Loro Football Cup this October

If this interests you, contact the number you see on this graphic.

Alpha Keepers Academy set to kick off May summer camp

Alpha Keepers Academy

Kaya FC and Philippines U-23 national team goalkeeper Nick O'Donnell has plans of sharing his passion and talent to those who aspire to be the next great netminder.

The Season 75 Most Valuable Player established the Alpha Keepers Academy, aimed to develop and hone the skills of aspiring goalkeepers.

The first AKA camp will be a summer camp from May 4-15 at the football grounds of the Ateneo de Manila University. There are two sets of programs, a Junior level (8-12 y/o) and an Elite level (13+ y/o).

Details on AKA and on the camp can be read below. Interested parties can contact this number (0917-525-7630) or email alphakeepersacademy@yahoo.com.

UP, La Salle in huge UAAP football tiff

The last Thursday game of Season 77 men's football will guarantee a new league leader.

La Salle and UP tangle at the FEU-Diliman artificial turf in the main event for the afternoon doubleheader, coming off 2-0 victories this past weekend.

Still feeling the sting of losing Gelo Diamante to a clavicle injury, the Green Booters have somehow cobbled together a patchwork unit up front, using the likes of Chuck Uy, Christian Zubiri, Yoshi Koizumi, and even stellar defender Nico Villacin to compensate for the Davao native's absence. At 26 points, Hans Smit's side would move up to solo first with a win.

Meanwhile, UP didn't have a couple of their key defensive cogs in Kobe Ochoa and Patxi Santos for their win over UE last Saturday. As long as they do not lose, Anto Gonzales' men would move into solo first.

Opening the doubleheader will be the matchup of UE and Adamson. Already out of the postseason race, both teams seek to pursue a positive close to their season.

The two matches will be televised LIVE on Sports+Action in lieu of its normal Friday telecast due to the live coverage of the UAAP Juniors basketball finals.

UAAP Season 77 second round college football schedule

For those looking for the men's football schedule for the UAAP, this is the latest official one that was released on Monday night Tuesday afternoon.

Thursday matches are bookmarked to be televised on Friday afternoons on Sports+Action.

Women:

DATE	VENUE	TIME	LIGHT	VS	DARK
JAN. 24	ATENEO	4PM	UST		FEU
JAN. 25	FEU-D	1PM	La Salle		Ateneo
FEB. 1	ATENEO	3PM	UP		Ateneo
	FEU-D	1PM	La Salle		FEU
FEB. 7	ATENEO	4PM	UP		FEU
	ATENEO	6PM	UST		La Salle
FEB. 14	ATENEO	4PM	FEU		Ateneo
FEB. 15	FEU-D	1PM	UP		UST
FEB. 21	ATENEO	4PM	Ateneo		UST
	ATENEO	6PM	La Salle		UP

Top two teams will advance to the finals, which will take place in March at Rizal Memorial.

Men:

DATE	VENUE	TIME	LIGHT	VS	DARK
JAN. 24	ATENEO	6PM	NU		UE
JAN. 25	ATENEO	1PM	UP		Ateneo
	ATENEO	3PM	UST		Adamson
	FEU-D	3PM	FEU		La Salle
JAN. 29	FEU-D	1PM	UE		Ateneo
	FEU-D	3PM	La Salle		UST
JAN. 31	ATENEO	4PM	UP		NU
	ATENEO	6PM	Adamson		FEU
FEB. 1	ATENEO	1PM	UST		UE
	FEU-D	3PM	Ateneo		La Salle
FEB. 5	FEU-D	1PM	Adamson		NU
	FEU-D	3PM	FEU		UP
FEB. 8	ATENEO	1PM	UST		UP
	ATENEO	3PM	UE		La Salle
	FEU-D	1PM	Ateneo		Adamson
	FEU-D	3PM	NU		FEU
FEB. 12	FEU-D	1PM	NU		UST
	FEU-D	3PM	FEU		Ateneo
FEB. 14	ATENEO	6PM	UE		UP
FEB. 15	ATENEO	1PM	NU		Ateneo
	ATENEO	3PM	FEU		UST
	FEU-D	3PM	La Salle		Adamson
FEB. 19	FEU-D	1PM	Adamson		UE
	FEU-D	3PM	La Salle		UP
FEB. 22	ATENEO	1PM	UP		Adamson
	ATENEO	3PM	La Salle		NU
	FEU-D	1PM	FEU		UE
	FEU-D	3PM	Ateneo		UST

Top four teams will advance to the semifinals, which will take place in March at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The Trequartista Sweeper: Laying out the 2015 local football domain

Football in 2015 looks to be fun-filled and packed. Lots of things to be looking forward to in these parts. Let me count the ways:

PFF-SMART Club Nationals: Eight teams left in the running, (defending champions Ceres-La Salle; UFL champions Global FC; UFL Cup champions Loyola Meralco Sparks; UFL Division I sides Kaya FC and Stallion FC; UFL Division II side Laos FC; M'lang FC from the Mindanao qualifiers; and ERCO-Brothers from the Visayas qualifiers).

The eight teams will be divided to two groups of four squads, with Global heading Group A and Ceres in Group B. A round robin will take place from January 22-27, with the top two teams proceeding to the crossover semifinals on January 29. The winners will then tangle in the title game on January 31.

Group A matches: January 22, 24, 26.
Group B matches: January 23, 25, 27.


All matches will be at Rizal Memorial, with 4pm and 7pm kickoffs. Admission is FREE.

The draw to determine the teams in Group A and B will take place today,

United Football League: Expected to open in February due to the aforementioned Club Nationals. What we do know is about their plans?

1. First provincial Division I game.
2. An all-star game.
3. Div II has a little bit of a shaky feel for a few reasons, namely the fact that five teams (Navy, Air Force, Nomads, Union Internacional-Manila, Dolphins United FC, and Cimarron FC) did not submit their list of dropped players.
4.Deadline for the submission of roster additions is 11:59pm tonight.

UAAP: The papal visit interrupted the league's first round campaign.

First round ends today (for the women) and tomorrow (for the men). Second round to begin on January 24 (which also is the start for the high school portion of the tournament)

Minor tinkering with format. Postseason now one-match affairs, which are tabled for March 1 and March 8, which will be at Rizal Memorial. HS final is on March 7 at FEU-Diliman, where all of their matches will take place.

NCAA: The papal visit interrupted the league's second round campaign, with action set to resume today and Friday (for college) and Thursday (for high school).

Simple format: Top four teams from the first round advance. Round robin ensues with the four teams. Whoever comes out on top from that will face San Beda (for college) and La Salle-Greenhills (for high school) in a playoff on January 26. If San Beda or La Salle-Greenhills were to be the teams on top of the second round, no playoff necessary and they will be declared as champions.

The Trequartista Sweeper: Laying out the 2015 continental football domain

Football in 2015 looks to be fun-filled and packed. Lots of things to be looking forward to in these parts. Let me count the ways:

Senior National Team. The Azkals have their FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Just months after Germany hoisted its fourth Jules Rimet Trophy, the quest for spots in Russia will commence. The Asian Football Confederation tweaked the qualification methodology, streamlining it to serve concurrently as the qualifiers for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

If you recall, the Philippines opened its 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification campaign against Sri Lanka. You remember this one, right?



Or you more remember it for this one...



The Philippines has done well enough to be able to do away with the two-legged preliminary playoff involving the lower-ranked teams in the AFC on March 12 and 17. The prelims are conducted in order to whittle down the number of nations to 40. A draw then will be conducted in April to determine the eight groups of five that will comprise the second preliminary round.

The second preliminary round is a double round robin, with matches slated on June 11 & 16, September 3 & 8, October 8 & 13, November 12 & 17, as well as March 24 & 29 in 2016. The eight division winners and the four best runners-up proceed to the phase of qualification.

There is only one FIFA window that is available before the start of the Qualifiers, which is from March 23-31. The Philippines has already slated to play against China on the 25th (reportedly in China), which theoretically allows the team to possibly face another opponent in that same period.

U-23 National Team. The March 23-31 window also serves as the timetable for the AFC U-23 Qualifiers.The Philippines was drawn into Group G alongside North Korea, Cambodia, and group stage hosts Thailand. Win the group or finish among the top five runners-up ensures a berth to the finals, which will take place in 2016 at Qatar, and concurrently serves as the Olympic Qualifiers.

The Philippines is also initially tabled to participate in the SEA Games slated to take place this coming June in Singapore, although it is up to the powers-that-be in the PSC-POC task force who will "green light" the.participation.

Most of the youngsters are familiar to those who watch the UAAP. Of course, a couple of senior national team standouts fall under this category as well, namely defensive stalwarts Daisuke Sato and Amani Aguinaldo.

AFC Cup.  Ceres-La Salle will be playing first, having to face Maziya Sports and Recreation of the Maldives on February 17. Win this, and the reigning PFF-SMART Club champions will join Group E, composed of Bengaluru (IND), Persipura Jayapura (INA), and either Warriors FC or Tampines Rovers (SIN).

UFL champions Global FC, on the other hand, already earned a group stage berth, and was drawn into Group G, wherein they will face Yadanarbon or Yangon United (MYA), South China (HKG), and Pahang FA (MAS).

Group Stage matches will take place on February 24/25, March 10/11, March 17/18, April 14/15, April 28/29, and May 12/13.

UAAP, NCAA revises schedule due to Papal visit

With the Papal visit coming next week, both the UAAP and NCAA each made the unilateral decision to not have events during the 15th to 19th, and in some cases, in the run-up to it.

Football is one of the events affected by the decision, with eight UAAP and at least six NCAA matches having to be postponed by the presence of Pope Francis.

With the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex as a police and military headquarters starting today, January 10, the City of Manila has declared the facility as off-limits. As a result, the NCAA has moved the remaining second round matches for its juniors and seniors matches at the said complex to January 21 to 23. If there is a need for a playoff, it has been scheduled to take place on the 26th.

The complete details on the revised NCAA football schedule can be read below.

Updated #NCAA90Football Schedule pic.twitter.com/KXQAdkFouk
— Cathy Nazareno (@catnazareno) January 7, 2015

Although the matches are taking place in Quezon City, the UAAP has also opted to shift the dates of its matches.

It has moved the January 15 matchup featuring National University against La Salle, and Ateneo against FEU to January 14, still at FEU-Diliman. ABS-CBN's Al Neri has confirmed that these two matches will be televised, although no specifics have yet been given pertaining to when they will be shown.

As for the matches that had been scheduled on January 18 and 19, they have been moved to January 21 and 22.

The women's matches have been converged as a doubleheader to take place on the 21st at the Moro Lorenzo Field inside Ateneo de Manila. UP will face La Salle at 1pm, followed by Ateneo versus FEU at 3pm.

The men's matches, on the other hand, will be played at FEU-Diliman. The 21st will have UE against NU at 1pm, followed by Adamson against Ateneo at 3pm. The 22nd will have UST and La Salle at 1pm, followed by UP against FEU at 3pm. No details have yet been revealed if these matches will be televised.

Meanwhile, UAAP football action resumes this weekend before the Papal break, with today's matches at the Moro Lorenzo Field. Kicking off the double-header is the women's match between defending champions FEU against their Season 75 finals opponents La Salle at 4pm. The second game sees UP attempt to take solo leadership in men's football against UE at 6pm.

Tomorrow will have its customary simultaneous games at FEU-Diliman and Moro Lorenzo. The latter will have the lone women's matchup between UST and current leaders UP at 1pm, followed by the highly anticipated rivalry between the men's football teams of Ateneo and La Salle at 3pm. The former, on the other hand, will have defending champions FEU against Adamson at 1pm, followed by UST against NU at 3pm.

The complete details on the revised UAAP collegiate schedule can be seen below.

Revised schedule for @UAAP_77 mens and womens football. No play during papal visit. @UAAPSportsTV pls RT! @alsneri pic.twitter.com/ApJQETUkDR
— Bob Guerrero (@PassionateFanPH) January 5, 2015

As for the UAAP second round, it is scheduled to begin on January 24 and will last until February 22. The postseason takes place on March 1 and 8 and will be at Rizal Memorial.

