoh, a player from Congo studying at Southwestern University.

"Dako kaayo among pasalamat na natugtan gyud ni sila. We are very thankful to the Green Archers as well as to the PFF and UFL for their consideration. Kumbati na gyud mi ani," said an ecstatic ERCO owner Rodney Orale.

The ERCO BRO Nationals will be leaving for Manila on Tuesday, two days ahead of the final battle set for January 22. — Caecent No-ot Magsumbol 

(FREEMAN)

Angel Guirado signs for Thai club

Former Azkals Angel Guirado has signed for regional Thai club Udon Thani Fc

They currently play in the Regional League Division 2  North Eastern region.

Friendly : Manila Jeepney vs Stallion

Beep-beep! Your Manila Jeepney FC will play the Stallions FC in a friendly game tomorrow, January 16. Everyone is invited to come to the FEU FERN Turf to watch the game. It starts at 8AM. See you there!

Manila Jeepney 1-1 Stallion

Jason de Jong Dropped by Global, UFL Reveals Full List of Dropped Players

The United Football League’s January 14 deadline for dropping players before the start of the UFL League has passed, and the lists submitted by the clubs have revealed some interesting departures. Teams now have until the end of Wednesday, January 21, to add players to their rosters.

The biggest development of the entire tranfer window is undoubtedly Global’s decision to release Jason de Jong, who was crowned the MVP in the club’s League-winning campaign in 2014. Joining him are eight other players, with Milad Behgandom, German Rodriguez, and long-time defender Delon Patrick Yao the other big names to be shown the door.

Jin Ho Kim, who was crucial in Ceres-La Salle’s triumphant campaign in the recently concluded FA League Cup, has suprisingly been released, along with two others for the Bacolod powerhouse. Loyola Meralco Sparks have decided to enter the League without the services of Baba Sampana and Samuel Bonney, who contributed heavily in the club’s run to winning the UFL Cup last season.

Other big name departures are Raymark Fernandez (Green Archers United), Emmanuel Mbata (Kaya), Arnel Amita and Ref Cuaresma (Manila Jeepney), Shayan Jafary Dastjerdi and Yi Young Park (Pachanga Diliman), and Nathan Alquiros, Matthew Nierras, and Ousseynou Diop (Stallion).

Players labeled “Not Free to Sign” are individuals still under contract with the club that released them, and may not sign with any other organization without the parent club’s consent. The most common reasons for being labeled as such include injury, or participation in either the UAAP or NCAA football tournaments. Players with live contracts who have been dropped may be loaned to another club for a specific period.

UFL fans won’t have to wait long to find out where the available players will end up, as updated rosters will be revealed by January 22.
——————————————————–

Please find below the list of players dropped by their respective clubs as per the 14 January 2015 deadline:

CERES – LA SALLE FC:-
1. CAPOLEI, Kevin Umberto (14-0382) – Not free to sign
2. KIM, Jin Ho (14-0403) – Not free to sign
3. MARTINEZ DE MURGA (14-0387) – Not free to sign

GLOBAL FC:-
1. ALI, Mahmoud (14-0210)
2. BEHGANDOM, Milad (14-0189)
3. BORLONGAN, Jeremiah (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster)
4. BUGAS, Paolo (14-0201) – Not free to sign
5. BRIONES, Edgar Ramon (14-0200)
6. DE JONG, Jason Nicolas Maria (14-0172) – Not free to sign
7. DELON, Patrick Yao (14-0187)
8. OCAÑA, Christian Felipe (14-0199)
9. RODRIGUEZ, German Edahi (14-0198)

GREEN ARCHERS UNITED FC:-
1. ABALUNAN, Francis Jay (14-0354)
2. DIAMANTE, Derrico Gabriel (14-0339) – Not free to sign
3. FERNANDEZ, Raymark Kenneth (14-0364)
4. GARCIA, Diego Xavier (14-0342) – Not free to sign
5. KWEON, Dae Eun (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster)
6. LAYUMAS, Gerald Mark (14-0340) – Not free to sign

KAYA FC:-
1. DEL ROSARIO, Dominic Liam (14-0060) – with PTC in favor of JP Voltes FC
2. MBATA, Ameachi Emmanuel (14-0065)

LOYOLA FC:-
1. BONNEY, Samuel (14-0006)
2. 
ESPINOSA, William (14-0022)
3. 
MARENCO, Pedro Antonio (14-0021)
4. 
SAMPANA, Baba (14-0009)
5. 
SILITONGA, Reuben Raya (14-0020)

