The calm before the U-23 storm

The calm before the U-23 storm

by rick olivares

Iloilo City – After seven weeks of tough elimination games matches in the PFF Suzuki Under-23 National Cup, the field of 29 teams is down to four.

And fittingly, the final four teams come from the acknowledged football hotbeds in the country – Bacolod, Davao, Iloilo, and the National Capital Region.

Host Iloilo, a tournament favorite to win the title, will play a NCR team laden with UAAP and NCAA players, at Barotac Nuevo on Sunday, May 15 while Bacolod, coached by former national player Norman Fegidero Jr. will go up against Davao at the Central Philippine University pitch on Monday, May 16.

It’s a virtual win-or-go-home game where the winners move on to the finals in a home-and-away format.

Despite the talent on his team, Smit remained wary. “NCR is at the biggest disadvantage. Our first full game together was against Bacolod. And coach Nonoy knew that and in the first 15 minutes, tinira kami agad for two goals. Wala pa kaming 15 sessions of training. Natuwa ako kung meron 13 na dumating.”

If the composition from many schools was a problem, Bacolod made sure that their number was manageable. Said assistant coach Ramon Janeo: “For our preparations before we qualified sa semifinals, our advantage is our composition that comes from three schools -- University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, University of St. La Salle, and West Negros University.”

However, a brief debate arose when the NCR’s Smit and team representative Jojo Rodriguez protested that their match be played in Barotac Nuevo, the home field of the Iloilo team. Smit cited past experiences where the crowd got rowdy and he feared for the safety of his players.

Match Commissioner Augilbert Encontro said that the host association had the prerogative of choosing their home field. Local Organizing Committee Head Duffie Botavera also gave assurances of the players’ safety. “In Barotac, it is said that if you play well, you will have half the crowd. I cannot comprehend that because the people there appreciate the talents of the players and that we are not taking advantage of the situation.”

Iloilo will play NCR on Sunday, May 15 at 230pm while Bacolod will go up against Davao at Central Philippines University on Monday, May 16 also at 230pm.

Bleachers' Brew #260 Summoning ghosts of Bulls past

This appears in the Monday, May 16, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

Summoning ghosts of Bulls past

by rick olivares

Eight months ago, I was hoping that Dwyane Wade would suit up for his hometown Chicago Bulls. Imagine that – the Flash and Derrick Rose in one team. Only it never happened as they opened a future Hall of Fame wing in South Beach.

I honestly didn’t expect much from the Bulls this year even if they landed Carlos Boozer. Of course, I knew that he wouldn’t be another Ben Wallace because Boozer could score some. But there was something lacking I felt. Maybe another star?

Marv Albert once narrated that when the Chicago Bulls drafted a junior out of North Carolina in the summer of 1984, Chicago basketball would be weary no more.

And for 15 years, they were the greatest basketball show on Earth. Beatles in hi-tops and everyone came to see the play. After the Show went away, the rebuilding came. And I actually thought that Jerry Krause got the job done. They drafted some pretty good players and brought in some new talent but they never seemed able to get over the hump.

There were fleeting glimpses and highlights of course. They had Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, Tyson Chandler, and… Jannero Pargo! Really. There was that painful exit courtesy of the Washington Wizards and their incredible sweep of the Miami Heat.

Luol Deng was now the team’s senior citizen. The lone holdover from the team that I thought was going to bring the Bulls back to greatness.

Now 13 years later, they have a chance to resurrect old glory. There’s no new model of Air Jordan and the Jordanairres. It’s a new generation. A team finding it’s own identity. San Antonio is gone. Los Angeles is done. So are the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic. But in their stead lies the formidable Miami Heat that has found a way to blend its talent and win.

I of course, cannot tell how this series will go but I do hope the Bulls win. And so I try to look for signs (as if it can be won on paper).

I once read an article in Street and Smith where the writer postulated that every NBA champion had a player who went to the NCAA title game (never mind if he lost). The write argued that making the NCAA Finals wasn’t easy given the level of competition and the many games one had to play.

There was a caveat, he said if one pointed out to the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. They had Moses Malone who never went to college. So I religiously followed that and noted that the recent champions LA Lakers and Boston Celtics had players like Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, and Kevin Garnett who never played college ball.