As for the UAAP Juniors Football tournament, January 24 kicks off seven Saturday afternoons of high school football at FEU-Diliman, capped off by the title game on March 7. UST, La Salle-Zobel and Ateneo aim to knock off FEU off their title perch.

The Gatorade #Unreal Football Experience might just include you

Want to be #UNREAL like Lionel? Read on...

A week ago, Pepsico Marketing Manager Mikey Rosales revealed at the launch of the Green Fury flavor of Gatorade about the chance at what he calls the "unreal football experience."

He then asked to play this particular clip on the screen.



Mikey is referring to the Gatorade Unreal Around The World Contest, which you can check out on GatoradeFootball.com for complete details.

Five footballers will have a chance to have a memorable football experience, spread across three continents and six countries.

They will first spend it in the United States, specifically at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute inside the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Moving to England, they will get to train at the fabled Liverpool Academy, followed by a behind-the-scenes look inside the Emirates Stadium during an exhibition football match involving Arsenal.

In Spain, they will get to experience being inside not just Camp Nou, but also the legendary La Masia of FC Barcelona.

Completing the European swing will be a trip to Milan, where they will be given an all-access look with the rossoneri of AC Milan.

Buenos Aires, Argentina opens the South American leg with a chance to train at the Nutrition Lab of continental club powerhouse Boca Juniors. They will also have the chance to meet club legends then and now.

The last part of the trip features a visit to Rio de Janeiro to see Flamengo play at the Maracanã and get some VIP access. Completing the experience will be something in relation with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

How can one have the opportunity to have that experience?

One, make a 30-second to two-minute video clip showing your football skills.
Two, submit it along with the pertinent details, which includes a short essay on how you are trying to be a better player.

Clips will be judged on football handling skills, creativity and originality, and dedication and passion to improve performance via hard work.

Interested peeps have until 11:59 PM on June 12 (in Manila, that translates to 11:59 am of June 13) to submit an entry. The Philippines is among those who can submit entries, so take advantage of an #Unreal experience.

TV5 to show the third CLEAR Dream Match

Bragging rights are on the line on Saturday night, as Phil and James Younghusband face each other to see who is better between the two siblings in the third CLEAR Dream Match.

The Loyola Meralco Sparks talismans have each won one against the other, with this game to be the rubber match. Phil won the first, 5-1. James won the second, 4-1.

Like last year, CLEAR will be bringing in a couple of legends to spice up the match. In this case, thanks to their tie-up with Manchester United, they will be bringing in a couple of Red Devil legends. Thanks to Team Phil winning the online fan voting, they had the chance of picking first, going with midfielder Paul Scholes. Team James, naturally, will have Andy Cole on his side as his legend.

The only other major difference with this edition compared to the previous two is the absence of celebrities. Save for six participants who gained entry via the CLEAR-Manchester United Football camp, all the footballers present came from the United Football League.

The University of Makati Football Field will once again be the host of the CLEAR Dream Match, which will be televised LIVE at 8pm on TV5.

Team composition below:

Tickets are still available.

Clear Dream Match 3 now official

A few days ago, we got this on our emails.

March 10 turned out to be the date of the press conference for the third CLEAR Dream Match.

Now with both #TeamPhil and #TeamJames each with a win already under their belts, the third match aims to be the one to determine the supremacy of which Younghusband is better.

This time, the stakes get higher. No more celebrity cameos. All participants will be coming from the United Football League. The Top 50 players based on their statistics were placed in a pool from which fans can select the players from which both sides will pick from. All the fans need to do is to visit www.cleardreammatch.com.ph and register. By May, the pool will be finalized and the draft will be set.

Just like a year ago, a couple of legends will be joining Phil and James on the field, and thanks to CLEAR's tie-up with Manchester United in the region, a couple of iconic Red Devils will be coming in to participate.

Paul Scholes and Andy Cole has been enlisted to be a part of #TeamPhil & #TeamJames in the festivities.

As always, the Tuloy Sa Don Bosco Foundation will be the beneficiary of the event.

Trequartista Sweeper - The Final Week for UAAP Season 76 eliminations

The eliminations portion of UAAP Season 76 Football will end this weekend (at least for the collegiate portion), with the postseason still has yet to be finalized for both the men and women. The possibility of a playoff still looms in the horizon.

What we know is that there is some compelling action still left to be accomplished on the turf at FEU-Diliman.

Men's Football.

FEU has already clinched the top seed, and last Sunday, UP sealed the second seed and the other twice-to-beat advantage. All that needs to be determined is who will they face in the Final Four.

UST is sitting comfortably at 17 points. The rookie-laden Golden Booters will make the postseason, they just do not know who they will face yet.

There are two schools left in the running for the last open spot:

The University of the East is the one on the outside looking in, with 12 points. The Red Booters have yet to secure a victory since their surprising three-match winning run to open the season. That also happens to be the last time Fitch Arboleda was healthy. Arboleda did not dress in their 2-0 loss to UP last Sunday due to a MCL issue, but he aims to be ready to help first-year mentor Ryan Marinay. They will have to beat Far Eastern University on Thursday to even have a chance of putting some sort of pressure on the other school.

De La Salle University totes 14 points, just two ahead of UE, and will make the postseason if the Red Booters fail to claim a victory against the Tamaraws. However, a UE win means the Green Booters cannot afford to lose against National University on Sunday.

They, however, have an incentive to win against the Bulldogs. A win will enable them to be level on points with UST for third place, and based on how previous UAAP seasons work, there will be a playoff to break the tie. A draw (and a hypothetical UE win) means La Salle and UE will have a playoff to determine FEU's Final Four opponent.

Remaining eliminations schedule (all games at FEU-Diliman):

February 6: 3PM: FEU vs UE* televised
February 9: 1PM: Ateneo vs UP & 3PM: DLSU vs NU

Women's Football.

All eyes are on this Saturday's matchup between Ateneo and UST.

With only five participating schools, only the top two teams advance. UST and FEU each have 12 points. Ateneo has 10 points and can only overtake the two teams above them with a win. A draw won't be enough.

