The Other Teams in the UFL Cup

Here are the rosters of the Non-Division I teams participating in the Group Stages of the UFL Cup.

AGILA FC

New:
ALILAM, Paolo Gabriel
ANDRES, Jose Roberto
CALVO, Valentino
DE JESUS, Daniel Luis
MOLO, Nikko Paolo
MONTEMAYOR, Jin Daniel
PEREZ, Alvin
ROXAS, Juilan Vincent
RUSTIA, Jose Celerino
SORIANO, Jose Ignatius Mikael

Reactivated:
BELINA, Jerwin
LANSANG, Salvador (Loyola FC)
MABASA, Frank Lee Vic
MARINAY, Ryan

Retained:
JAUCIAN, Matthew Allan
MABANAG, Michael Jerremy
MADRONA, Mark Andrew
MADRONA, Paul Isiah
MARAÑON, Zaldy Jr.
MORTILLERO, Peter Ian
MURAYAMA, Yu
SALISAD, Randy
VALEROSO, Louie John
VALEROSO, Mark Alvin

Transferred:
VERSARIO, Dexter Dean (Loyola FC)

DILIMAN FC

Reactivated:
AMISTOSO, Fernando Anton Jr. (Agila FC)
BENEDICTO, Jan Michael
CASEM, Jon Mari Casey
FLORESTA, Severino V (ABC Stars FC)
GUTIERREZ, Miguel Alberto
LEDESMA, Jose Rafael
VAPOR, Johniel (Team Socceroo)
VERSALES, Kim Kristiane (Pachanga FC)

Transferred:
AMORES, Peter (Union Internactional - Manila)
CAMARA, Alex Fayah (Loyola Meralco Sparks FC)
DE-LUIS, Yves Luthi (Nomads Auction Manila FC)
MARTIR, Patrick Anthony (Agila FC)
MISA, Enrico Paolo (Pachanga FC)
MORDENO, Keith Israel (Dolphins United FC)
SCHAEFER, Michael (Nomads Auction Manila FC)

New:
ARANETA, Alfie
BARQUIN, Marvin Lloyd
CRUZ, Miguel Antonio
FRANCISCO, Albert
GENATO, Carlo
MARONILLA, Robert Francis
SOONG, Jason

Retained:
CLARINO, Randolfo Paolo
DATU, Christopher Andrew
LIZA, Francis John

DOLPHINS UNITED FC

New:
ARAÑEZ, Carl
BALLE, Harold
LACATAN, Aljon
MARALLAG, Ronald
PANAGUITON, Edwin Jr.

Retained:
BALEOS, Bryan
CLEMENTE, Jeremiah James
CLEMENTE, Timothy Titus
CONCEPCION, Michael Lemmuel
CUYOS, Jerome
DELA CRUZ, Marion Angelo
DELANTE, Anthony
DUMAGO, Allan
DUMO, Samuel
ECHIN, Romnick
EUPEÑA, Rex
LELIS, Bernard
PICATO, Raymond Anthony
SALENGA, Paolo
SALURIA, Joshua
SAMNOY, Alexander
TEODORO, Jester

Reactivated:
CABALLES, Mark Anthony

Transferred:
EVIOTA, Gerrick (Union Internacional - Manila)
GUNDA, Rachy (Union Internacional - Manila)

FORZA FC

Retained:
AGYEI, Isaac
BIOUMLA, Ruben
CAMPO, Henderson Jay
CASAL, Johann Joaquin
CIPRIANO, Ernesto Gabriel Jr.
NAVARRO, Jon Michael
PAJIBO, William
ROBERTS, Zico
TEENESEE, Harry Shoum
YUHICO, John Christopher

Transferred:
AUMAN, Allan Jr, (Green Archers United FC)
CANLAS, Jade (Green Archers United FC)
FRAIRE, Ivan (Green Archers United FC)
GARCIA, Miguel Angel (Green Archers United FC)
HUNGERFORD, Sean Marshall (Green Archers United FC)
LALUCES, Nico Patrick (Green Archers United FC)
MONTELIBANO, Luis Juan Miguel (Green Archers United FC)
PACQUIAO, Gerald (Green Archers United FC)
PASCAL, Dibi (Pasargad FC)

New:
EMESON, Austin Dakup
SMIT, Arie-Kim
VILLEGAS, Leo

Reactivated:
LO, Rogelio Jr. (Green Archers United FC)
MANAHAN, Ray Anthony
VALERIO, Solomon (Sunken Garden United FC)

LAOS FC

New:
ALMENTO, Jhomar
DANIELS, Kenshiro Michael
GUILLERMO, Adrian
HEGAZI, Gamil Gamal
OCHOTERENA, Nino
VILLAESPIN, Rezziel
VILLEGAS, Joel

Retained:
ALTICHE, Aaron
DIANO, Michael
DIAZ, William
GAMBANA, Vincent
HILVANO, Nilo
JUKES, Reginald Roel Jr.
LEAR, Rolly
LYTOLL, Ryan James
MORENO, Oliver
PATLUNAG, Al Ervin
REGENCIA, Raymond Albert
SERY, Remi Serge-Alain
TABALE, Perfecto Jr.
VILLANUEVA, Lester Lloyd

Transferred:
CORTES, Mark Angelo (Global FC)
GHASEMI, Mohammad (Global FC)
HWEDI, Ahmed Abdalla (Global FC)

PHILIPPINE NAVY FC

Reactivated:
BAUTISTA, Lynnard
CALUMPANG, Bern Anthony
DIMZON, Jimmy
MANEJERO, Michael
RIVAS, Aldrin
SOLATORIO, Adolfo Jr.
TUDENCE, Dave
VILIRAN, Gary
VILIRAN, Rockclint
ZAMORA, Lyndon

Retained:
BURDA, Stephen Juriel
CABURAL, Roberto
CAMINOS, Jose Alfe
CARIÑO, Arnold
DALAOTA, John Philip
KALALANG, Loreto
LEYBLE, Richard
PIÑERO, Marlon
ROSALIA, Benito Jr.

New:
DACERA, Clifford
DUMDUM, Hans Christian
INQUIG, Alain
MACAPAL, Mico
MULLIKEN, John Jaime
TORREMOCHA, June Roy

TEAM SOCCEROO

Retained:
ALEGRE, Frederico Miguel
AVELLANA, Jose
DINGLASAN, John Philip
GAUTIER, Janruther Francisco Rene
MURAOKA, Denstin Hideo
OKOH, Emmanuel
REYES, Joannes Paulus Mari
REYES, Jose Gaudencio
REYES, Michael Mari
TONDA, Jorge Luis

New:
ANGUS, Christopher
CASEIRO, Guilherme Manoel
CLAVANO, Jose Dominic
DE LEON, Maurice
DURUACHAZIE, Jude
FURONI, Diego
HASEGAWA, Guilherme
HIDALGO, Alexander
ISHIZUKA, Yuuri
KHIYAR, Alamin Nasser
LARSEN, Martin
NSYEN, Edikan Iboro

Reactivated:
BERHAN, Haisem Abdelwase
BRENES, Juan Pablo

Transferred:
INTIA, Paulo (Sunken Garden United FC)

GENERAL TRIAS INTERNATIONAL FC

AN, Hyo Geon
DO, Hoan Cheol
IM, Chae Hyeon
JEON, Shin Seok
KIM, Gu Young
KIM, Jin Wook
KIM, Jong Hyeok
LEE, Jae Ho
LEE, Jeong Mu
LEE, Kyu Hwan
MIN, Young Gi
MOON, Byung Hyun
NAM, Geun Young
NAM, Gi Won
PARK, Beom Jun
SEO, Seung Seok
SHIN, Gwang Yong
SONG, Ji Hun
SONG, Myung Soo