Should I take comfort that Joakim Noah won two titles with Florida? And that Derrick Rose led Memphis to the NCAA Finals (where they lost to Kansas)?

I can’t because LeBron James never went to college so he’s a wild card too.

Should I take comfort that every team that has ousted the Celtics while holding them to less than a 100 points per game in every game never won an NBA title?

Nope, because records, even dubious ones, are meant to be broken.

Does beating the Heat three times in the regular season mean something? Sure it does but it’s no guarantee. The NBA’s second season is altogether different.

During the dog days of the 82-game sked, the Boston Celtics decided to rest their starters and to not try and catch the Heat in the standings. Their homecourt advantage didn’t do much since the Heat took a match their parquet. But now in the finals, that is every bit crucial.

The Bulls need their two stars – Rose and Boozer – to play big and match up if not surpass the output of Wade and James. They need Kyle Korver to be the new John Paxson and Steve Kerr. They need Taj Gibson to be Jason Caffey and Scott Williams. They need CJ Watson to hit some big shots like BJ Armstrong once did. They need Deng to be like Kukoc.

They need Rose and Boozer to channel MJ and Pip if they want to end those dreary days of Chicago basketball.

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photo by David Dow/NBAE 

Different strokes for John Smoltz

For the last couple of months, I have been following the new career of former Atlanta Braves pitching great John Smoltz in the PGA Tour. He recently competed in the South Georgia Classic where he missed the cut by 27 strokes. Is he out of his league? Nope. This is his first national event and although forgettable, he can only get better.

For the longest time, Smoltz was a starting pitcher but after a while, he shifted to closer. If I remember correctly, in one of his first games as a closer, he gave up eight runs in 2-plus innings. I think in the post-game interview, he said that he had not given up that many runs as a starter. 

And that was a low point. He is the only MLB pitcher with 213 wins and 154 saves. So maybe on the golf course, who knows how far he could move up?

Suzuki U23 Cup semis preview

This appears in the Friday May 13, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

Suzuki U23 Cup semis preview

by rick olivares

After over a month of competition, the PFF Suzuki Under-23 National Cup is down to four teams – Bacolod, Davao, Iloilo, and the National Capital Region.

Two teams from the Visayas, one from Mindanao, and one from the capital. Nearly one team from every geographical division is represented. Laguna, from Luzon, nearly advanced but in their overconfidence, ran into already ousted NCR Team A that played their best football of the tournament.

And almost fittingly, the hotbeds of football in the country are duking it out for the championship and bragging rights in the first national tournament in five years.

Bacolod and Iloilo, long time rivals finished first and second respectively in the Visayas regionals and look to be on a collision course for the title.

Bacolod topped their quarterfinals group in their home city with 2 wins and 1 draw while Iloilo had also finished with the same record in the Laguna group quarterfinals.

Davao, the Mindanao leader, finished second to Iloilo who soundly beat them 4-1 in the final playing day of their group stage.

NCR, playing their first game of the competition, got their feet wet against Bacolod which scored two early goals. Although NCR outplayed the Bacolodnons the rest of the way, they could only muster one goal in a 2-1 loss.

Host team Iloilo will play NCR at Central Philippines University in Iloilo City while Bacolod goes up against Davao in Barotac Nuevo.

The semifinals will be played on May 15 and 16 in Iloilo but the games will be drawn during the managers’ meeting on May 14 in Iloilo City.

Iloilo (4-1-1) vs. NCR (2-0-1)

The Ilonggos have arguably the best midfield in the tournament with Francis Gustilo, Glester Sobremisana, Shirmar Felongco, and Romeo Martinez. Their passing, creativity, and ground game has long been the hallmark of their style of play that one is almost tempted to remark rather lavishly that it is “almost Brazilian.” The favorites to win it, this team will go as far as Gustilo will take them. Their mercurial playmaker can make or break them. With him off him game, the ball does not swing to Sobremisana -- deadly on the cross and attacking inside -- on the wings.

NCR Team B is the outsider that could actually win it all. If name players were enough to win a title, then largely because its players see action in the UAAP and the UFL, they should win it. Unfortunately for their foes, they are strong not just on paper. The team actually got better as the tournament progressed. Whether because of fresh legs (other teams went through the clusters and regional’s while NCR went straight to the quarterfinals), talent, or both, these guys are good.