The Lady Booters from Loyola Heights suffered a costly 2-1 loss against UP last Sunday that could have afforded them entry into the finals without having to sweat it out on the final day of the eliminations. At least this year, they will be on the field as they dictate their postseason fate. A year ago at Ocampo Field, they were witnesses to Karla Pacificador's free kick goal against UP that sent La Salle to the finals.

Remaining eliminations schedule (all games at FEU-Diliman):

February 8: 3PM: UST vs Ateneo
February 9: 10AM: UP vs DLSU

TV5 to air Super Bowl XLVIII

The biggest one-game sporting spectacle in the world will be shown LIVE to Filipino viewers this Monday morning.

TV5 will be showing Super Bowl XLVIII between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the first time the event will be outdoors in a cold-climate location. Coverage begins at 7:30am.

The Broncos are seeking to replicate their success in the late 90s, with the newly-minted Offensive Player of the Year in Peyton Manning. Manning is seeking a second Super Bowl ring after winning one in Indianapolis.

The Seahawks are the top-ranked defensive team in football, anchored by their "Legion of Boom" secondary. Most Filipino fans, however, will recognize the team based on this photo.

c/o Seahawks team site

That is Doug Baldwin, Jr.. The wide receiver from Stanford has a grandmother who is a Tacloban native, and in the aftermath of the events of Haiyan / Yolanda, he provided us with an indelible image.

In addition to the game, at halftime, Bruno Mars will be headlining the festivities. The 2014 Grammy winner for Best Pop Vocal album and 2013 Billboard Artist of the Year will collaborate with soon-to-be Manila visitors Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Trequartista Sweeper - The Quest for UAAP Season 76 postseason action

In a couple of weeks, the UAAP eliminations portion of the season will end. Time to bring up the different scenarios that will come into to play.

RANK	TEAMS	GP	W	D	L	PT	GF	GA	GD
1	FEU	10	9	0	1	27	22	8	14
2	UP	10	6	1	3	19	20	8	12
3	DLSU	10	4	2	4	14	12	15	-3
4	UST	11	4	2	5	14	15	19	-4
5	UE	10	3	3	4	12	11	10	1
6	NU	11	3	1	7	10	12	22	-10
7	Ateneo	10	1	3	6	6	4	14	-10

NU's loss to FEU last Sunday eliminated them from Final Four contention. Ateneo's loss to NU on Thursday eliminated them from Final Four contention.

FEU has already clinched first place in the Final Four.
UP is assured of finishing second if they win one game or DLSU does not win one more game.
DLSU needs a win to assure themselves at least of a chance to play for a Final Four spot.
UST needs to win to assure themselves of a Final Four spot.
UE needs to win at least one game AND hope either DLSU or UST at most, secure one point to assure themselves at least of a chance to play for a Final Four spot.

On the women's side:

RANK	TEAMS	GP	W	D	L	PT	GF	GA	GD
1	UST	7	3	3	1	12	6	3	3
2	Ateneo	6	2	4	0	10	6	4	2
3	FEU	7	2	3	2	9	7	3	4
4	UP	6	1	2	3	5	5	8	-3
5	DLSU	6	1	2	3	5	5	11	-6

No teams have been eliminated officially, but UP and La Salle need to win out their respective matches to be in contention and that Ateneo needs to lose its last two games or at best, just snag a point.

UST just needs at least a draw to confirm its seat in the Finals.
Ateneo needs just one win to confirm its seat in the Finals or draw and hope FEU does not win its game.
FEU needs to win to assure themselves of a seat in the Finals, or draw and hope Ateneo loses its last two games.

CLEAR-Manchester United Football Camp officially announced

Following the footsteps of Chelsea and Barcelona, Manchester United is seeking to make a footprint in the development of the sport of football in the Philippines.

It was announced on Monday that the Red Devils, along with CLEAR, will hold the first CLEAR-Manchester United Training Camp this April. This will involve the top 32 youngsters that will be sifted through from the regional tryouts scheduled in March at Cebu, Iloilo, Davao and Metro Manila.

The 3-day camp in Manila will have UEFA-accredited coaches from the Manchester United Soccer Schools help instill the skills that helped hone talents like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and CLEAR endorser Cristiano Ronaldo.

CLEAR has made it a priority to develop grassroots football as its mission, something that was reiterated by Unilever VP for Personal Care, Gina Lorenzana on Monday. She envisioned that football will be as big as basketball here in the country, and in line with that thrust, the brand launched numerous projects to aid in attaining that vision.

CLEAR has been involved with the national aspirants camp held last year, as well as with different football clinics, in conjunction with the United Football League. However, they are best known for their two CLEAR Dream Matches, featuring the Younghusband brothers in an interesting on-the-field debate as to which is the better brother. Brand manager Drew Copuyoc adds that the third edition of the Dream Match is in the pipeline, and it established the possibility that some of the participants from the camp could make it to the game. He also says that the second edition of the National Aspirants Camp is in the planning stages.

Lorenzana believes that the camp satisfies CLEAR's desire to inspire the next generation of young footballers in the country, which is something shared by the Premiership side.

Jamie Reigle, Manchester United's Managing Director for Asia-Pacific operations, is delighted for the upcoming CLEAR-Manchester United camp and what it can do to help affect and enhance the physical and social well-being of the participants.

Interested applicants can apply, staring on February 1, by going to www.cleardreammatch.com.ph or by calling 0999-768-4551.

Gatorade-Chelsea Blue Pitch now in the Philippines

 

The fabled blue pitch of Chelsea has officially made its way to the Philippines, to become the newest addition of the Chelsea FC Soccer School Philippines (CFCSSPH), joining Tribeca along Sucat, the Alabang Country Club and the King's School Manila.

Last week, Ayala Land and The Younghusband Football Academy, led by the brothers James and Phil Younghusband, opened the Gatorade-Chelsea Blue Pitch inside The Circuit in Makati. It's the fourth pitch of its kind in the region.

The concept of the "blue pitch" is to allow communities to have a place where they can have access to high-quality facilities in order to train and play football, which then allows for the promotion of education, health and social inclusion, something that Chelsea FC focuses on with its Here to Play Here to Stay initiative. The pitch illustrates that kind of long-term commitment for the club.