MENDIOLA FC 1991

New:
ABRIOL, Ralph Estephen
ALBAO, Anthony
ALHASSAN, Prince Yunusa
APACIBLE, Paolo Antonio
AYUBAN, Jemson
BALDO, Alejandro Jr.
CABUG, Raffy
CARLOS, Jon Aaron
FORNEA, David Franz
ORCULLO, Jerome
PEDIMONTE, Christopher Edim
SOBERANO, Jay Shaun

Transferred:
AGUIRRE, Edgardo Jr. (Agila FC)
ARBOLEDA, Fitch Johnson Davis (Agila FC)
CANDOLESA, Jesan (Philippine Navy FC)
JIAO, Jeremias (Philippine Navy FC)
LIMAN, Jeffrey (Philippine Navy FC)
MELLENDREZ, Vaughn (Philippine Navy FC)
MOLO, Nik Darrow (Agila FC)
PEREZ, Rolly (Philippine Navy FC)
SUMUDIVILA, Francis Dee (Philippine Navy FC)

Reactivated:
LIAO, Thomas Rene (Manhur FC)
ORCULLO, Gerald (Manhur FC)
VILLON, Dave Peterson (Agila FC)
VILLON, Mark Peterson (Philippine Navy FC)

STA. LUCIA FC

New:
ABDOULAYE, Doumbia
CLARINO, Jean
FUCOY, Jose Alberto
KIM, Dong Hyun
KIM, Jung Mook
KIM. Da Bin
LEE, Dong Bin
LEE, Dong Jhun
RIVERA, Mark
SANTOS, Bruno
SELOTERIO, Gission
SINORO, Ember

Transferred:
ALLADO, Marjo (Pachanga FC)
ALQUIROS, Nathaniel Andrew (Stallion FC)
BAEK, Seong Kab (Stallion FC)
CABALLERO, John Reginald (Union Internacional - Manila FC)
ESCOLTERO, Tommy (Stallion FC)
ESPINOSA, Ronie (Stallion FC)
IDE, Fabio Luis (Team Socceroo)
NIERRAS, Matthew (Stallion FC)
PINGA, Andres (Stallion FC)
RAMSAY, Derek Arthur (Pachanga FC)
VERGARA, Jhenver (Pachanga FC)

Reactivated:
VERGARA, Jimmy Jr. (Stallion FC)
WOLFF, Andrew James (Internacionale FC)

Coming Soon: The Younghusbands on ESPN Star?

Photo from Rick Olivares

I presume the guy interviewing them is Ian Griffiths of ESPNStar. I wonder what are the discussion points.

UAAP Finals - The Preview

Here are some small snippets on what I'd expect in the Finals.

1. Baseline action. Look for Pido to do some PnRs with some baseline plays akin to what Gee did with Yutien Andrada on Greg Slaughter during the Final Four, taking advantage of the slow-footed behemoth.

2. Juami Tiongson / Nico Elorde on Jeric Fortuna. There is a huge drop on playmaking productivity from Jeric (5.5 assts in 33.8 minutes) to his deputy, streak-shooting Clark Bautista (1.9 assts in 24.2 minutes). It's up to the point guard tandem to put pressure on him, maybe even force him into foul trouble.

3. 2006 = 2012?. In 2006, Pido had a group of versatile forwards supporting Jervy Cruz. From Allan Evangelista to Dylan Ababou to Mark Canlas to Francis Allera. Can Aljon Mariano, Melo Afuang and Kevin Ferrer be able to live up to being the versatile forwards supporting Karim Abdul?

4. Rebounding. Even with Slaughter around, Ateneo has not really shown itself as a team that would dominate the boards (last in offensive boards, partly due to being the best shooting team in the UAAP). With Abdul around and his capability for 20-20 nights visible for the first time since Jervy, being able to keep him in check would be a plus. In addition, UST is the best when it comes to offensive rebounding. Need to box out.

5. Poise. Pido prides on his 3 P's. But does he and the Growling Tigers have the necessary gumption when the situation calls for it? We have seen time and again how the Blue Eagles during this string of success when the chips are down. They have prided on their clutch-ness this season.

Tampines edges Loyola in S'pore Cup 1st Leg

c/o Brosi Gonzales

Current S-League leaders Tampines Rovers secured a 2-0 victory over the United Football League's Loyola Meralco Sparks in the semifinals of the RHB Singapore Cup on Thursday night at Clementi Stadium.

Before the match, Loyola's head coach Kim Chul Su had expressed that the matchup would be a good measure to see where Philippine club football is as of the moment, with the 2011 UFL Cup runner-up going up against a team that has won the competition thrice. The team is also the only guest team still in the running for the competition, something LMS FC President Randy Roxas stated, expressing their wish to move further in the competiton and make the finals in their first try. According to Phil Younghusband, preparations for this semifinal went well and the confidence from the preseason performances would bode well for the team here as well as in the United Football League. Said confidence, according to Chad Gould, would translate to a 110% performance in the pitch.

Goals from the ageless Aleksandar Duric in the first half and Ahmad Latiff Bin Khamarudin in the second half proved to be enough for the Rovers against the Sparks, who are playing their first competitive match of the season with the roster of players for the upcoming UFL Cup. Duric's chip in the 28th minute over keeper Ref Cuaresma put the home side up 1-0. Ref would later on acknowledge the error as he had been off the line when Duric attempted the chip. 

Latiff had been dominating in midfield with his forays and passes to Duric and Saed Hadzibulic, but in the 50th minute, Imran Sahib fed Latiff the ball, which the midfielder then fired towards the goal to double the advantage.

The Sparks were able to secure a goal in the 73rd minute when a Kim Woo Chul free kick made its way to a Chad Gould header into the net, but referee Sukhbir Singh disallowed it, as he deemed that Kim kicked the ball before it was ready to do so. Singh then issued a yellow card to Kim, which turned out to be his second of the match, and thus the center back was banished from the game and suspended for the return leg on Sunday night. Coach Vince Santos deemed it as a poor call, as according to him, "everyone was lined up for the shot and everyone seemed to be waiting for it. And the referee only blew his whistle after the goal. If it was a violation then he should have blown it before or during the shot."

Tampines could have had a third goal with Hadzibulic's header, but Ref saved it then defender Jang Jo Won cleared it away.


Afterwards, Anto Gonzales and Ref remarked on the game plan being geared too much on Duric, while not focusing on the wingers who fed him chances. However, the team is not discouraged with the defeat, and as Chad said, "It is something [that] we can build on." Ref also added that the team will make the adjustments from their mistakes in the first leg, while Phil noted the importance of an early goal in gauging their chances in the second game.

The 2nd leg of the RHB Singapore Cup semi final is scheduled on Sunday night at Jalan Besar Stadium, with kickoff pegged at 7:45 pm. The winner will face the winner of SAFFC against Gombak United, with the Armed Forces leading 1-0 and their 2nd leg to take place Saturday night at Jurong West Stadium.

*Thanks to Rick Olivares of Bleachersbrew for the information in crafting this report.

Cebu Pacific backs Loyola’s Singapore Cup bid

Loyola Meralco Sparks FC players Simon Greatwich, Mark Hartmann, Phil and James Younghusband & Chad Gould with Cebu Pacific President & CEO Lance Gokongwei. c/o Brosi Gonzales via Rick Olivares

Once again, the Loyola Meralco Sparks have tied-up with the number one airline in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, in their 2012 RHB Singapore Cup campaign.

