Fil-Am thwarts Beckham's goal

MANILA, Philippines - It took a 5-10 Fil-Am goalkeeper to spoil celebrated star David Beckham’s bid for the Major League Soccer (MLS) championship in the British hero’s third year with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Nick Rimando, 30, saved two penalty kicks and paved the way for Real Salt Lake to upset the Galaxy, 5-4, in a shootout after the title match ended 1-1 in overtime before 46,011 fans in Seattle last Nov. 22.

Rimando, whose father is Filipino and mother is Mexican, has never been to the Philippines but said he hopes to visit someday soon.

“Everybody knows I’m Filipino because of my eyes,” said Rimando quoted by Truth Esguerra of the Philippine News. “I’m happy to be Filipino and I’m happy to be American and being in the US playing soccer. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is or color your hair is. I’m out there doing my job and they look at me as a person.”

Rimando attended Montclair High School and played two years at UCLA before turning pro. He was the backup goalkeeper for the US at the 1999 World Youth Championships in Nigeria and played for the US national squad in an international match against El Salvador in 2002. Rimando’s twin appearances with the US team disqualified him from playing for any other country, including the Philippines, under FIFA rules.

Source : Philstar

Cebu football - USPF takes top spot

By Edri K. Aznar



THE University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) took over the top spot of the Men’s League division of the 12th Aboitiz Football Cup after a 2-0 win over the Don Bosco (DB) Alumni at the Aboitiz Sports field yesterday.

USPF attacked DB Alumni early in the game and scored the first goal in the fifth minute from Aljohn Armamento.

Mark Lester Garbo upped the lead to 2-0 with a strike in the 27th minute before holding DB Alumni scoreless the rest of the way.

USPF now has 11 points and overtook undefeated Crazy Horse, which has been idle for close to a month, for the top position.

DB Alumni slid to fifth place with seven points.

In yesterday’s other Men’s League game, the University of San Carlos (USC) crushed San Roque FC (SRFC), 6-3.

African forward Bernard Rotich took the scoring burden of USC with a hat trick.

USC took a commanding 3-1 lead at the end of the first half with goals from Philip Kenei (15th), Melvin Elle (17th) and Rotich (36th), while Mark Cueva scored the lone first half goal of SRFC in the 25th minute.

With the win, USC moved two places to third, with eight points, while SRFC slumped a spot lower, at eighth place, with three points.

In other games yesterday, Uptown United destroyed DB Alumni A, 5-0, while University of San Jose-Recoletos edged out 53rd Army, 2-1, in the Men’s Cup category.

Meanwhile in last Sunday’s matches, Queen City United drew with University of Cebu, 0-0, while the University of the Visayas trampled San Roque Royal United, 7-0, in the Men’s League class.

Xantos FC beat Doc United, 3-1, and DB Alumni A routed Cebu Institute of Technology FC, 4-1, in the Men’s Cup division.

UFL - Quarterfinal results

Quarterfinals in United Football League Sunday :

Army - Grins 4-0
Navy - Loyola 2-1
Kaya - Union 2-1
Mendiola - Air Force 1-2

Plate Cup Quarterfinals :

Diliman - Sunken Garden 1-0
USFC - Global 1-3
Japan Kline - Navy Alaska 0-1

PFF holds congress in Tacloban City

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) will hold its 6th Ordinary Congress this Sunday in Tacloban City with the hope of further strengthening its grassroots and competition programs for next year and the years to come.

Though various programs have been put in place, PFF president Jose Mari Martinez said the congress will help them gather fresh ideas from the participants in their bid to intensify their drive to revive the popularity of the sport and form a highly-competitive national team for men’s and youth sides.

“We really need a concerted effort to make our various programs run smoothly. I’m confident all Member Associations will be represented since we need their inputs and cooperation,” said Martinez.

Martinez said they are now focusing their effort on their various grassroots programs since they intend to compete in various regional competitions next year, including the 2011 SEA Games.

“We don’t have a team for next month’s SEA Games due to lack of financial support but we intend to take part in major regional events starting next year,” added Martinez, who is expected to report the federation’s accomplishment for the year about to end.

The Philippines gained considerably in the latest FIFA world ranking by jumping to 155th from 190th place last year.

They are also hoping to draw plan for local tournaments next year where they hope to stage events in key regions, especially in Mindanao and Visayas. The financial status of the federation will also be discussed.

Apart from grassroots and competitions, the PFF also promises to hold more coaching and referee seminars to enhance their technical skills.

Invited to join the congress to be held at the Leyte Park Hotel are presidents (or,in their absence their General Secretary) of member associations in the country.


Source : Manila Bulletin

Cebu Football - Aboitiz Cup Results

Results from 14. November :

Men`s League :

USC - UV 3-3
Queen City United - USP 4-4

Women`s Open :

FC Cebu - CDU A 1-4

Results from 22. November :

Men`s League :

USPF - UC 2-0
DB Alumni - UV 1-1

Women`s Open :

DBC - SFC 7-2

Asian Student Football Confederation Cup

Vietnamese website reporting that Philippines will be one of 12 teams in Asian Student Football Confederation Cup which will take place in Thailand from 2. to 9. December.

http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/Vietnam-to-compete-at-the-Asian-Student-Football-Confederation-Cup/200911/110163.vov

'Diski Night' to promote 2010 World Cup

MANILA -- The Philippine Football Federation is organizing “Diski Night”, which jumpstarts promotional events leading to the upcoming 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Diski Night is slated to take place on December 8 at the 1 Esplanade, which is adjacent to the SM Mall of Asia.

“Diski is a dance in South Africa,” said football coach Candice Grey, as she explains the official “groove” of the 2010 World Cup.

Joining Grey at the PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN, Manila are fellow coach Aris Caslib and PFF Secretary General Cyril Dorfitas.

The event will feature PFF and its partners’ booths, a football apparel fashion show, a football clinic for underprivileged kids, and a dance presentation by the Philippine Diski Team.

Source : ABS CBN News

UFL-LBC Cup enters quarterfinal phase

MANILA, Philippines – The highly successful 16-team United Football League-LBC Cup wrapped up its elimination round over the weekend, with eight teams moving on to the tournament’s quarterfinal phase.

The knockout quarterfinal matches, which will be held this Sunday at the Ateneo football field in Quezon City and Nomads football grounds in Parañaque City, pit the top two squads of each of the tournament’s four groups.

At Ateneo, Group B top-seed Army Phiten clashes with Group A No. 2 Alabang Grins Orient Freight in the 1 p.m. game, followed by Group A No. 1 Navy Selecta versus Loyola ATR Kim Eng at 3 p.m.

In the 6 p.m. match at Nomads, Group D No. 1 Kaya Digiprint battles Union Rudy Project, which finished at the second spot in Group C. Air Force Rider, Group C’s top seed, faces Group D No. 2 Mendiola Egames in the last quarterfinals game.

The winners of Navy Selecta-Loyola ATR Kim and Army Phiten-Grins Orient Freight will meet the victors of Air Force Rider-Mendiola Egames and Kaya Digi Print-Rudy Project Union, respectively, in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, teams that finished in the bottom half of their respective groups will figure in a separate knockout quarterfinals, with the ultimate winner getting crowned as the UFL Plate Cup champions.