The state-of-the-art 11-a-side facility is equipped with floodlights for games and trainings being held at night. The full size pitch dimension is 64.5m x 105m from line to line with 2m pitch allowance on each side. It also has additional markings that allow it to become two 7-a-side pitches, which is handy for kids and recreational clubs.

On the opening of the facility, Chelsea FC Asia Managing Director Adrian New says that "Chelsea FC is delighted to be opening yet another facility in Asia.  We have been involved in the Philippines for over 18 months now and this highlights our commitment to the region. Chelsea FC has a huge fanbase in Asia and our Soccer Schools and Blue Pitches enable us to teach aspiring footballers the club's footballing ethos through professional coaching."

James adds, "It's a dream come true to have another Football Pitch for Chelsea FC Soccer School Philippines (the first being in Tribeca).  With more pitches, we are looking forward to developing more kids, and have football prosper and grow in the country."

"We are very happy that more stakeholders are supporting football.  With the Blue Pitch, there will be more opportunities to promote and develop the sport and have more people participate, and hopefully become the sport for all.  This is another big step for Philippine Football and on behalf of The Younghusband Football Academy and CFCSSPH, we are thankful to Gatorade and Ayala for the tri-partnership," Phil opines.

The Blue Pitch will provide a high-quality training facility for youngsters to enjoy in a fun and safe environment, with coaching sessions led by local coaches, who have been fully certified and supported by the Chelsea Foundation.

CFCSSPH will have scheduled weekend sessions at 3-5pm, starting February 1. On February 2, they will have an "Open House" Free Training Session at the Gatorade-Chelsea FC Blue Pitch at 7-9am. That will also be the venue for the CFCSSPH Summer Sessions in April / May.

They will also hold 4 Tournaments this year with the following dates: March 22-23 / May 31-June 1 / Aug 30-31 / Oct 25-26

Inquires about sessions and enrollment at Chelsea FC Soccer School Philippines can be made through email info@chelseafcssph.com or by telephone 8427000, +639188378019, +639175387589.

Meanwhile, those interested in using the field can course it through Ayala Land via Rita Cristobal at 0917.534.9948

United Football League Div II rosters

Italicized names = foreigners

However, Manila All-Japan FC and Nomads FC have opted to play the League under the two-year option of not abiding by the Foreign Player Rule, an option provided for UFL founding clubs. Thus, the names of foreigners on both lineups are not italicized.

Agila FC

Goodluck Stanley Ajah
Olayemi Victor Bakare
Franklin Eloundou
Gabriel Gonzalez
Michael Manejero
Marco Poli
Benito Rosalia, Jr.
Ben Traore
Dimeji Tunde
Godwin Ugedi
Wanyou Vagbe
Laureno Vasquez III
Dexter Versario
Diallo Baboubacar
Kim Bardaje
Gabriel Borja
Daniel De Jesus
Earl Dela Cruz
Jerry Patrick Sinsoi
Philip Zemen
Stefano Abad
Paolo Alilam
Jose Roberto Andres
Renko Gaudiel
Jin Daniel Montemayor
Julian Vincent Roxas
Eirik Stroem
Moustapha Diarra
Abel Gboko
Kerim Raies

Ceres-La Salle FC

Hanesin Prince Antony
Joshua Beloya
Louie Michael Casas
Jason Cordova
Jin Ho Kim
Jae Hun Hyoun
Samson Olaniyi
Angelo Marasigan
Oladipo Okunaiya
Jayson Panhay
Guen Hyeong Park
Hwa Seo Park
Jalsor Soriano
Camelo Tacusalme
Lemuel Unabia
Younousse Yaogo
J Baguioro
Thomas Booth
Kyum Son Cho
William Espinosa
Hyeok Gyu Goo
Kevin Rob Hartmann
Jae Jin Lee
Tristan Robles
Yong Chan Son

Cimarron FC

Tyrone Caballes
Yves De-Luis
Albert Francisco
Matthew Jaucian
Jerome Leung
Michael Liao
Francis Liza
Jon Manlunas
Andrei Mercader
Enrico Paolo Misa
Ralph Stephen Permanes
John Rubio
Jason Soong
Eric Yosse
Jan Michael Benedicto
Jon Mari Casey Casem
Miguel Antonio Cruz
Nathaniel De Guzman
Miguel Gutierrez
Vincent Leobrera
Robert Maronilla
Evan James Mendoza
Juan Miguel Roy
Jose Andoni Santos
Carlos Vitriolo

Dolphins United FC

Karim Abdul
Juncel Atuel
Bryan Baleos
Jerald Baron
Jeremiah James Clemente
Michael Concepcion
Jerome Cuyos
Anthony Delante
Romnick Echin
Lambert Elat
Rex Eupena
Bernard Lelis
Enow Lewis
Jhonel Leyco
Abdou Moussa Obono
Alain Nkem
Abednego Varquez
Mark de Castro
Jericho Desalisa
Allan Dumago
Gerrick Eviota
Rachy Gunda
Clifford Mboma Ositadinma
Randy Salisad - still not yet cleared
Joshua Saluria
Mark John Amor
John Paul Dela Paz

Forza Alabang

David Adebanjo
Allan Auman, Jr.
Ruben Bioumla
Stephen Burda
Elle Cagayanan
Ronie Espinosa
Arvin Gaspe
Foday Johnson
Jangobah Johnson
Nico Patrick Laluces
Elvin Marcellana
Armadou Ngom
Gerald Pacquiao
Tano Dibi Pascal
Joseph Salvador
Jun Mark Saraga
Roald Tamsi
Martin Villaflor
Jayson Galarrita
Daddy Karnga
Nor Azlan Mohamad Nasir
Mahamadou Sissako

