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Tough weekend at da beach

AKTV, UFL ink historic 5-year deal

“It’s a historic moment,” gushed Philippine Football Federation President
Mariano V. Araneta during the contract signing between the AKTV and the United
Football League Friday at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City. “This
was a long time coming and it can only mean well for football.”

The five-year contract signed by both parties guaranteed that two live UFL
matches will be shown every Saturday beginning October 8, 2011 on AKTV with the
televised matches played at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium and
non-televised games played at the University of Makati.

“What this gives Filipino football players and clubs all over the country is
a chance to continue playing the sport they love even after their college
playing years,” said Santi Araneta, chairman of Football Alliance which
organizes the UFL. “It gives them a platform to showcase their talent not just
to the country but who knows – it might lead to a stint in the national
team.”

Former national player Alvin Ocampo, who now works as an assistant coach in
Pachanga FC, said that the quality of football played in the country has grown
by leaps and bounds with the influx of foreign talent as well as the exposure of
locals to international tournaments. “This is a good time to be playing
football,” said Ocampo, the son of the late Olympian Ed Ocampo who was once
named Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football.

The season kicks off with the UFL Cup where 28 teams, including 13 guest
squads, will compete for slots in the UFL’s Division II.

The press conference also featured the draw where clubs were seeded into a
group stage for the UFL Cup. The seeding results are as follows:

Group A: Nomads FC, Baguio FC, Union Internacional FC, Lions FC

Group B: Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, Internacionale FC, Agila FC, Team Socceroo
FC

Group C: Global FC, Pachanga FC, Stallions FC, Cebu Queen City FC

Group D: Kaya-Cignal FC, ABC Stars FC, Schwarz, Diliman Victory Liner FC

Group E: Philippine Air Force FC, Philippine Navy FC, Manila All-Japan FC,
Laos FC

Group F: Green Archers United FC, Dolphins United FC, Pasargad FC, Forza
FC

Group G: Philippine Army FC, Manhur FC, Sunken Garden United FC, and Garuda
FC PH

Tournament Committee Member Chris Hagedorn labeled Group C the “Group of
Death.”

“It’s going to be interesting because you have two tough Metro Manila teams
(Global and Pachanga) and two very good provincial teams (Stallions FC, an
Iloilo-based eleven, and Queen City FC, which is from Cebu) who are rivals
themselves. That bears a lot of watching.” said Hagedorn.

In the UFL Cup, the top two teams of each group as well as the top two
third-place teams advance to the Round of 16. The survivors are then pitted in
the quarterfinals and semifinals until the last two remaining teams battle it
out for the Cup. The third and fourth place teams will also figure in a one-game
match for the Plate Winner.

Heading into the third season of the UFL, there will be some new faces in
different clubs.

National team mainstays Phil and James Younghusband will be playing for
Loyola Sparks FC along with another set of brothers who are former national
teammates in Mark and Matthew Hartmann.

The Azkals’ Fil-Spanish striker Angel Guirado and Fil-Iranian Misagh
Bahadoran will be donning the colors of Global FC.

Kaya FC will have Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario, Jason Sabio, Yannick
Tuason, and Nate Burkey in uniform.

Philippine Air Force FC has scoring threats Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta
in harness while rival Philippine Army FC features Roel Gener and Nestor
Margarse.

The UFL Cup will also have an interesting mix of Ghanaian, Sudanese, British,
Malaysian, Indonesian, Spanish, and Dutch players.

You can't compete