Cebu Pacific has been part of the UFL Cup runner-up's Singapore Cup sojourn previously during the earlier stages of the tournament, a 2-1 victory over S-League side Geyland United followed by a 5-3 aggregate win over Myanmar guest squad Kanbawza.

According to LMS FC President Randy Roxas, “Cebu Pacific is a great partner to have because of the infrastructure that they provide,” Randy also adds, “Aside from flying us to Singapore, they allow us to concentrate in other areas that need immediate attention while here in this competition. And we hope they support us for our future endeavors.”

The Sparks are facing the current S-League leaders Tampines Rovers in the semifinals, with the Rovers holding a 2-0 advantage after one leg, with the second leg scheduled on October 7 at Jalan Besar Stadium with a 7:45 pm kickoff time. The winner will face the winner of the SAFFC-Gombak United matchup on October 28.

In addition to Cebu Pacific, Also sponsoring Loyola are the following organizations: Meralco, Mizuno, Gatorade and Maybank ATR Kim Eng Financial Corporation.

Reliving America's moment at Azteca

A couple of months ago, the United States scheduled a FIFA international friendly against their bitter rivals Mexico at the cavernous Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. For the El Tri, it was a very special occasion, as it was the opportunity to fans to raucously celebrate their Olympic gold medal-winning football team. Nothing would be more satisfying for Mexicans by celebrating a homecoming with a victory over their northern neighbors.

The Americans have notoriously been woeful when playing in Mexico, unable to secure a win in their previous 24 tries. Nine of those 24 games were held at the Azteca, where they have been outscored 20-4 overall.

But Jurgen Klinsmann has seen this kind of a script before. Earlier this year, Clint Dempsey's lone goal in the 55th minute proved to enough for the Americans to beat Italy in Genoa, their first-ever win in ten tries against the Azzuri; doing it on their turf, no less

And thanks to Orozco Fiscal in the 80th minute (with a little help from Tim Howard), they achieved what was thought to be the impossible. And this is how they did it.

Kaya Gangnam Style

Well, they may have only finished with a 1-1 draw to kick off the UFL Cup against Green Archers United, but they sure know how to have fun and enjoy themselves.



Una Kaya Style.

Team Undrafted

On From the Stands, Carlo Pamintuan, Chuck Araneta and Polo Bustamante decided to hold a draft. A draft with quirks. Quirks like all teams should be represented and only one player per team. 

This is how the three built their super teams:

Team Carlo

Starters: Gabe Norwood (RoSE) / Kelly Williams (TNT) / June Mar Fajardo (PBB) / James Yap (SMCM) / LA Tenorio (BGSM)
Bench: Nonoy Baclao (A21) / Sean Anthony (BAR) / Sonny Thoss (ALA) / Mac Cardona (MER) / Willie Miller (GLO)
Head Coach: Tim Cone (SMC)

Team Chuck

Starters: Mark Caguioa (BGSM) / Arwind Santos (PBB) / Marc Pingris (SMCM) / Ryan Reyes (TNT) / Paul Lee (RoSE)
Bench: Sol Mercado (MER) / Danny Seigle (BAR) / Rabeh Al-Hussaini (GLO) / RenRen Ritualo (A21) / Jvee Casio (ALA)
Head Coach: Norman Black (TNT)

Team Polo

Starters: Calvin Abueva (ALA) / Cliff Hodge (MER) / Doug Kramer (BAR) / Gary David (GLO) / Jayson Castro (TNT)
Bench: Chris Ellis (BGSM) / Yousef Taha (A21) / Yancy De Ocampo (SMCM) / Jeff Chan (RoSE) / Alex Cabagnot (PBB)
Head Coach: Yeng Guiao (RoSE)

In that context, I decided to build my own version of the this team. This time, I based it on the list of undrafted players. By undrafted, meaning those that Carlo, Chuck and Polo declined on picking.

Here is #TeamUndrafted after the jump:



1. Ranidel de Ocampo (TNT) - Surprisingly left off the group by the trio. One of the best players in the SMART-Gilas team.
2. Peter June Simon (SMCM) - The Scoring Apostle will be the clutch man for this team when things get tough.
3. Cyrus Baguio (ALA) - Skyrus will be this team's offensive muscle.
4. Chris Ross (MER) - Tasked to make sure this team will run the offense smoothly.
5. Rudy Hatfield (BGSM) - The H-Bomb will do the dirty work. The evolutionary predecessor to Pingris.
6. Marcio Lassiter (PBB) - The Gilas 1.0 swing wing can score and defend. Will alternate between Simon and Baguio and keep them both fresh.
7. KG Canaleta (A21) - The enigma will serve as the stretch four. If he's on, he'll play a lot.
8. Josh Urbitztondo (BAR) - The Fireball is a perfect change of pace at the point.
9. Vic Manuel (GLO) - The D-League MVP will be off-the-bench low post undersized big.
10. Chris Tiu (RoSE) - He'll figure out a way to contribute. You know he just does.
11. Coach Olsen Racela (PBB) - He knows what he's doing. Besides, having him means having the consultant Rajko Toroman around, too.

Starters: Ross, Simon, Baguio, R. de Ocampo, Hatfield
Bench: Urbitztondo, Tiu, Lassiter, Canaleta, Manuel
Head Coach: Racela

Short list of candidates who I also considered:

MER - Jay-R Reyes / Carlo Sharma
PBB - Chris Lutz / Jay Washington
BGSM - Dylan Ababou / Allein Maliksi / Elmer Espiritu / Rico Maierhofer / Mike Cortez / Jayjay Helterbrand
ALA - Gabby Espinas / Dondon Hontiveros / Tony dela Cruz
BAR - Celino Cruz / Roger Yap / Enrico Villanueva / Ronald Tubid / Mick Pennisi
GLO - Rey Guevarra
RoSE - Beau Belga / Jervy Cruz
TNT - Larry Fonacier

Trequartista Sweeper - Thoughts on the UFL Cup

The UFL Cup is scheduled to kick off later today, with UFL Division I Champion Global FC and runner-up Kaya FC going up against fellow Div I sides Pasargad and Green Archers United, respectively at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

This is how I broke the UFL Cup down and my own view as to how things would play out this year.

Order of Finish:

Group A: Global, Pasargad, Socceroo, Navy, General Trias
Group B: Kaya, Green Archers, Forza, Diliman, Dolphins
Group C: Loyola, Pachanga, Nomads, Laos, Mendiola
Group D: Air Force, Stallion, Army, Agila, Sta. Lucia

The UFL Cup 2012 Bracket.

Why did I arrive at this decision?

1. The reigning UFL Cup winners don't exactly have name guys on the lineup compared to the cavalcade of talent of the other teams, but they said so themselves, they thrived in the knockout format of the Cup compared to the League. I trust the Airmen can and will handle this better than most teams would.

2. Group D is the toughest group. The Ilonggo derby and a military derby means physicality will be present. Sort of sibling clubs Stallion and Sta. Lucia were drawn together and Agila was a top half team in Div II. Compare that to Group A, which already has the feel of a cakewalk. Of course, stranger things have happened in the sport of football.

3. Injuries are a wildcard, as always. i.e. Jason Sabio's groin, Aly Borromeo's knee.

4. Depth and balance. Global FC has almost half of the national team pool. That may be a disadvantage,

5. Why Kaya? I was impressed with how they played during the reunion match. And that was without a couple of players who were sidelined (Aly and Masai). Their new additions address needs.