MANILA JEEPNEY FC:-
1. AMITA, Arnel (14-0265) – Not free to sign
2. CUBON, Reymart (14-0268) – Not free to sign
3. CUARESMA, Ref Delany (14-0376)
4. EBANDA, William Herve (14-0017)
5. FERRER, Nicolas (14-0261) – Not free to sign
6. GIGANTO, Eric Ben (14-0264) – Not free to sign
7. JURAO, Angelou Val (14-0262) – Not free to sign
8. MABANAG, Michael Jerremy (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster) – Not free to sign
9. MENZI,Michael (14-0423) – Not free to sign
10. SANGARE, Mamadou (14-0001)
11. VANDELLI, Nicolas Paul Renard (14-0004)

PACHANGA DILIMAN FC:-
1. CLARINO, Randolfo Paolo (14-0313)
2. JAFARY DASTJERDI, Shayan (14-0321)
3. KHOSHGAVAR, Behrouz (14-0323)
4. MUROS, Niño (14-0327) – Not free to sign
5. PARK, Yi Young (14-0335) – Not free to sign
6. SAFARIAN SIAHMAZGI, Khosro (14-0329)
7. SALENGA, Paolo (14-0316)
8. SANTOS, Francisco Jose Primo (14-0318) – Not free to sign
9. VILLANUEVA, Nathaniel Ace (14-0328) – Not free to sign

PHIL. ARMY FC:-
1. JEON, Shin Seok (14-0181) – Not free to sign
2. NAM, Gi Won (14-0182) – Not free to sign

STALLION FC:-
1. ALBIÑO, Joevic (14-0259)
2. ALQUIROS, Nathan (14-0271) – Not free to sign
3. CARRASCOSA, Angel Muñoz (14-0255)
4. DIOP, Ousseynou (not on the current Team Roster) – with PTC in favor of Green Archers United FC)
5. KIM, Dong Hyun (14-0249)
6. MUÑOZ, Wilson (14-0252)
7. NIERRAS, Matthew Erwin Thomas (14-0270) – Not free to sign
8. NUNES, Cicero Vieira Machado (14-0273)
9. SIM, Hong Bo (14-0310)
10. TAN, Andrew Antonio (14-0309) – Not free to sign
TEAM SOCCEROO FC:-
1. CALLES (ARGUELLES), Pablo (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster)
2. DINGLASAN, John Philip (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster)
3. JANG, Dong Hee (14-0412)
4. KIM, Tae Yun (14-0429)
5. KRAUSE, Federico Luis Otto (14-0232)
6. MEILAN, Ivan (14-0424)
7. PARK, Hae Bin (14-0410)
8. PARK, Kyul (14-0405)
9. TRIGO, Tomas Angel (14-0234)
10. YUHICO, Manuel Mateo Senen (14-0219)

AGILA FC:-

NONE

FORZA FC:-
1. BURDA, Stephen Juriel (14-0045)
2. DIBI TANO, Pascal Cedric (14-0041)
3. DIMAANO, Renz Matthew (14-0044)
4. SABRIDO, Ramel (14-0052)
5. SISSAKO, Mahamadou (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster)
6. VILLAREAL, Reynald (14-0046)

JP VOLTES FC:-
1. RICONALLA, Mike Kevin (14-0435)
2. YUVIENCO, Michael Rene (14-0295)

LAOS FC:-
1. CAHILIG, Ariel (14-0109)
2. DIAZ, William (14-0090)
3. JONES, CHristopher (14-0089)
4. OBIANG, Alex (14-0099)
5. SERY, Remi Serge-Alain (not registered with UFL but appears on the current Team Roster)
6. VALEROSO, Mark Alvin (14-0102)

PASARGAD FC:-

NOTE: Based on UFL League 2014 roster (players were dropped prior to FA League Cup 2014)
1. BAYEMEG, Simon Pierre
2. DIABYRA, Aboubacar
3. DUMAGAN, Paulie
4. FATEH, Hamed
5. GLACCIO, Reymart
6. JUANENGO, Patrick Jerome
7. MINYEM, Fils Steve Emmanuel
8. NEJAD SAFAVI, Peyman Cabarrus
9. PIERSON, Russel Anthony
10. RETUYA, Cynold Brett
11. SALIGAN, Benny Dick
12. TORRES, Jay