Cute Girls of Red Corals FC-Baliwasan top Girls 17 Category of PIA Futsal

CHAMPIONSHIP. MEMBERS OF THE BULUA STRIKERS FC AND RED CORALS FC-BALIWASAN TEAMS BEFORE THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP CLASH IN THE GIRLS 17 CATEGORY OF THE PIA/CDO FUTSAL INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. (photo by Jack Biantan)  

THEIR appearances are deceiving. They are cute, short and look like tweenie boppers. 

However, with football boots on, the young Futsal Girls team of Red Corals FC-Baliwasan, Zamboanga City are deadly.

The Girls of coach Raynan Marzan last Saturday shrug off a 12 hour car ride from Zamboanga City to Cagayan de Oro City to dominate the Girls 17 competition and win the title of the PIA/CDO Futsal Invitational Championships held at the Pagapat Elementary School covered court and Bulua National High School gym.

CHAMPIONS.(l-r standing) RAYMAN MARZAN, JIMMY CABATO,MR. AND MRS. MANUEL, JERRY MAE TUBIO, JHOANE JALNAIZ GENEVEAR BAGA, CRIS MALACAT, SHEIN MARVILLA, REHANA SALIH, RANDY FRANCISCO AND COACH REYNAN MARZAN. …(squatting l-r) JV BERNARDO, JILLIAN JALNAIZ, MICHAELLA TOLLONES, RAILA FRANCISCO AND GWEEN DITCHON.

The Zambo Girls, manned by four veterans of the Vigan Palaro Jhoane Jalnaiz, Genevear Baga, Jerry Mae Tubio and Crystal Malacat, capitalized on the errors of the Bulua Strikers in the end game to score a 3-0 win to bring home the title.

RUNNER-UP. BULUA STRIKERS FC

WITH THEIR TROPHY AND MEDALS

It was a close championship match from at start as the Bulua Strikers of coach Jun Actub push for an early goal with Liezel Ann Catamco orchestrating the attack and striker Jearth Divine Apollo looking for an opportunity to score.

However, the sending off of Apollo after getting two yellow cards in the middle of the match changed the tune of the game as the Zambo girls became more confident.

Bulua’s defense then collapsed as goals from the Red Coral girls came raining with Jalnaiz, Baga and Tubio scoring one goal each to seal their victory.

“It was a sweet victory for us. I am so lucky that I have players coming from a school with a good foundation of football,’’ said  Raynan Marzan referring to the Sta Maria Elementary School and the  Don Pablo Lorenzo Memorial High School in Baliwasan, Zamboanga City where the girls are all studying and playing Futsal.

He also praised the girls for their hard work and for Baliwasan officials led by Jimmy Cabato for supporting the trip of the team to Cagyan de Oro.

He also thanked the Red Corals Club officials si brother Rayman Marzan, Mr and Mrs Manuel, and Randy Francisco.

Completing their lineup were Crystal Malacat, JV Benardo , Jilliane Jalnaiz, Rehana Salih, Raaila francisco,Sheinn Maravilla, Michaella Tolones, and Gwen Ditchon .

Bulua coach Junieto Actub was sorry for the loss. “The girls were demoralized by the sending off. We will try again next time,’’ he said.

Other members of the Bulua Strikers FC were Kate Binayao, Marie Francis Clyd Sebial, Andrea Bianca Ferrer, Louiza Beatrice Lim, Pearl Marquez, Nelie Grace Mabolo, Hannah Naldo, and Cindy Gomez.

The Red Corals FC Baliwasan topped the five team group B with Iligan City Football Club with four wins and one draw each.

Baga and Jalnaiz scored the two goals in their 2-1 win over Sacred Heart School/Ateneo de Cebu in the quarter finals.

The scoring duo also scored one goal each in their 2-0 win over Iligan City FC in the semis to arrange a titular show down against Bulua Strikers FC.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDEES. TOURNAMENT COMMISSIONER NORMAN NATHAN LOZANO(left) REFEREE REQUILLO BERNALES (right) WITH THE SPECIAL AWARDEES IN THE GIRLS 17 CATEGORY BEST MIDFIELDER LIEZEL ANN CATAMCO, BEST DEFENDER JHOANE JALNAIZ, MVP JERRY MAE TUBIO, AND BEST GOALKEEPER JV BERNARDO. (photo by Jack Biantan) 

Red Corals also dominated the individual awards with Jalnaiz winning the Best Defender Award, JV Bernardo the Best Goalkeeper Award and Jerry Mae Tubio the Most Valuable Player Award.

BEST GOALIE JV BERNARDO

MVP JERRY MAE TUBIO

Catamco of Bulua won the Best Midfielder Award while Mariel Fabriga of Stonefield FC team B the Best Striker Award for scoring seven goals in the tournament.

The tournament is the project of Pinay In Action Football of Senator Pia Cayetano, the champion of women’s rights in the Philippine Senate. Other sponsors of the two-day competition are the families of young Cagayan de Oro footballers, JB and Jethro Borlongan, and Troy Limbo.

BEST DEFENDER JHOANE JALNAIZ

BEST MIDFIELDER LIEZEL ANN CATAMCO

The tournament was also made possible through Bulua High School, Bulua Elementary School, Pagatpat Elementary School and the Cagayan de Oro Department of Education Division office.

It was sanctioned by the Cagayan de Oro Misamis Oriental Regional Association (CMORFA) and the Philippine Football Federation. (l.biantan@gmail.com)