Hey, I could be wrong, you know. The games truly decide which team will be hoisting the UFL Cup, not some prognosticator typing on a keyboard. So sit back, relax and observe the pageantry of club football.

Final Four Preview Snippets

On UST - NU (UST with twice-to-beat edge)

1. Karim Abdul vs Emmanuel John Mbe. Great Gatorade duel in the making. Both players invaluable for their offensive output in the low post.

2. Kevin Ferrer's defense on Rayray Parks. The UAAP MVP will be a handful, and the former Tiger Cub will be UST's first option to try to stop him from stuffing the stat sheet.

3. NU PG play. Endgame execution is key, and that means both Alolino and Rono need to keep things steady.

On Ateneo-La Salle (Ateneo with twice-to-beat edge)

1. Archer big consistency. Norbert Torres and Arnold Van Opstal were huge in the fourth quarter in the playoff game against the Bringas brothers, Escoto and Hargrove. They'll need to be at par with that against Ateneo, if not, then Yutien Andrada, Papot Paredes and Jovet Mendoza need to step up.

2. Perimeter shooting. La Salle won't be shooting that bad again from there, right? Vosotros, Revilla and Teng can't be atrocious for two straight game. Ateneo is not known to shoot well from distance as well.

3. Ryan Buenafe. He lives for these kind of moments. Against La Salle, in the postseason, when the chips are down..

2012 PBA Philippine Cup rosters

This was posted by the PBA as of September 25. You might see some interesting quirks on this list.

Air21 Express

Coach: Franz Pumaren
Assistants: Tonichi Yturri, Jack Santiago, Cholo Villanueva, Dan Rose, Joshua Villapando

Players:

2 - John Wilson
3 - Bitoy Omolon
4 - Yousef Taha
5 - Eric Salamat
7 - Nonoy Baclao
9 - KG Canaleta
10 - Simon Atkins
11 - Ogie Menor
12 - Mark Isip
14 - Renren Ritualo
19 - Wynne Arboleda
24 - Rob Reyes
31 - James Sena

Meralco Bolts

Coach: Ryan Gregorio
Assistants: Jong Uichico, Ronnie Magsanoc, Boyet Fernandez, Patrick Fran, Xavier Nunag

Players:

1 - Clifford Hodge
3 - Sol Mercado
4 - Jay-R Reyes
6 - Chris Ross
8 - Ronjay Buenafe
11 - Paul Artadi
14 - Mac-mac Cardona
15 - Gilbert Bulawan
16 - Mark Borboran
21 - Reynel Hugnatan
23 - Kelly Nabong
34 - Carlo Sharma
80 - Sunday Salvacion

Reserve / Injured:

9 - Yousef AlJamal
13 - Chris Timberlake

Petron Blaze Boosters

Coach: Olsen Racela
Consultant: Rajko Toroman
Assistants: Gee Abanilla, Biboy Ravanes, Pido Jarencio, Bobby Parks, Jorge Gallent

Players:

2 - Dennis Miranda
3 - Chris Lutz
4 - Dorian Pena
5 - Alex Cabagnot
10 - Danny Ildefonso
11 - Jojo Duncil
13 - Marcio Lassiter
18 - Joseph Yeo
20 - Alex Mallari
22 - JuneMar Fajardo
23 - Jaw Washington
24 - Magi Sison
26 - Chico Lanete
29 - Arwynd Santos

Reserved / Injured:

? - Hans Thiele
? - Paolo Hubalde

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

Coach: Siot Tanquingcen
Consultant: Alfrancis Chua
Assistants: Allan Caidic, Art dela Cruz, Juno Sauler, Freddie Abuda

Players:

2 - Billy Mamaril
5 - LA Tenorio
10 - Rico Maierhofer
11 - Mike Cortez
13 - Jayjay Helterbrand
18 - Allein Maliksi
21 - Kerby Raymundo
23 - Elmer Espiritu
27 - Willy Wilson
32 - Keith Jensen
33 - Dylan Ababou
34 - Chris Ellis
47 - Mark Caguioa
99 - Rudy Hatfield

San Mig Coffee Mixers

Coach: Tim Cone
Assistants: Coy Banal, Richard del Rosario, Jeff Cariaso, Johnny Abarrientos

Players:

2 - Wesley Gonzales
3 - Jonas Villanueva
4 - Rafi Reavis
8 - Peter June Simon
9 - JC Intal
10 - Jewel Ponferrada
14 - Andy Barroca
15 - Mark Pingris
17 - Aldrech Ramos
18 - James Yap
19 - Gerwin Gaco
22 - Chris Pacana
38 - Joe Devance
95 - Yancy de Ocampo

Alaska Aces

Coach: Luigi Trillo
Assistants: Dickie Bachmann, Topex Robinson, Monch Gavieres, Franco Atienza, Alex Compton, Louie Alas

Players:

0 - Nic Belasco
1 - Sam Eman
3 - Cyrus Baguio
4 - Raphy Reyes
7 - Sonny Thoss
10 - Mac Baracael
21 - Paolo Bugia
24 - Brandon Cablay
25 - Dondon Hontiveros
27 - Gabby Espinas
31 - RJ Jazul
35 - Tony dela Cruz
42 - Jvee Casio
65 - Eddie Laure

Reserve / Injured:

9 - Nino Gelig

Barako Bull Energy Cola

Coach: Junel Baculi
Assistants: Bong Ramos, Leo Pujante, Jonas Mendoza

Players:

1 - Celino Cruz
2 - Josh Urbiztondo
5 - Lester Alvarez
10 - Reil Cervantes
12 - Dave Marcelo
13 - Roger Yap
14 - Leo Najorda
17 - Jason Ballesteros
18 - Doug Kramer
21 - Sean Anthony
23 - Enrico Villanueva
42 - Danny Seigle
71 - Ronald Tubid
88 - Mick Pennisi

Reserve / Injured:

3 - Woody Co
6 - Emman Monfort

Global Port Batang Pier

Coach: Glenn Capacio
Assistants: Ricky Dandan, John Cardel, Louie Gonzales, Charles Tiu

Players:

0 - AJ Mandani
1 - Jason Deutchman
2 - Rabeh Al-Hussaini
4 - Rudy Lingganay
5 - Jondan Salvador
7 - Rey Guevarra
9 - Marvin Cruz
10 - Rommel Adducul
11 - Willie Miller
14 - Mark Yee
20 - Gary David
22 - Josh Vanlandingham
24 - Vic Manuel
33 - Angel Raymundo

Reserve / Injured:

34 - Will Antonio
43 - Alex Crisano

Rain or Shine Elastopainters

Coach: Yeng Guiao
Assistants: Caloy Garcia, Roehl Nadurata, Mike Buendia, Jay Legacion, Matt Makalintal, Ricky Umayam

Players:

1 - Jonathan Uyloan
3 - Paul Lee
5 - Larry Rodriguez
6 - Jireh Ibanes
10 - Gabe Norwood
11 - Ty Tang
16 - Jeff Chan
17 - Chris Tiu
18 - Ryan Arana
20 - Jervy Cruz
21 - Chito Jaime
30 - Beau Belga
33 - Ronnie Matias
48 - JR Quinahan

Talk N Text Tropang Texters

Coach: Nash Racela
Consultant: Norman Black
Assistants: Sandy Arespacochaga, Gene Afable, Jamike Jarin, Josh Reyes

Players:

3 - Jimmy Alapag
4 - Harvey Carey
6 - Bambam Gamalinda
10 - Ryan Reyes
12 - Larry Fonacier
16 - Pamboy Raymundo
17 - Jayson Castro
18 - Gilbert Lao
20 - Jared Dillinger
21 - Kelly Williams
33 - Ranidel Ocampo
34 - Ali Peek
40 - Rich Alvarez
51 - Aaron Aban

Encapsulating the UAAP - Week 11

Rankings after the week's games:

Ateneo - Nothing to worry about (yet), the drama is off the court and Coach Norman Black made sure of it.

