El Classico, El Kasuko

The Cesafi football season kicks off on Sept. 22 and just on its second day, fans will be treated to one of the most intriguing match-up of the season in the secondary division. It won’t be much a factor in the title chase though as the six-team division will have a semifinal round, but it’s still something some fans are looking forward to.

I’m talking about the University of San Jose-Recoletos and Don Bosco Technological Center match on Sept. 23, the second for both teams in the season. DBTC will open its campaign against guest team SMS Boystown on Saturday, while USJ-R takes on the University of Southern Philippines Foundation.

Last year, DBTC got 27 goals past USJ-R, a rout that had the USJ-R coach posting something critical against a DBTC team that would pile that much goals against an obviously outmatched team. That post stoke a fire in social media.

But that’s not what makes this match intriguing, a match that I have christened El Kasuko in a play on El Classico. DBTC had a falling out after the Cviraa last February, one that led to the breakup of the team with most jumping to USJ-R.

So for sure, there won’t be a repeat of that 27-0 result last year when the two teams meet again, but I think this will be the first time the two will meet since the breakup. As for me, I’m really curious how this game goes, I just hope that it will be treated like that, just a game. Since there is a semifinal round, you can afford to lose a game or two in the high school division and still be in the running for the title.

The same isn’t true for the collegiate division, which will again have the top two teams after the double round robin elims advancing to the championship match. That means every game is a playoff game and no team can afford to take a vacation.

I love this format and only those who are prepared for the season-long grind can win the title. Before, there was that curious case of a team winning only once in the elims, making it to No. 4 in the semis but somehow ending up with the title.

That won’t happen under this format. For the past three years or so, it has always been USPF and USC advancing to the final and that says a lot about how the two teams prepare compared to the rest.

Will another team break the cycle this year? Will USC make it three in a row or will USPF and coach Eleazar Toledo finally end his curse of being always the bridesmaid? We shall see.