Newcomer Cebu Football Club has named its 26-man squad for its maiden stint in the PFL Alcantara Cup, combining youth with veterans as it seeks to upset the favorites United City FC and Stallions Laguna in Group A.
Experience keeper Ace Villanueva, who won the Alcantara Cup with Kaya FC, is expected to be the top choice between the sticks, while the defense will lean on former Stallion player Jayson Cordova and Spanish Joaco Canas, who first came over the country in 2011 when CF International de Madrid played a friendly with the Azkals.
Argentenian Ricardo Sendra, who had stints with Stallion and Mendiola, will man the midfield, together with ex-Global and former USC captain John Roy Melgo, PFL veteran Daniel Gadia, former Stallion Nicolas Ferrer and Mauro John Acot. Former Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and University of the Philippines striker Kintaro Miyagi will lead the offense with Roberto Corsame Jr, who had stints with Mendiola and Kaya. Also named as strikers for the team are Jeremiah Borlongan and 18-year-old Keenen Julian Cergeneux, a Cebu International School standout who had stints with Olympique de Marseille in 2015 and the Liverpool International Academy in 2017.
Aside from the veterans, the team added a slew of young players in the squad, including three other 18-year-olds.
Dumaguete’s Prince Lee Ferraren, 18, is one of the keepers along with Cebuanos John Francis Zambrano (21), and former USC No. 1 Terence Colmenares.
Barotac’s Jamie Rosquillo, an 18-year-old defender, also made the cut along with Charles Dabao of Dumaguete, John Salvidar of Masbate and Cebu-based Leylam regulars Evren Tasci, Ruffy Llorente and Ranulfo Colina.
Michael Pacite, another Leylam veteran, also got the nod as one of the midfielders along with Cebuanos Steven Patalinghug of USC, Lorenzo Genco (Kaya Elite), Baris Palacios Tasci of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and 18-year-old Yoji Selman of CIS.
Cebu will make its Alcantara Cup debut against the Stallions on Nov. 7 and will take on UCFC on Nov. 13.