UST - Thanking the Bulldogs for getting them the twice-to-beat. Repayment will be ushering them out the door.

NU - Last 8 points of NU had the MVP's imprints on it.

La Salle - Are these Archers ready to step up when the chips are on the line?

FEU - Bert coaching for his job now?
Adamson - *slow claps* for Eric Camson, who should deserve all-UAAP nods.
UE - Imagine Boyzie with an offseason with this ragtag bunch, and add the hidden stash.
UP - Will Manny Dandan earn the chance to rebuild the Maroons while they determine if the Prodigal Son will be there next year.

What lies ahead:

Seniors

Wednesday @ Mall of Asia Arena: 4 P.M. De La Salle University vs Far Eastern University
Saturday @ SMART-Araneta Coliseum: 12 P.M. University of Santo Tomas vs National University / 4 P.M. Ateneo de Manila University vs De La Salle-Far Eastern University playoff winner.

Women

 Wednesday@ Mall of Asia Arena: 12 NN. Ateneo de Manila University vs National University

Juniors

TBD

Azkals Statement on PFPC Roster

In light of the recent articles reflecting on Phil and James Younghusband being left off the PFPC roster, this came out. Read on.

STATEMENT FROM THE AZKALS MANAGEMENT & COACHING STAFF

23 SEPTEMBER 2012

Only 2 months remain until the Azkals compete anew in the Suzuki Cup, a biennial football tournament organized by the Asean Football Federation. The Suzuki Cup is very significant for the Philippines. It was the 2010 edition of the Cup that started the resurgence of football in our country; it’s key to why our local football leagues are now bigger and better, and why many more kids have taken up the sport. The Suzuki Cup also drastically changed the lives of our national players: from being virtual unknowns in 2010, the Azkals are now recognized as local sports icons, peace ambassadors and even product endorsers!

But while we feel excited and optimistic about the tournament, we must also manage our expectations. The 2012 Suzuki Cup will be more difficult since we are not coming in as a surprise team anymore. Also, despite the renewed work on our grassroots training program, the Philippines is still a greenhorn compared to our ASEAN neighbors.

All the same, we refuse to let these difficulties stop us from training better and working harder as a team. We still aim to win and not just participate in the Suzuki Cup. As we enter a more rigorous phase of preparations for the tournament, the PFF has lined up a series of games and training camps that will culminate in a friendly versus Singapore in November.

Given this grueling schedule and the demands it will entail from the team, we have asked the players to give their unequivocal commitment to participate fully in the preparations. Having greatly benefited from Suzuki Cup 2010, we expect our players to work harder than ever this year. Unfortunately, not everyone in the team could assure us of this; a few have already signified their unavailability for some crucial activities leading up to the tournament. While this is admittedly a setback in our plans, we understand that family obligations and club/work commitments sometimes take precedence. The coaching staff will instead make adjustments in the game plan and in the roster of players, starting from the PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL PEACE CUP.

As we get ready to play for flag and country, we rely on our athletes, football officials and supporters to come together again for the beautiful game.

On Leaving Out Phil and James

Credit to the owner of the Photo

Right now, there is much ado about this particular article. The information was released when nothing else was on and rightfully enough, it got everyone's attention.




Part of the fuss is on the delivery, I mean if you are going to deliver important news, shouldn't one do this in person or via voice instead of reading it via a text?

What intrigues me more is the reasoning for the exclusion.

The best-case scenario for this kind of move would be that the brothers were held out for the upcoming semifinals of the RHB Singapore Cup. Phil and James are probably the most important cogs of the Loyola Meralco Sparks, who will face 3-time S-League champions Tampines Rovers on October 4 and 7, which is one week after the PFPC. In fact, James is the club's captain and Phil is the main goal-scoring threat.

As for the worst? It could possibly reflect on some kind of divisive things that the sport in the country does not need as of the moment. Hopefully this scenario is not what to take place.

The only thing for certain is that only one side has been heard, and the other will most definitely present their case during the press conference for the PFPC, which is scheduled on Monday.

The optimist in me says that this is really an overreaction. The main objective is the Suzuki Cup, and as part of getting towards that goal, we have the PFPC. Of course, we would like to win football matches and tournaments, but this is a means for Hans Michael Weiss to see what he has and check out combinations that work and won't work in a true competitive setting. HMW already knows what he can get from his Euro-based guys and from the YHs. The PFPC is really a stage for the locally-based players to step and show what they are capable of. Hopefully, the ones who were called up can handle the challenge. And these are the guys:

Goalkeepers: Eduardo Sacapano, Ref Cuaresma

Defenders: Roel Gener, David Basa, Matthew Uy, Demitrius Omphroy, Jason Sabio, Carli de Murga, Jeffrey Christiaens

Midfielders: Emelio Caligdong, Nestorio Margarse, Patrick Reichelt, Jason De jong, OJ Porteria, Misagh Bahadoran, Marvin Angeles, Marwin Angeles, Anto Gonzalez

Forwards: Denis Wolf, Ian Araneta

Philippine Football Peace Cup Reminders

Some reminders for those who will be watching the Philippine Football Peace Cup (PFPC) with much interest.

Prohibited List of Items

The Philippine Football Federation would also like to remind fans that the items listed below are not allowed inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the duration of the PFPC:

- Food and drink (may be purchased inside Control Access Areas)
- Cigarettes and lighters
- Professional still and video cameras with lens greater than the kit variety (18-55mm)
- Laser pens and pointers
- Weapons and/or sharp objects
- Candles, fireworks, any other type of pyrotechnic
- Glass bottles, PET bottles, cans, hard plastic containers
- Posters/banners/signage with any political slogan or advertising without the express written permission of FIFA and its local organizing committee
- Large back packs and waist packs
- Alcoholic beverages
- Illegal drugs
- Large chains, spike bracelets, wallet chains, metal belt buckles
- Balloons
- Chairs
- Pregnant women should sign a waiver prior to entry
- Parents of children below 12 years old should sign a waiver prior to entry

It is the original plan to have the former Long Teng Cup be held in Rizal Memorial. When the PSC-PFF MOA was signed, one of the plans was to convert the stadium's grass field into an artificial one. Since that would make RMS unavailable, the move was to have the competition be held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod. Now that there is an impasse on the plan to convert the pitch, RMS became available again, thus the move back to the original plan. Unfortunately, this already took place with some eager individuals already booking their flights down south for the occasion.

As such, the PFF has made a gesture of good will by offering free tickets for the PFPC.

Fans who cancelled a round trip ticket to Bacolod City no earlier than September 26 should email Mr. Richard Joson, PPF Head of Marketing and Communications, at pff.communications@gmail.com or philippine.football.federation@gmail.com to avail of this promo.

Please include a scanned copy of the cancelled ticket to Bacolod in the email and, once a date and time have been agreed for the collection of tickets, please bring a valid ID with photo to the PFF office. The PFF office is located at 27 Danny Floro Street, corner of Captain Henry P. Javier Street, 1600 Pasig City.

Alternatively after confirming with PFF via email, you can pick up the tickets on the day of the game from Rizal Memorial Stadium itself.  The tickets will give fans entrance to all matches in the VIP sections of the stadium.