Laos FC

Jhomar Almento
Michael Atienza
Jemson Ayuban
Ryan Buenaflor
Jhonny Dalman
Michael Diano
William Diaz
Badreldin El-Habib
Austin Emeson
Vincent Gambana
Mohammad Ghasemi
Finn Gumela
Reginald Roel Jukes Jr.
Rolly Lear
Ryan Lytoll
Maverick Madayag
Lexter Maravilla
Oliver Moreno
Ernani Regis
Diego Sandoval Vera
Remi Serge-Alain Sery
Rezziel Villaespin
Saba Sadeghi Garmaroudi
Ange Tressor Guisso
Abou Toure
Patrik Franksson

Manila Jeepney FC

Jaymile Conmigo
Paolo Enrile
Severino Floresta
Juan Carlos Miguel Golez
Sean Iliff
Ronnel Lagrimas
Michael Mabanag
Guy Herve Ndem a Kiyeck
Ricardo Padilla, Jr.
Divino Regis, Jr.
John Relova
Mamadou Sangare
Masood Shadideh
Yannick Tuason
Mark Valeroso
Mark Villon
Javier Atayde
Paolo Atayde
Abdoulaye Coulibaly
N'gnan Koffi Desmos Kouassi
Thomas Liao
Alvin Perez
Joel Pontillas Jr.
Khosro Safarian Siahmazgi
Vasseba Toure
Joshua Longa
David Mariano

Manila All-Japan FC

Nino Azanes
Juan Pablo Babilonia
William Dizon
Nelson Gasic
Yoshifumi Ida
Ryo Kono
Renando Mantua
Lendon Marcojos
Jeffrey Orada
Naoya Shiratori
Eiji Sugisaki
Yuki Tanaka
Russel Vena
Akio Yamashita
Shigeo Zenki
Tomoo Abe
Yuji Itoyama
Yuta Nakagaito
Genki Nakamura
Tatsuya Nakamura
Chichiro Noda
Hirofumi Okada
Mark Kevin Riconalla
Yohei Tanaka
Jenno Aquino
Jomar De Jesus

Nomads FC

Nico Bolzico
Mickael Cardoso das Neves
Attuquaye Joshua Clottey
Philip Patrick Connolly
El-Hadji Diouff
Mortiz Gastl
Abdalla Ahmed Hwedi
Luis Infante
Kristian Joergensen
Randy Musters
Adrien Semblat
Loic Toullec
Daniel Williams
Reza Abassi
Christian Dahl
Nicolas Hacker
Lewis Keens
Jamal Lord
Bondzie Sekum
Enrique Ortiz

Philippine Air Force

Antonio Albor Jr.
Ian Araneta
Joel Ballo-Allo, Jr.
Herbert Bayona
Rodolf Bebanco
Randy Bela-ong
Joebel Bermejo
Vince Braga
Glenn Bulaquina
Kenneth Dolloso
Francis Gustilo
Neckson Leonora
Nicolas Erwin Leonora, Jr.
Romeo Martinez, Jr.
Jalor Soriano
Winnie Subere
Erl Tomodos
Jezruel Tonog
Jimmy Vergara, Jr.
Paul Concepcion
Clifford Dacera
Mark Ferrer
Jake Hugo
Neil Lirio
June Trasporto

Philippine Navy

Lynnard Bautista
Roberto Cabural
Bern Calumpang
Jose Caminos
Arnold Carino
Genevic Claridad
Mohammed Diallo
Jimmy Dimzon
Andres Dormento
Alain Inquig
Richard Leyble
Arnold Montana, Jr.
Friday Okoro
Perzeus Parong
Adolfo Solatorio, Jr.
Gary Viliran
Bon Didier Richmond Yapi
Lyndon Zamora
Renan Bag-o
Princeton Josue
Promise Lobar
Christopher Somoza
Zana Traore
Rockclint Viliran

Union Internacional - Manila

Mahmoud Ali
Juan Bertotto
Raymund Buensuceso
Norman Delos Reyes
Muhamed Hassan
Jan Hodreal
Everett Jacobs
Shayan Jafari Dastjerdi - still to be cleared
Ivan Klaric
Majid Mahdavi
Rory Mansbridge
Mark McMahon
Ivan Meilan
Heinz-Wilbur Neubauer
Fidelis Nnabuife
Jeremy Theuer
Friday Uche
Alejandro Baldo, Jr.
Jon Aaron Carlos
Rafael Castro
Curt Dizon
Gerald Orcullo
Peter Sajko
Abdulazziz Dibeh
Lorenzo Rodriguez

United Football League Div I rosters

Italicized Names = foreigners. 

Green Archers United:

Ronnie Aguisanda
Patrick Bocobo
Emelio Caligdong
Patrick Deyto
Tommy Escoltero
Raymark Fernandez
Ivan Fraire
Diego Garcia
Lawrence Obinna Ikegwuruka
Shag Shapay Johnson
Sean Lee
Robert Lopez Mendy
Jesse Martindale
Jesus Melliza
Gabriel Olowoyeye
Floriano Pasilan, Jr.
Arnie Pasinabo Jr.
Jovanie Simpron
Reynald Villareal
Jun Soo Park
Gregory Yang

Pachanga Diliman

Reza Amirkhizan
Ernest Appiah
Nathaniel Burkey
Randolfo Paolo Clarino
Davide Cortina
Jayson Cutamora
Jay Eusebio
David Franz Fornea
Daniel Gadia
Andres Gonzales
Payam Goodzari
Alu Kigbu
Nathan Octavio
John Rances
Andrew Santiago
Deo Seguinal
Gerardo Valmayor III
Kim Versales
Steve Yambou
Ariel Zerrudo, Jr.
N'Dri Joachim Amari
Bismark Frimpong
Christopher Pedimonte

Global FC

Aaron Altiche
Marwin Janver Angeles
Misagh Bahadoran
Jerry Barbaso
Jeffrey Christiaens
Mark Angelo Cortes
Jason de Jong
Izzeldin El-Habib
Angel Guirado
Mark Hartmann
Yu Hoshide
Valentine Kama
Nino Ochoterena
Roland Sadia
Rufinho Sanchez - remains disputed (he has since signed with PTT Rayong in Thailand)
Ben Starosta
Patrick Delon Yao
Marvin Janwer Angeles
Milad Behgandom
Hamed Kakavand
Papiniano Macayan
Carlos de Murga
Mojtaba Miromohammadi
Jose Paolo Pascual
Charles Pettys
Amani Aguinaldo
John Kanayama
Junell Bautista
John Regis

