Ceres claims PFL crown
BY JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA
Negros FC cruised to its second straight Philippines Football League (PFL) championship after routing Global Cebu FC, 6-1, on Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium in Manila.
Playing in the traditional league format, the Yellow Busmen extended their reign in the do-
points on 17 wins with three games remaining.
“We won this title as a team and that’s what I’m proud about. We showed that we play as a Ceres Negros head coach Risto Vidakovic.
Vidakovic added that winning the crown for the second consecutive season was harder. there were many games in a very short time Ceres snared its maiden PFL crown with a
and Stadium in Bacolod City. The league featured a Finals Series that pitted four clubs in a knockout format to the trophy last season.
This year’s successful title defense means a return trip to the preliminary round of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League next year for the Busmen.
Bienvenido Marañon struck a hat trick in the 19th minute.
curler from the top of the box before Omid Nazari stretched the lead to 3-0 at the half off Ott’s layoff.
as Marwin Angeles sent a low shot past goalkeeper Roland Muller.
After getting denied by Junjun Badelic of a penalty spot, the Spanish striker Marañon scored his second goal off a quick counter- attack in the 70th.
Blake Powell converted a penalty kick five minutes later then Marañon capped the Busmens’ back- to- back bid with an easy tap in the 88th.
Vidakovic and his wards now shift their focus on defending their title in the AFC Cup Asean
Busmen’s home Panaad pitch on August 1.
one week from now. We have to travel to Bacolod and prepare for the game properly. I hope we can achieve