Champions League Preview - Part II

Group E: Chelsea FC, Juventus, Nordsjælland, Shaktar Donetsk

The reigning Champions League winners remade themselves after winning the title under Roberto di Matteo's stewardship, adding a youth infusion in Eden Hazard, Victor Moses and Oscar (all just 21) and 23 year-old Marko Marin, while casting away familiar faces like Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou. The move has reaped rewards for the Blues, who are leading the Premiership by themselves. Even with the new additions, they still have their trusty cast of leaders in Frank Lampard and John Terry, while Fernando Torres hopes to finally become what Roman Abramovich paid him to be.

The Bianconeri had a virtually flawless season in Italy, winning the Scudetto and suffering its only loss in the Coppa Italia Final against Napoli. That form continued in the early stages of this season, sharing the Serie A lead with Napoli and Lazio as each team has won their three respective matches. The core of the Azzurri forms the nucleus of Juve, led by its captain Gigi Buffon and panenka expert Andrea Pirlo.

Danish champions Nordsjælland make their Champions League debut, and is expected to finish at the bottom considering the talent on the other teams that are with them in the group. They will rely on Michael Parkhurst and Jores Okore on their backline to hold the fort and withstand the different attacking fronts out there. Currently third in the Superliga, behind København and AaB, they will rely on the likes of Soren Christensen, Nikolai Stokholm and Andreas Laudrup (yes, he is the son of Michael Laudrup), as well as the scoring prowess of Joshua John to pester the opposition.

Ukranian champions Shakhtar have opened up a six-point lead in the Ukranian Premier League, thanks in part to the goal scoring prowess of their Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan. He has a dozen goals in nine matches. He had thirteen all season last year. Mircea Lucescu's team also has a heavy Brazillian flavor, employing no less than eight of them, plus Edu who plays for Croatia but came from Rio. His captain in the national team, Darijo Srna shepherds the way in the back line. 

Group F: FC BATE Borisov, FC Bayern München, LOSC Lille, Valencia CF

Perceived to be the weakest team in the group, the Belarussians have their old reliables from last year's Champions League campaign returning to attempt another run. They only made one major addition during the recent transfer window, that being former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Aleksandr Hleb. They maintain a slim lead in league action.

The Bavarians under Josef Heynckes managed to secure a runner-up treble last season, losing out to BVB on the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal, while in the Champions League final at the home Allianz Stadium, they capitulated at the penalty spot in dramatic fashion. Bayern won't have Mario Gomez up front for the early part of the season, but they snapped up Mario Mandžukić and old reliable Claudio Pizarro to make up for his absence. They also splurged on Spanish international Javi Martinez, spending $52.1 million to secure him from Basque side Atheltic Bilbao. Otherwise, the core remains intact for the current Bundesliga co-leaders, led by German captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and French captain Franck Ribery.

The deposed French champions Lille relied on Joe Cole and Eden Hazard last year in the Champions League. Both have since departed, leaving Rudi Garcia with a challenging task ahead. To make up for Eden's loss, they snapped up Salomon Kalou to provide some offense and are relying on Dmitri Payet, Marvin Martin and Rio Mavuba and Túlio de Melo to supply the goals. They have struggled somewhat, as they are mid-table in Ligue 1 with six points to their name.

Like Real Madrid, whom they faced to kick off La Liga, Los Che started off sluggish, with only five points in four matches. Their first match in the group stage will evoke old memories for manager Mauricio Pellegrino. He was on the pitch as a player when they faced Bayern in 2001 for the Champions League final. Valencia would like to improve on last year's European campaign, now bolstered with Aly Cissokho and João Pereira at the back, a primed set of midfielders, led by Andres Guardado, Fernando Gago and Alberto Costa, and up front by Spanish international Roberto Soldado. 

Group G: Celtic FC, FC Barcelona, FC Spartak Moskva, SL Benfica

The Scottish giants haven't run away with the SPL title just yet, considering they have been the huge favorites, now that their perennial rivals Rangers have plummeted all the way down to Scotland's Division Three.  A good omen perhaps the currently 5th place team is that they have made the last 16 each time they are drawn with Benfica in a group. Neil Lennon still has the likes of Gary Hooper, Kris Commons and Georgios Samaras around, but the team has a youthful vibe to it, led by 18 year-old Anthony Watt.

The Catalan giants have seized the oppotunity with the current struggles of Real Madrid, opening an eight-point gap between the two rivals in La Liga. Even with a new regime under Tito Vilanova, the scheme remains the same, with the talismanic powers of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and the comebacking David Villa. Jordi Alba has seamlessly made the adjustment since the move from Valencia to join most of his teammates with the Spanish national team.

For Unai Emery, facing off against the Blaugrana is a familiar task, having to deal with that problem as Valencia's manager previously. Now currently tending to Spartak, Unai will probably rely on similar tactics another Russian team pulled on Barca at the Nou Camp, as Rubin Kazan managed to pull out a win there way back in 2009. The RPL's runners-up from last season are currently tied for sixth as of the moment, with Aiden McGeady, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Kim Källström patrolling the midfield. They will however need their strikeforce to score goals if they have any chance of progressing. That puts the onus on the likes of Welliton, Emmanuel Emenike and Artem Dzyuba to put it into the net.

Benfica will be without its captain Luisao for two months due to a physical altercation with an official, to add to the personnel losses with the transfers of Javi Garcia, Axel Witsel and Javier Saviola. In spite of the departures, they are currently sharing the lead in the Primeira Liga with veterans like Oscar Cardozo and Pablo Aimar teaming up with youngsters Rodrigo Moreno, Ola John and Eduardo Salvio. 

Group H: CFR 1907 Cluj, Galatasaray AŞ, Manchester United FC, SC Braga

The Romanians are currently sixth in Liga I and are looking for means to improve on their history of finishing at the bottom of the group for the past few years. Ioan Andone is heavy on the Portuguese flavor, with around 7 of them with the team, most of them getting heavy playing time. A few of those players have roots with SC Braga, interestingly.

Galatasaray have a bunch of players who have played big time top-flight football, so they won't be undaunted with the task of having to deal with the Red Devils at Old Trafford to kick off their campaign. From goalkeeping (Fernando Muslera) to defense (Emmanuel Eboue) to midfield (Hamit Alintop, Felipe Melo) and up front (Johan Elmander, Milan Baroš) Fatih Terim has some guys who can handle the bright lights and the big stage. The Süper Lig leaders also have a couple of offensive threats in Umut Bulut and Burak Yilmaz up front.

The Premiership runners-up were embarrased to have missed out on the knockout stage last year, having to go through the Europa campaign last season. Sir Alex Ferguson has reloaded in the offseason with Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa amongst other additions, and with Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic now healthier and available, there is no excuse for them to replicate their disappointment last season.

Unlike the other two Portuguese teams, SC Braga is currently just outside the periphery of European qualification in this early part of the season in the Primeira Liga. José Peseiro's men are looking at the other open slot for qualification in the knockout phase as their goal. They will need to find someone who can score for them, since they lost their main goal-scoring option to a transfer to Benfica (Lima). The pressure is on the likes of Eder, Ruben Amorim and Rúben Micael to provide the offensive oomph that will be necessary to advance to the next round.

The 2012 UFL Cup opening roster

The UFL Cup is already underway (although no play has commenced due to match postponements as a result of pitch unplayability). Fans have been anticipating who will be playing for the Division I clubs, as most teams have not publicly revealed their lineups until today. Interest is high given the influx of players flocking here.

