Global Cebu needs twin miracles for July 5 game

Global Cebu’s problem, being a transplanted team, is how to connect with local fans and this being a mid-week match, getting people in the stands for a first home game may not be easy.

When I first heard that Global Cebu would have a home game on July 5, the one who informed me provided the answer to the question that I was about to ask. “Miracles do happen.” The game will be played at the Cebu City Sports Center, which, as of February during the Thirsty Cup, was Cebu’s best venue for beach football. I dropped by last month, and like a bald man in denial, the field had more brown patches than green. I dropped by three weeks ago and voila, thanks to the rain and the CCSC barring the use of the field for any purpose, it’s the other way around, there are more green than brown patches.

But a green field doesn’t automatically make a good football pitch. And anyone who saw the miracle that was the 2012 version of the pitch that hosted Singapore vs. the Philippines (sigh, for a few weeks, Cebu had the best pitch in the country) knows the present reincarnation is miles away from being that 2012 version.

It’s June 21, less than two weeks to go and less than two weeks for the Cebu Football Association to weave their magic and turn the former dust bowl into one that is playable for the country’s professional league. And that’s only their first problem. The second problem, of course, is getting people in the stands. In the past, no matter the time of day or the day of the week, there were no problems in getting a crowd in an Azkal match, but this is no Azkal match though there would be plenty of national team members abound.

It’s going to be Global Cebu FC against Ceres Negros—the Visayas Classico as some are starting to call it—and it’s going to be the first time that both would be playing here. There’s a Cebuano in Global Cebu’s lineup, but he’s not that known yet; Ceres has Patrick Reichelt, whose family is from Cebu.

Global Cebu’s problem, being a transplanted team, is how to connect with local fans and this being a mid-week match, getting people in the stands for a first home game may not be easy. Sure, as early as two weeks ago, the Ultras Sugbo have been prepping but eventually, you need more than the Ultras to connect.

That’s the second miracle Global needs to overcome, getting the Cebuano fans behind them on 7 p.m. On a Wednesday.

I wanted to add a third miracle, a Global win over Ceres ( judging from their slew of last-minute goals in the past) but, you have to have faith in your team.

For Global Cebu, just getting to play in Cebu on July 5 and having a sizeable crowd behind them would be the two most difficult things to achieve, beating Ceres would be nothing compared to the two obstacles.

And of course, for those who dream of finally having a local team in our domestic league, or those who dream of pro careers, or even those who just want to support your own club, attending the July 5 match is the first of your series of steps.