Negros blanks Iloilo to bag PFF Suzuki crown

by Jerome S. Galunan Jr.

THOUSANDS of Negrense football fans jumped to their feet and shouted in jubilation at the Panaad Park and Stadium when the referee blew the final whistle, signaling the end of the second finals game between Ceres-Negros Team and Iloilo Football Association.

Ceres-Negros blanked the invading Ilonggos, 9-0, to capture the crown in the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Suzuki Cup at the Panaad Park and Stadium.



Negros entered the second and final leg of the tournament’s finals with 4-1 advantage on aggregate score, following the 3-1 victory they posted last Thursday in Iloilo.

Crowd favorite and "best striker" of the league Joshua Beloya led the home squad’s offense with two goals, including the opening goal in the 6th minute and another in the 78th minute.

Beloya recorded the most number of goals made in the tournament with a total of 14. He has also been an important factor in the Negros rotation, not only as an offensive weapon but also as a superb passer who sets up his teammates for the offense.

Gino Palomo, who also nailed two goals last night, was the recipient of Beloya’s passes.

Meanwhile, "most valuable player" Aldrin Dolino had been very consistent offensively in the tournament. He scored the insurance goal for Negros as early as in the 22nd minute of the game.

With a 6-0 lead in the game, Negros continued sizzling as Ralph Layumas joined the scoring frenzy, nailing two successive goals in the 79th and 80th minutes.

And finally, Jake Morallo drove the last nail to Iloilo’s coffin with a goal in the 88th minute.

However, like any other competitions, the just-concluded tournament faced a rocky road towards the closure.

Last Saturday during the manager’s meeting, PFF overruled the decision on the extension period during the May 19 match in Iloilo where Negros prevailed 3-1.
In that decision, PFF through its tournament committee head Dick Imperado ruled that the Iloilo match will be scored 1-1.

But late that evening, the PFF competitions committee reversed the earlier decision and brought back the original score to 3-1. This ruling also included all corresponding cautions and suspensions to be kept ‘as is’.

On his part, Imperado said that despite the issues and problems that arose during the event, the tournament was generally successful. 
SunStar