The rosters of Division I teams, who have earned byes into the next stage of the UFL Cup (the draw involving them will be later this month, if I remember correctly), are to be revealed after the jump. If  you don't find your favorite player, either he's in Division II or wait until the January transfer window pops up, or something like that.




Global FC

ANGELES, Marvin Janwer
ANGELES, Marwin Janver
BAHADORAN, Misagh
BARBASO, Jerry
BASA, David Mark
CAPOLEI, Kevin Umberto
CHRISTIAENS, Jeffrey
DE MURGA, Carlos
EL-HABBIB, Izzeldin
GUIRADO, Juan Luis
GUISSO, Ange Marius Tressor
HOSHIDE, Yu
KAMA, Valentine
MADAYAG, Maverick
MARAVILLA, Lexter
NNABUIFE, Fidelis
OBIANG, Alex
OMPHROY, Demitrius
PASCUAL, Jose Paolo
REICHELT, Patrick
RODRIGUES, Romeu Waltrick
ROLAND, Sadia Dely
UY, Matthew
WOLF, Denis
YAO, Delon Patrick

Green Archers United FC

AGUISANDA, Ronnie
ARYEE, Ayi Nii
BOCOBO, Patrick Joseph
CAGAYANAN, Elle
CELDRAN, Luis Miguel
DEYTO, Patrick
GARCIA, Diego Xavier
GASPE, Arvin
IKEGWURUKA, Lawrence Obinna
JOHNSON, Shag Shapay
LEE, Sean Saeyoul
MARCELLANA, Elvin
MELLIZA, Jesus Joaquin
MENSAH, Dominic William
OLOWOYEYE, Agbayomi Gabriel
PASILAN, Floriano Jr.
PASINABO, Arnie Jr.
SARAGA, Jun Mark
SOLIMAN, Arvin Jay
VILLA, Nikko Paolo
VILLAFLOR, Martin
VILLAREAL, Reynald

Kaya FC

ALVAREZ, Ansel Marcus Kurt
BOLZICO, Nicolas
BORROMEO, Alexander Charles
BURKEY, Nathaniel
DAGROH, Eric
DEL ROSARIO, Anton Edward
DEL ROSARIO, Mariano Armand
DOKIE, Dorio
GARMAROUDI, Saba Sadeghi
HARTMANN, Darren
HOSOE, Toshiya
ILIFF, Sean
KIGBU, Alu
MALLARI, Eddie
MOY, Lexton
MUÑOZ, Junior
OMURA, Masanari
OSBORNE, Troy
PORTERIA, Jose Elmer
ROMERO, Jonahan Anthony
SABIO, Jason
SEMBLAT, Adrian
TUAZON, Yannick
UBIAM, Ugochukwu Okoro
UGARTE, Antonio

Loyola Meralco Sparks FC

AGUINALDO, Amani Manuel
CORTINA, Davide
CUARESMA, Ref Delaney
CUTAMORA, Jayson
DORLAS, Roxy
ELNAR, Alexandro
FADRIGALAN, Peter John
GIGANTO, Eric
GONZALES, Andres Crisanto
GOULD, Chad
GREATWICH, Simon
HARTMANN, Mark
HEO, Hoon Goo
JANG, Jo Won
JEONG, Byeong Yeol
KIM, Woo Chul
MENZI, Michael
MORALLO, Jake
NEMBOT, Rodrigue
OZAETA, Patrick
PARK, Min Ho
SORONGON, Mark Evan
TORRES, Paul Benedick
YOUNGHUSBAND, James
YOUNGHUSBAND, Philip James

Nomads FC

ADEKAGUN, John
ALMAJI, Khalid
ARROYO, Jason
ATANGAN, Jonathan
BLAKE, Jeffrey
BORRILL, Steven
CARDOSO, Mickael
CELESTINO, Ravelo
CONNOLLY, Phil Patrick
DE RAMA, Aaron
DENISON, David
ENRILE, Paolo
FOGG, Sam
HACKER, Nicolas
HWEDI, Abubaker Abdullah
INFANTE, Luis
JOERGENSEN, Kristian
JOHNSON, Mark
KLOK, Friso
MUSTERS, Randy
OHLENEORFF, Louis
ORTIZ, Enrique
TOULLEC, Loic
WILLIAMS, Daniel
WILSON, Richard

Pachanga FC 

APPIAH, Ernest
ASHIME, Yves Felix
BEDIC, Jovin
CAÑEDO, Robert
CUNLIFFE, Jason
DIOP, Ousseynou
EUSEBIO, Jay
FRIMPONG, Bismark
GONZALEZ, Alfredo
LEE, Johnson
LEUNG, Jerome Stefan
LLORENTE, Ruffy
MATSUNAGA, Daniel Kenji
MERCADER, Andrei Karloff
OCTAVIO, Nathan
RANCES, John Edward
ROY, Miguel
SANTIAGO, Andrew Gerard
SANTOS, Jose Andoni
SAUBACH, Manuel Anthony
SERNA, Allen Jose
SORIANO, Jalsor
SORIANO, Janrick
ZAGHI, Hector
ZERRUDO, Ariel Jr.

Pasargad FC

AQUINO, Sajjad Allan Khodarahmi
BEHGANDOM, Milad
BOONE, Josh
CABARRUS, Peyman
CRUZ, Joshua Noel
DOLLOSO, Kenneth
FATEH, Hamed
HADI DALIR, Mohammad
HAJIMEHDI, Hamed
HAJIMEHDI, Hassan
JAFARI DASTJERDI, Shayan
JAHANARAI, Mohammad
JARAN, Naigel
JOLOMI SEHINDE, Promise
KHODABANDEH, Omid
MBATA AMEACHI, Emmanuel
MUNCADA, Emil
NEFASATY, Amin
NELSON, Michael Anthony
PADILLA, Ricardo Jr.
SHADIDEH, Masood
TORRES, Jay
UJAM EKENE, Charles
ZABIHI TAHER, Jahambakhsh

Philippine Air Force FC

AMATORIO, Aubrey
ARANETA, Ian
BALLO-ALLO, Joel Jr.
BARSALES, Yanti
BAYONA, Harold
BELA-ONG, Randy
BENITEZ, Juven
BERMEJO, Joebel
BULAQUIÑA, Glenn
CALIGDONG, Emilio
CONCEPCION, Paul
DUEÑAS, Rolando
FERNANDEZ, Mark Anthony
JAUGAN, Peter
LEONORA, Neckson
LEONORA, Nicolas Erwin Jr.
MERCADO, Edmundo Jr.
MONTILLANO, Surgeant
PALMES, Reymark
SORIANO, Jalor
SUBERE, Winnie
TOMODOS, Erl
TONOG, Jezurel

Philippine Army FC

BARON, Jerad Champ
BECITE, Ricardo
BEDUA, Laurence
BENAS, Kevin Regan
BETITA, Millard
BETITA, Rodrigo
BRETAÑA, Relan
BRILLANTES, Luisito
CABALLERO, Philip Cesar
CAIN, John
DELA CRUZ, Wilson
GEMPISAW, Eduardo Jr.
GENER, Roel
GENER, Ronel
LOBATON, Jeoffrey
MACUJA, Jake
MARGARSE, Nestorio Jr.
PELAYO, Meliton
RODRIGAZO, Jake
SACAPAÑO, Eduardo
TROYO, Victorino
VILLANUEVA, Gil
VILLARUEL, Rommel
VISTAL, Romano

Penson Stallion Gilligan's FC

ALBOR, Antonio Jr.
BAYQUIN, Rhante
BRAGA, Vince Chester
CAÑAS, Joaquin
CLARINO, Mario Javier
DE JONG, Jason
DOCTORA, Ruben Jr.
GUSTILO, Francis
HUGO, Jake
ITALIA, Bervic
KIM, Hyo Il
LEE, Joo Young
LEE, Won Hyung
LESTINGIO, Jomar
LOZANO, Jose Luis
MARTINEZ, Romeo Jr.
MUÑOZ, Wilson
NAM, Yeul Woo
PARK, Bo Bae
PI, Yong Jae
SANCHEZ, Rufino Familiar
SIMPRON, Jovanie
SOBREVEGA, Louie Jay
YOON, Byeong Jun

He IS The Special One

Delight. Glee. Amazement. Utter joy.