Kaya FC

Matias Alvarez
Jovin Bedic
Kenshiro Daniels
Anton del Rosario
Dominic del Rosario
Christopher Greatwich
Toshiya Hosoe
Andrew Liauw Soen-Tjoen
Leo Carlo Liay
Edward Mallari
Daniel Matsunaga
Emmanuel Mbata Ameachi
Nicholas O'Donnell
Masanari Omura
Jose Elmer Porteria
Janrick Soriano
Antonio Ugarte
Luis Cesar Abadia - will be reclassified as Filipino once proof is provided
Christian Ayew Egba
Alexander Borromeo
Richard Greer
Alfred Osei
Mark Sorongon
Miguel Tanton
Thomas Taylor

Pasargad FC

Belinga Blanchard
Promise Jolomi
Jahambakhsh Taher
Kalilou Toure
Charles Ujam
Shaheen Ahmed
Simon Bayemeg
Steve del Castillo Jr.
Dolph Delos Reyes
Jean Claude Delos Reyes
Paulie Dumagan
Bahaeldin El-Habib
Hamed Fateh
Reymart Glaccio
Patrick Juanengo
Ali Memari Sohi
Willie Mendiola
Fils Steve Minyem
Peyman Nejad Safavi
Iyke Prince Ogochukwu
Seung Seok Seo
Jay Torres
Okoro Ubiam
Martin Weidmar
Ignacio Casino III
Aboubacar Diabyra
Russel Pierson
Cynold Retuya
Benny Saligan

Army GTI FC

Ricardo Becite
Lauren Bedua
Rodrigo Betita
Relan Bretana
Luisito Brillantes
John Cain
John Cilez
Wilson dela Cruz
Eduardo Gempisaw, Jr.
Roel Gener
Ronel Gener
Jeoffrey Lobaton
Nolan Madali
Nestorio Margarse Jr.
Erwin Silvestre
Victorino Troyo
Romano Vestal
Gil Villanueva
Yong Ok Choi
Seong Wook Hong
Dae Han Kang
Gi Won Nam
Eduard Sacapano
Jeon Shin Seok
Woo Song 

Team Socceroo

Rowell Abello
Filsan Akut
Fernando Anton Amistoso Jr.
Jose Antonio Avellana III
Rolando Cabaniero Jr.
Maurice De Leon
John Philip Dinglasan
Ikecukwu Duruachazie
Sajad Khodarahmi
Martin Larsen
Jeong Woo Lee
Glen Malu
Danstin Hideo Muraoka
Yi Young Park
Andres Lorenzo Pinga
Joannes Paulus Reyes
Michael Reyes
Mark Rivera
Richard Talaroc
Cleopas Beleu-Ebi Timi
Guilherme Hasegawa
Seung Yeon Min
Luis Juan Miguel Montelibano
Shanin Seyfolmoloki

Loyola Meralco Sparks

Arnel Amita
Yves Ashime
Samuel Bonney
Paolo Bugas
Joaquin Canas Garcia
Robert Canedo
Ref Cuaresma
Bongbong Roxy Dorlas
Alexandro Elnar
Peter Fadrigalan
Alfredo Gonzalez
Simon Greatwich
Matthew Hartmann
Joo Young Lee
Won Hyung Lee
Jake Morallo
Rodrigue Nembot
Baba Sampana
Chy Villasenor
James Younghusband
Phil Younghusband
Mariano Armand del Rosario
Bo Bae Park

Stallion FC

Joevic Albino
Nathaniel Alquiros
Carl Amisola
Milan Arends
David Basa
Nathaniel Boblo
Mario Janver Clarino
Ruben Doctora, Jr.
Bervic Italia
Jose Luis Lozano
Pedro Marenco Melero
Jim Junior Munoz
Matthew Nierras
Milad Behrozi Aghapour
Fitch Arboleda
Napoleon Bustillo
Pablo Calles
Mohammed Camara
Ousseynou Diop
Naser Dourodian
Rafael Gomez
Hamed Hajimahdi
Wilson Munoz
Meliton Pelayo
Simone Rota
David Angelo Diamante
John Douglas McArtor

The United Football League on Aksyon TV kicks off today

The United Football League's season kicks off this afternoon at the Emperador Stadium, with the newly-minuted UFL Cup winner Loyola Meralco Sparks opening the league campaign against Global FC in the nightcap.

Loyola's core remains intact, with Chad Gould's departure being the only major loss on this squad. Attempting to fill up that hole will be Bo Bae Park and Freddy Gonzalez, who is almost fully recovered from his injury. The Younghusbands, along with erstwhile Stallion stalwarts Joo Young Lee, Won Hyung Lee and Joaco Canas, form a solid offensive and defensive force that puts them as one of the favorites to topple Stallion FC from its perch.

Meanwhile, Global FC hired a new coach, as Leigh Manson steps in to replace Brian Reid. The former league champions are seeking to reclaim lost glory a trophy-less campaign last year with a core lineup of the likes of Filipino internationals Misagh Bahadoran, Angel Guirado, Jeffrey Christiaens and Jason de Jong.

The opening match of the doubleheader will have Pachanga Diliman attempt to make it two wins in a span of four days, as they face Kaya FC.

Nate Burkey scored both goals for the Cup finalists in their 2-0 victory over Socceroo in their opening match on Saturday and the former Kaya frontman aims to score against his old team.

Meanwhile, David Perkovic remade the club during the break, notoriously dropping keeper Saba Garmaroudi from the roster amongst his many changes, while still keeping the likes of Anton del Rosario, Chris Greatwich and OJ Porteria.

Both matches will be aired live on AksyonTV starting at 5:00PM.

TV telecasts will be on Tuesdays, with the Thursday matches to be televised starting March. Encore telecast of the televised games will be shown on HYPER. Those based overseas can catch up on the games on AksyonTV International.

Official UAAP Football 2nd Round schedule

Here is the comprehensive UAAP schedule for football in all three divisions (as of January 25):

Fixtures noted in italics are the ones that are televised.

