Iloilo puts the big hurt on Leyte

Iloilo puts the big hurt on Leyte

story and photos by rick olivares

DUMAGUETE -- With arch rival Bacolod watching from the stands, Iloilo’s team of all-stars put the big hurt on Leyte 8-nil at the Filomeno Cimafranca Field at Silliman University, Dumaguete in the main game of the Saturday doubleheader of the Visayas Regionals of the PFF Suzuki U-23 National Cup.

The Ilonggos, bannered by veterans of champion teams in the NCAA and UAAP football leagues in Manila, actually started slow while the Warays early on showed none of the ill effects of a 5-nil thrashing at the hands of the host Dumaguete team the day before.

It was actually Leyte that had the first real chance of scoring when striker Angelo Marzan’s shot in the opening minute missed the goal by mere inches. But after 10 minutes, the Illongos moved the ball from one side to the other in order to stretch Leyte’s defense and probe for weak spots.

From a previous 4-4-2 formation against opening day foe Cebu, Team Iloilo went on a 3-5-2 attack that soon had them making runs on the left wing for crosses inside the box. Leyte goalkeeper Ferdinand Fortaliza who was rocky in their opening day 5-nil loss to Dumaguete looked sharp and confident as he turned back one attack after the other. But when Iloilo midfielder Francis Gustilo’s set piece from 30 yards out cleared the Warays’ wall, the ball took a wicked dip that blew past a surprised Fortaliza for a score.

The goal not only put Leyte down a goal but their confidence soon took a dive as Iloilo’s Glester Sobremisana and Shirmar Felongco sent unimpeded crosses one after another inside the box. And after 45 minutes of play, the score stood at 4-nil for Iloilo, one of the favorites to advance along with Bacolod.

In spite of the deficit and their lack of experience playing in national tournaments, Team Leyte redoubled its efforts to try and score. Marzan in particular was able to receive a couple of through balls only to be repeatedly thwarted by the duo of Neckson Leonora and Ronald Batisla-Ong. His chip over Iloilo goalkeeper Wilson Muñoz who rushed out to block a near breakaway instead went over the crossbar.

On the offensive end, Marjo Allado’s Ilonggo squad doubled their lead as five different players found the back of the net in spite of missing suspended striker Jomar Lestingio who was red-carded for a punching foul in the match against Cebu. Gustilo followed his brilliant set piece with his second tally when he volleyed home a well-placed cross by Sobremisana. Midfielders Romeo Martinez and Fidel Kue also scored braces while German Doronilla and John Paul Caro also struck a goal of their own.

After the final whistle, Allado remained restrained with his team’s second win. “It’s not easy to try and keep scoring because you also want to play like gentlemen,” said the Barotac Nuevo native. “But the goal differential is also important. So we tried to keep scoring.”

Iloilo had 15 corner kicks as compared to the one attempt by Leyte. The Ilonggos were too aggressive that they were called offside seven times while Leyte was whistled thrice.

Leyte Team Consultant Onnie Patulin was quick to praise his side for their positive attitude despite the second consecutive spanking by their Visayan neighbors. “We are here to soak experience,” said Patulin who is actually an official from the Masbate Football Association but is helping out Team Leyte at the request of association president Dan Palami. “You can see that our players continue to play hard and try to attack no matter what the score. And you will not see any of them play rough. That is not what we teach them. We will learn from this.”

Starting Lineups:

Iloilo: Wilson Muñoz, Neckson Leonora, Nicholas Leonora, Jenver Vergara, Francis Gustilo, Ronald Batisla-Ong, Chester Braga, Romeo Martinez, Shirmar Felongco, Glester Sobremisana, Rhante Bayquin.

Leyte: Wilberto Sugbo Jr., Angelo Marzan, Mark Jude Ibero, Divino Regis Jr., Ronald Tabao, Rodolfo Tomada, Rowell Daloso, Jonel Perante, Genesis Pongas, Ferdinand Fortaliza, Virgilio Manjeron.

Goals:

Francis Gustilo 16^th min.

Francis Gustilo 25^th min.

Romeo Martinez 36^th min.

German Doronilla 46^th min.

John Paul Caro 61^st min.

Romeo Martinez 62^nd min.

Fidel Kue 72^nd min.

Fidel Kue 86^th min.

SET PIECE PICTURE #1 (BELOW) The following is a sequence of three shots of the set piece by Francis "Ansing" Gustilo (who once played for FEU in the UAAP where he won two titles) in Iloilo's match with Leyte. Ansing can be seen slightly above the three-man wall of Leyte (they are in yellow). Leyte goalkeeper Ferdinand Fortaliza realizes too late that he did not position himself properly as he was closer to the right than the center. By the time he realizes his mistake -- that Ansing noticed -- the ball is on its way to his left. Then to the right of the photo, two Ilonggos (in white) are already in motion.

SET PIECE PICTURE #2 (BELOW) The ball goes past Fortaliza and yet the Ilonggo players dash forward in case of a rebound. The Leyte players still looked stunned and disbelieving. The inexperience shows. 

SET PIECE PICTURE #3 (BELOW) The ball finds the back of the net for Iloilo's first goal of the match.