TOP U19 MEN’S PLAYERS FROM THE REGION TURN UP FOR TRIALS IN CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY.
THE Camiguin-Misamis Oriental Regional Football Association (CMORFA) is assembling a formidable U19 Men’s football team.
The team is being formed to hopefuly compete in the National U19 Men’s Championship sometime in May at the PFF National training center in Carmona, Cavite.
A total of 21 best young footballers in the region, born 2003, turned up in the first day of the trials Saturday (March 26) at the Pelaez Sports Complex in Cagayan de Oro City.
Players from Cagayan de Oro City, Gingoog City, Naawan and Opol Misamis Oriental came down to CdO to impress the coaches.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) B Licensed coach Ivan Caiña who was assisted by goalkeeping coach Lance Turrecha and young coach Dan Aquino conducted the trials in the absence of head coach Jerome dela Peña who was on a business trip to Cebu.
Among those who showed up was former National U16 Boys team player Josh Go. He played for the Rosevale School during his elementary days and then for Corpus Christi during his junior high school.
GO was a member of the Northern Mindanao elementary boys football team which represented the region in the Palarong Pambansa in Albay in 2016. He is an all-around player who could play up front, at the midfield and at the back.
He is now a graduating Senior High School student at the Lumbia National High School.
Another noted player who showed up for the trials was goalkeeper Andre Ebuña of Corpus Christi High School. Ebuña trained for a month in Germany through the Allianz football program.
Josh Go’s four teammates in Albay. Lyle Dy, JL Cascara John Gementiza and Raffy Rubio also came for the trials.
Cascara, a Grade 12 student at Rosevale School, is a shifty winger. He also played for La Salle in Manila during his Grade 10 but moved back to Rosevale during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Lyle Dy is a scoring machine who plays attacking midfielder. He is a Grade 12 student at Rosevale School.
Gementiza studied in Rosevale during his Junior High School but transferred to the University of Science and Teachnology-Philippines (USTP) for his Senior High School.
Raffy Rubio was part of the Philippine National U16 training pool. He plays midfielder and now enrolled at the Corpus Christi High School.
Caiña thinks that the team once finalised has the potential to be competitive enough to advance to the National Group Stage. “However we have to work hard in our fitness and how we can be efficient with it because we only have 2-3 weeks of preparation for the Regional Group Stage,” he said.
CMORFA will compete in Group F of the 2nd Division vs Butuan-Agusan del Norte RFA, Sur-Surigao del Sur RFA, and Dinagat Island RFA. The regional competition is set on April 18 tentatively in Butuan City.
Other players who showed up were midfielder Paulo Lagada, defender Luigi Awayan, goalkeeper Rafael Reyes, midfielder Anthon Mendoza, goalkeeper Rommel Solis, winger Carl Mabuhay, defender Ernesto Serioso, defender Gabriel Garrido, midfielder Lester Palarca, winger Kent Quieta, forward Nick Longganoy, defender Sheen Valdeo, winger John Salipnol, defender Christian Abad, and Kurt Tumabo.
The next tryout is set on Friday, April 1 at the same venue. Head coach Jerome dela Peña is expected to show up with the entire coaching staff. (jackbiantan@yahoo.com)