January 9 at FEU-Diliman

10AM: Ateneo vs UE (M)
1PM: DLSU vs UST (M)
3PM: UP vs NU (M)

January 11 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: UST vs FEU (Jrs)
3PM: DLS-Z vs Ateneo (Jrs)

January 12 at FEU-Diliman

10AM: FEU vs UP (W)
1PM: FEU vs UP (M)
3PM: NU vs UST (M)

January 12 at Moro Lorenzo Field (formerly known as Erenchun Field in Ateneo)

1PM: UST vs DLSU (W)
3PM: Ateneo vs DLSU (M)

January 16 at FEU-Diliman

3PM: UE vs DLSU (M)

January 18 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: FEU vs DLS-Z (Jrs)
3PM: Ateneo vs UST (Jrs)

January 19 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: UST vs UP (M)
3PM: UST vs FEU (W)

January 19 at Moro Lorenzo Field (formerly known as Erenchun Field in Ateneo)

10AM: NU vs UE (M)
1PM: DLSU vs Ateneo (W)
3PM: Ateneo vs FEU (M)

January 23 at FEU-Diliman

3PM: UST vs FEU (M)

January 25 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: UST vs DLS-Z (Jrs)
3PM: Ateneo vs FEU (Jrs)

January 26 at Moro Lorenzo Field (formerly known as Erenchun Field in Ateneo)

1PM: FEU vs Ateneo (W)
3PM: FEU vs NU (M)

January 26 at FEU-Diliman

10AM: UP vs DLSU (M)
1PM: UP vs UST (W)
3PM: UE vs UST (M)

January 30 at FEU-Diliman

3PM: Ateneo vs NU (M)

February 1 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: Ateneo vs DLS-Z (Jrs)
3PM: FEU vs UST (Jrs)

February 2 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: FEU vs DLSU (W)
3PM: FEU vs DLSU (M)

February 2 at Moro Lorenzo Field (formerly known as Erenchun Field in Ateneo)

10AM: Ateneo vs UP (W)
1PM: Ateneo vs UST (M)
3PM: UE vs UP (M)

February 6 at FEU-Diliman

3PM: FEU vs UE (M)

February 8 at FEU-Diliman

10AM: Ateneo vs UST (Jrs)
1PM: DLS-Z vs FEU (Jrs)
3PM: UST vs Ateneo (W)

February 9 at FEU-Diliman

10AM: UP vs DLSU (W)
1PM: Ateneo vs UP (M)
3PM: DLSU vs NU (M)

February 13 = Men's playoff (if necessary) Otherwise, Final Four for Men begins

February 15 at FEU-Diliman

1PM: DLS-Z vs UST (Jrs)
3PM: FEU vs Ateneo (Jrs)

February 16 = Women's playoff (if necessary) Otherwise, Women's Finals will begin on February 17 or 18.
February 17 = Men's Final Four (Game 1 if there was a playoff on February 13 or Game 2 if Final Four started on that date)
February 19 = Juniors' playoff (if necessary)
February 20 = Men's Final Four (Game 2, if necessary)
February 22 = Juniors' Finals Game 1
February 23 = Women's Finals (Game 1 if there was a playoff, Game 2 if there was no playoff)
February 26 = Juniors' Finals Game 2
February 27 = Men's Finals Game 2 and Women's Finals Game 2 (if there was a playoff beforehand)
March 1 = Juniors' Finals (if necessary)
March 2 = Women's Finals & Men's Finals (both if necessary)

Official UAAP Football Standings and Leading Goalscorers as of 1st Round

Here are the standings from the first round of UAAP men's football.

Rank	TEAMS	GP	W	D	L	PT	GF	GA	GD
1	FEU	6	6	0	0	18	13	2	11
2	UE	6	3	1	2	10	8	5	3
3	UP	6	3	0	3	9	8	5	3
4	DLSU	6	3	0	3	9	7	9	-2
5	UST	6	2	1	3	7	6	10	-4
6	NU	6	1	1	4	4	3	8	-5
7	Ateneo	6	1	1	4	4	3	9	-6

Here are the standings from the first round of UAAP women's football.

Rank	TEAMS			GP	W	D	L	PT	GF	GA	GD
1	Ateneo			4	2	2	0	8	5	3	2
2	FEU			4	2	1	1	7	7	2	5
3	UST			4	2	1	1	7	3	2	1
4	DLSU			4	1	1	2	4	3	7	-4
5	UP			4	0	1	3	1	4	8	-4

UAAP Goalscorers (M)

Five goals: Fitch Arboleda (UE), Jesus Melliza (FEU)
Four goals: Nicolas Ferrer (FEU), Jinggoy Valmayor (UP)
Three goals: Gelo Diamante (DLSU)
Two goals: Steven Anotado (UST) Patrick O'Neill (UST), Carlos Monfort (UP), Paolo Salenga (NU), Jacobo Lorenzo (Ateneo), Chuck Uy (DLSU), Chy Villasenor (FEU)
One goal: Eric Giganto (FEU), Emilio Acosta (Ateneo), Al Bustamante (DLSU), Jade Riva (UE), Val Jurao (FEU), Inigo Gonzales (DLSU), Jo Mallen (UE), Shirmar Felongco (UST), Edgardo Aguirre (UE), Jogi Celiz (UST), Patchie Santos (UP), Vincent Aguilar (UP)

UAAP Goalscorers (W)
Two goals: Ina Araneta (FEU), Jennizel Cabalan (UST), Barbie Sobredo (FEU), Maan Cadayona (Ateneo)
One goal: Kyra Dimaandal (DLSU), Regine Metillo (DLSU), Christina Vergara (UP), Marice Magdolot (UST), Alesa Dolino (FEU), Kali Navea-Huff (UP), Mae Sullano (FEU), Cha Guancia (DLSU), Camille Rodriguez (Ateneo), Franky Abraham (Ateneo), Mary Rose Obra (UP), Molly Manalansan (UP), Leah Cruz (Ateneo), Meryll Ledesma (DLSU, but scored own goal for FEU)

For those asking about the schedule, the official one will be released soon. Will update when available.