PH U13 routs CV in tune-up game

THE Philippine Under 13 (RP U13) football team tagged as the Little Azkals who are undergoing training at the Don Bosco Boys Home in Liloan, Cebu routed the Palaro-bound Central Visayas team, 5-2, in one of their tune-up matches yesterday.

The pool however, suffered contrasting fates in the afternoon. It won against Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) U14, 2-0 but lost to DBTC’s U17 team, 1-4.

According to head coach Oliver Colina, the boys’ performance is at 70 percent which is okay since they started the camp only last week.

However, Colina will be left with only 15 players starting today as half of those chosen for the pool will also be representing their respective regions in this year’s Palarong Pambansa which will open in Dapitan on May 8.

Earlier, concerns were raised about the conflict in the RP team training schedule and the Palaro teams.

However, Central Visayas elementary team head coach Mario Ceniza said these were allayed when Colina agreed to let his boys train for the Palaro in the morning and for the RP pool in the afternoon.

Three of the eight Cebuanos named into the RP U13 pool are also members of the Central Visayas team. They are Mario Lorenzo Ceniza (midfield) of Springdale; Ivan Palmero (midfield/defender) of the Lahug Elementary School; and Kintaro Miyagi (defender) of Bright Academy.

Ceniza said he and his boys leave for Dapitan today for the Palaro.

Colina said he agreed to let them join the Palaro if they would immediately go back to training after the week-long national games.

The Little Azkals train twice from Mondays to Saturdays 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. They will leave for Malaysia on May 31 for the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) U13 Festival of Football from June 1 to 6. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON