CERES IN KEY AFC CUP MATCH VS HOME UNITED AT PANAAD
ABSORBED a 2-1 loss in the first leg of its AFC Cup ASEAN Zonal Finals last week in Singapore, Ceres Negros FC eyes to make up for it as it hosts Home United FC at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium today for the second leg.
Ceres needs to win at least 1-0 in Bacolod City to advance to the next round of the secondary club football tournament hosted by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) against Istiklol of Tajikistan.
In the first leg, Home United immediately got on the board when forward Stipe Plazibat found the bottom of the net in the 11th minute.
Ceres, however, would level things at stoppage time of the opening half behind skipper Martin Steuble.
The two teams jostled to seize control in the second half but Home United would be first to the draw and scored the goahead goal in the 83rd minute when midfielder Hariss Harun punched through.
It was a lead that it would hang on to all the way to full time.
Recognizing that they had some slippage that caused them the game in the first leg, Ceres goalkeeper Roland Muller said they need to be on top of their game at home when they play in the second leg.
Only through that, he said, can they beat Home United and extend their campaign in the AFC Cup.
“The first leg was a really intensive game but it was clear we had some problems. In defense, we gave away quite a few chances and our positioning was, at times, not right. We ran around too much, and this contributed to the intensity of the game. We know exactly what we did wrong, and we have to do better. We have to change, to improve, and we’ll prepare for the second leg accordingly,” the former Philippine Azkals member was quoted as saying by the official AFC Cup Web site in the lead-up to today’s second leg.
He then said that they are banking on their good showing at home in front of their fans to propel them to the all-important win.
“We are really strong at home and this gives me a lot of optimism ahead of the second leg in Bacolod. We will play on natural grass, at home in front of our supporters, so, of course, it will be a totally different game. If we can correct the things we did wrongly in the first leg then I am confident that we have a big chance to win. I am looking forward to the challenge,” Mr. Muller said.
In reaching the ASEAN Zonal Finals, Ceres topped their grouping in group play before edging Malaysia’s Johor Darul Tazim in the zonal semifinals on aggregate.