Champions League Preview Part I

Group A: GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), Porto (POR)

PSG is expected to lord over this group, backed by the financial clout of its Qatari owners, although it has not really expressed itself in league form. They have, however, bounced back with consecutive wins to move them to a tie at fourth place. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been the man for the Parisians, scoring five of their six goals in Ligue 1.

FC Porto are currently sharing the league with rivals Benfica in the Primeira Liga, having to cope with the recent departure of last year's leading scorer, Hulk, to fellow Champions League participants Zenit. They have gotten by with Luis Oscar Gonzalez and Jackson Martinez holding thing down up front, though.

Dynamo Kyiv are tied for second behind Shaktar Donetsk in top-flight Ukrainian football, behind the goal-scoring prowess of Brown Ideye and new signing Niko Kranjčar. They are expected to give a good fight for the other remaining eligible spot for the knockout stage.

Dinamo Zagreb is pretty much expected to finish last in this group, but they would like to improve from last year's performance, where they allowed a record-high 22 goals during the 6 matches in the group stage. They are leading the 1. HNL, scoring a league-high 20 goals and allowing the second-fewest. 

Group B: Arsenal, Montpellier HSC, Olympiakos Piraeus, Schalke 04

The Gunners have bucked from their slow start with a couple of rousing victories, moving them up to fourth in the Premiership. The pressure is on for Oliver Giroud to make an impact, with the Matchday 1 featuring a trip back to the team he helped lift the Ligue 1 title. The other key signings have been of great help so far, with Podolski and Cazorla finally breaking the scoring drought of Wenger's crew. Thanks to Thomas Vermaelen, the drop-off on leadership from Robin van Persie's departure has been minimal, at best.

Meanwhile, if the Gunners have managed to overcome their key loss, Montpellier has struggled out of the gate. They are only one point adrift of the relegation zone, and only secured just one win in their five Ligue 1 matches. They'll need their African combo of John Utaka, Younes Belhanda and Souleymane Camara to assert themselves and get things going.

Olympiakos kicked off their Super League campaign with three straight victories, and the Reds will look to keep things going with Rafik Djebbour maintaining his hot streak. The Algerian has scored four goals in three league matches. They also have former Manchester United keeper Roy Carroll tending their nets.

Schalke is a couple of points behind the leaders in the Bundesliga, bunched up with a couple of teams. The loss of Raul has been adequately filled by the likes of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Their strength lies in midfield with the likes of Jermaine Jones, Ibrahim Afellay and Julian Draxler holding things down, as well as having Kyriakos Papadopoulos holding the fort on the back line. 

Group C: Anderlecht, AC Milan, Málaga CF, FK Zenit St. Petersburg

Belgian champions Anderlecht would like to end their Italian woes by attempting to secure their first victory after 14 unsuccessful tries against Serie A opposition against AC Milan in Matchday 1. The Jupiler League winners are currently tied for second behind Club Brugge, but they are doing this with one of their key offensive threats missing.

AC Milan are the favorites to take this group, but based on their current form, that may not be the case for the Rossoneri. They only have one win in Serie A, and that was thanks to Giampaolo Pazzini hat trick against Bologna. Anything other than a win at the San Siro against Anderlecht would ratchet up panic buttons on Massimiliano Allegri.

Champions League debutants Málaga CF might just get themselves shellshocked with the competition they might just get themselves into, especially since they conducted a massive sell-off of their star players before the start of the season. Last year saw Borussia Dortmund struggle and finish last in their group, and this might be applicable to them. They will rely on their defensive toughness, something reflected in only allowing a league-low two goals in La Liga and solo second behind the Catalan giants FC Barcelona. Manuel Pellegrini will rely on his savvy veterans for stability.

Zenit may only be fourth in the Russian Premier League, but the leaders are only three points ahead of them. They also have cooled down from a sizzling start, with only one win in their last four league fixtures. They did however, infused themselves with additional talent with some acquisitions before the transfer window closed, namely Hulk and Axel Witsel. Having the two youngsters will probably raise the expectations for Luciano Spalletti. They already have a some talent on hand with Alexander Kerzhakov and Viktor Faizulin. 

Group D: Ajax Amsterdam, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City FC, Real Madrid CF

Welcome to the acclaimed "Group of Death," featuring the Dutch, German, English and Spanish champions, respectively.

The Dutch champions would like to get themselves into the knockout stage, something that has not happened for while given the profile of their league. They are already in solo third, trailing Twente and Vitesse in the Ere Divisie, but Frank de Boer has a group of young guys to go to with, from Siem de Jong to Christian Eriksen. To emphasize on their youth (they have a well-known pipeline of academy talent), they only have one guy over 30 years of age.

The German back-to-back champions would like to improve on last year, where they finished at the bottom of their group. They are currently chasing fellow Champions League participants Bayern München and surprise co-leaders Eintracht Frankfurt on top of the Bundesliga, and that's with the departure of Shinji Kagawa to the Premiership. New acquisition Marco Reus has already scored for BVB, with German and Polish internationals providing great chemistry for Jurgen Klopp.

The blue side of Manchester won the Premiership in dramatic fashion last season, but the man who made that happen (Sergio Agüero) is still recovering from an injury and might be doubtful for Matchday 1, leaving either Edin Džeko or a freshly recovering Mario Balotelli to partner up with Carlos Tevez. They still have oodles of talent, from Nasri and Silva in midfield to the Toure brothers and of course, Kompany and Kolarov at the back. 

Los Blancos have stumbled in their defense of the La Liga title, most recently a 1-0 defeat at Sevilla that had José Mourinho publicly criticizing the team's performance and, if you ask Sami Khedira, deservedly so. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín have scored all five league goals for Madrid, a number that should go up in the next few fixtures. Tension is high at the Santiago Bernabeu for this clash of titans.

Interesting tidbit with the Mancini - Mourinho coaching duel is that both men have led Inter Milan to greatness in Italy and Europe. In fact, Mourinho succeeded Mancini at Inter when he left for City in 2008.

How much does baseball love Chipper?

c/o NY Times

The farewell tour for Chipper Jones is ongoing and almost coming to a close, and baseball has been grateful to have this lifer represent the game with class and grace. How much does the game love him? Let them count the ways...

The remaining schedule of the Braves has them currently at Miami. They play two more games there, then travel to Philadelphia for their final three-game road trip. That is why you may be wondering why aren't the Marlins and the Phillies on that group of teams with send off packages for the future Hall-of-Fame third baseman.

They host the Marlins and the Mets to end the regular season, and considering how much he has been a terror to the Metropolitans throughout his career, it may be fitting that his final regular season games are with them (49 HRs, 159 RBIs, 20 SBs, .311 BA, .408 OBP, .548 SLG).

They still have a chase for the NL East, five games back of the Nationals. They do, however have a stranglehold on one of the two wildcard spots, with a 7.5 game edge over the other team (currently the St. Louis Cardinals).