Since 2016, they’ve been knocking on the doors of Qingdao for that elusive championship and they’ve finally got it as Laos-Quezon City Football Club bags their first-ever championship in the Gothia Cup in China which is deemed as the World Cup of youth football.
In the boys-13 division, Laos-QC FC started joining the tournament back in 2016 where they got a test of quarter-final stint but eventually lost to a team from the United States. This year, with all of the experience that they got from the past editions, they felt that they can go all the way.
They started out the competition on the 12th of August with a three-nil victory over 城阳区精英队CYJY FC. They then faced 青岛中青英联足球俱乐部JIMO ELITE UNITED FC where they also won with a three-nil scoreline. Heading into the second day of the tournament, Laos-QCFC was dealt with a one-nil defeat by Chinese Taipei’s 桃园同安国小足球队TONGANGX FC.
That defeat didn’t dampen the hopes of the boys from QC who went on to win their fourth match in the tournament via the score of one-nil over 青岛黄海足球俱乐部HUANGHAI FC. It was then where they started believing that they could bring home the bacon as they qualified for a spot in the playoffs.
In the quarterfinals, they faced-off with 上海大学附属学校SHDX FSXX FC whom they dispatch via three-nil route. The goals just won’t stop going in for Laos-QCFC as they sent 青岛中青英联足球俱乐部JIMO ELITE UNITED FC packing with a scoreline of four goals to one.
Playing in their first championship match in the Gothia Cup, they just continued the way how they’ve been playing in the tournament, with strong heart, dedication and tenacity. China’s 北京一零一中BEIJING101 FC gave them some real threat but it was Laos-QCFC who went on to bag home the gold as they won by just a single goal over the opposition.
For the players and the coaches, it was a real sweet victory as this championship has been in the works for over three years. Thanks to all the sponsors and the guidance that their coaches have given them, their hard work finally paid off.
We were able to sneak in a little interview with the players and the coaches of the championship as they and here’s what they had to say:
PinoyFootball: Seems like third time’s the charm for you guys, how does this championship feel?
Ihsahn Ubales: “Masaya po kasi lahat po ng magulang mo at kaibigan mo sumusuporta sayo tapos paguwi po ng Pilipinas, mas masaya po dahil proud na proud po sila sa team at sa akin (I’m happy because my parents and all my friends have been supporting me and when we arrived in the Philippines, I felt happier because they’re so proud of me and the team).”
PF: What do you think made the difference for your campaign this year?
Rocco Liamzon: “We definitely worked harder than last year since we wanted to win this year, and we did that by training harder. Another thing is that we played with more heart, honour, and pride. We went to China knowing that we were representing Quezon City, and even the Country itself, which made us play with more heart, more honour, and more pride we did not want to lose at all knowing this.”
PF: Lastly, to whom do you offer this championship?
Ahrent Kent Bautista: “I offer it to everyone involved who supported me along the way. I would like to thank my family for their never-ending support, and God for always being by my side. I also thank my school for offering their additional support, which made me happy.
It was truly an amazing feat for the boys from Quezon City who brought pride not only to their city but also their country. They manifested the real essence of grassroots football which is to go out and prove your worth and let your achievements speak for themselves.
In these times that people are talking about what the future holds for our country’s football program, these boys show that we have a bright future ahead of us. The only question for us is, how long can the Philippine Football fans stay patient and wait for these programs to bear fruits?
Photo Credits: Quezon City Football Club
