Over the breezy and rainy weekend, one would expect a muddy and rough game of football but not for the ones at the outskirts of the metro.
Making their way into the hearts of the community, Laos FC has made a whole new approach to spreading football awareness as well as giving kids the opportunity to play the beautiful game. They’ve started to lay their foundation in Quezon City and has already made its way towards another city.
Since its deployment in Valenzuela City, Laos FC has been welcomed by the city government with open arms as the city hopes to bring more sporting activities in their efforts to steer the children away from bad vices and closer to a healthy and productive life.
For two years now, the city has experienced street soccer. Given the congested spaces the city has, it has been a perfect way to play the game and introduce it to the children and the community. Going above and beyond his tasks as a grassroots coach for the city, coach Noel Marquez and the technical working group of the city and the club organized a year-ender tournament. We’ve had the chance to talk to coach Marquez over a social media network and here’s what we got.
Jaimer Dela Cruz: What made you decide to organize a tournament like this?
Noel Marquez: This is a project designed to promote children and youth participation in active recreational activities. To increase opportunities in futsal and level of participation. Nag-start ako as a football player during my elementary and high school days. Naging FIFA Futsal coach ako last September 2017 and as an accredited DepEd National Football and Futsal Referee. Well to tell you honestly it is my birthday gift to my self, sa dami ng blessing ko sa football at lalo na s futsal. Naisip ko n mgkaroon nman ng futsal tournament sa Valenzuela, not as a business, but a big opportunity to gather all my linkages in football and futsal.
JDC: It seemed to be a daunting task to carry this out but how were you able to do it? How much of support have you got from the local government for this tournament and the program?
NM: Actually, this tournament is the second big step. With the help of Laos FC, na-introduce na ang street soccer, then we select the best athletes to participate in the last Gothia Cup in China. Actually, wala namang cash na na-provide. But one of our city councilors provides important logistics like medals, trophies, venues, tarpaulin (for promotion), roving ambulance/paramedics, and even security.
JDC: Lastly, what are the plans for the future and are we going to see the possibility of Valenzuela suiting up for the Philippine Premier League?
NM: Hopefully maging twice a year itong Futsal tournament and maging affiliated sa NCRFA. Also, continuity of our grassroots program like street soccer up to junior and senior high students to create elite players in different age groups. Through this, hopefully, we can produce athletes and coaches for the premier league.
As if it was not fitting enough for Marquez and his technical team to organize such event to give thanks for what their program has achieved over the last two years, this seemed to be a year-ender for the program as they’ve invited team across the metro and even the provinces for the 1st Valenzuela Futsal Cup.
In the first edition of their tournament, they saw participants coming from Bulacan, Caloocan City, Cainta, and Manila. The tournament lasted for two days as they catered to three age groups. It started on December 28 when they hosted the U12 girls and boys while the culminating day on the 29th of December showcased talents from U17 girls and Men’s open.
On the first day of the tournament, Morning Breeze FC bagged the gold medal in the U12 girls’ category while Brgy. Sto. Cristo Football club who represented Quezon City Football club in this tournament won the U12 boys’ category in convincing fashion as they got out of the group stages with two wins and a draw before breezing into the semis and winning by three goals to nil in the final against Serrano FC B.
With the intensity of the tournament carries over towards the second day of the tournament, it saw Bulacan clubs dominate as Sapang Palay FC Cobra bringing home the gold medal in the U17 girls’ category while Team Success who represented the Bulacan Highlanders Football Club won convincingly by three goals to one against Cainta FC.
As the year 2018 wraps up, we were given a bit positivity that the sport is already becoming popular in the metro as well as it’s neighbouring provinces, opening a lot of opportunities for football to prosper in possibly its weakest market. If local clubs and government organize more events like this, the expansion of the Philippine Premier League
