DESPITE leading the football competition in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. collegiate division, University of San Carlos team consultant Jinggoy Roa thinks no one is the clear favorites this year as all teams have greatly improved.
USC, the six-time defending champion which gunning for its 10th title overall, leads the table with six points after a 2-0 win over the University of the Philippines-Cebu (UP Cebu) on Oct. 6 and a narrow 2-1 win over the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) on Oct. 13.
USC is coached by Roseton “Apol” Barinan, who was also a former member of the coaching staff of the Philippine national women’s football team.
The University of Southern Philippines Foundation, which beat USJ-R, 1-0, on Oct. 6 is second with three points after losing to a resurgent UP Cebu, 1-0, on Oct. 13.
UP Cebu, the latest addition, is third, trailing USPF on goal difference while the eight-time champion USJ-R is last having lost its first two matches.
“The strength of the teams in the collegiate ranks have improved. One can no longer say that it’s a sure win for one or a sure loss for the other. Just look at what happened to UP vs USP during the second week,” said Roa.
UP Cebu, which lost seven matches and drew one in its debut season last year, sent shockwaves to the rest of the teams after stunning USPF, a perennial contender and a many-time finalist.
Though he has a veteran-laden team with only two rookies and five sophomores, Roa said he is taking it one game at time.
“As for USC, we are taking it one game at a time because as the saying goes, “you are only as good as your last game!” So focus on the prize and do the hard work in practice,” he said.
USC is the only team that has a chance to win the title outright via sweep, while in the high school division rivals Sacred Heart Ateneo-de Cebu and Don Bosco Technological Center with four points each on a win and a draw. Both teams also share the same goal difference having scored three goals, while conceding one in their first two games.