Bacolod (5-1-0) vs. Davao (3-2-1)

Bacolod boasts of the best attacking offense of the tournament. Head coach Norman Fegidero Jr. was a fearsome striker in his day and he constantly preaches to his team to score more and more. His teams have three of the  tournament’s top scorers in Joshua Beloya (12 goals), Jovin Bedic (five goals), and Aldrin Dolino (four goals). The trio are not only smart football players but also gifted passers who are blessed with speed with great ball control. They place immense pressure on opposing defenders. Iloilo, in their Visayas regionals match up chose to play them with three defensive backs and Bacolod made them pay for it as they zinged Ilonggo keeper Wilson Muñoz with shots all match long. Masbate showed opponents on how to stifle them by marking Bacolod’s overlapping players while challenging Dolino’s crosses inside the box.

Davao is perhaps the most inconsistent team of the lot. As the Mindanao regionals progressed their performance dipped. And that surprisingly continued into the Laguna quarterfinals. Their success lies in keeper Rufino Mantos who directs their defense but whose bane is his temper, and Enrique Romero-Salas who drives their engine. If he has his way in the middle, they will be a handful.

Enrique Romero-Salas vs NCR Team A in Laguna.

The Retirement Plan

The Retirement Plan

Everyone wants to fight the champ because of the big payday. Shane Mosley, far removed from his slugging days, took Pacquiao’s retirement plan and ran away with it. Writer Rick Olivares thought he was watching a boxing match and not a track meet.*

Street poet Bundini Brown once coined the phrase for Muhammad Ali’s fighting style – “float like a butterfly; sting like a bee.”

It’s a sound boxing tactic. Hit and run. One that can frustrate opponents. Sugar Ray Leonard used that to devastating fashion that an exasperated Roberto Duran simply said, “No mas.”

Another Sugar -- Shane Mosley who had carved out a reputation for fighting – reprised history. Although it was he who was quite exasperating not only to Manny Pacquiao but to his own corner and to the millions watching the fight.

Mosley has fought for close to two decades. And all throughout his career, he had never been knocked out. With Father Time catching up on him and facing a foe had didn’t have much hope of beating, what was his only recourse? He saw how the champ has bludgeoned all his previous foes into submission and retirement. And the one who survived was Joshua Clottey by simply throwing his arms up so that he would not have to make a doctor’s appointment.

Mosley tested Manny in the early rounds. After he was floored in the third round – by a rocket to the jaw – but he got up as if to say, “What the heck was I thinking of?” and chose to disengage. The American was never knocked out but his career most certainly has.

So the question once more is posed, “Is there anybody else?”

The fight with an ageing Mosley might have been one final payday for a fighter on his last legs. It was also the appetizer to the entrée that is Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But the former pound-for-pound king has been also doing his own running away – jawing at Pacquiao but staying clear of any skirmish. And that leaves Juan Manuel Marquez, Zab Judah, Tim Bradley, or even Amir Khan as potential foes.

However, do they want to? Save perhaps for Marquez who still clings to the belief that he beat Pacquiao and would like another crack at him, all have to wrestle with the some brutal truths.

The lesson from the Margarito-Pacquiao match up is – “fight Manny at your own risk.” Since his remarkable trilogy with Erik Morales, the new pound-for-pound king has ended the careers of many a great fighter – Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, and perhaps Shane Mosley. A fight with Manny is like preparing one’s retirement plan.

“I just fought the best fighter in the world. He has power, exceptional power, that I have never been hit with before,” gushed Mosley.

Shane’s retirement package? Five million bucks and maybe a little more to make those payments to his ex-wife and four children according to TMZ.

Normally, with every fight, the vanquished have sung high praise to Pacman. But there’s an alarming trend that some are trying to befriend Pacquiao – play nice and preempt matters with a mutual admiration society so they are spared a facial in the ring.

Pacman, lulled into the faux friendliness, would land punches here and there instead of laying the smackdown foes. Against Mosley, the congeniality vibe went a little longer as both fighters’ corners were aghast.

Thundered trainer Naazim Richardson to Mosley: “He is not your friend!”

In the opposite corner, Freddie Roach asked the same, “Why are you touching gloves? Is he your friend? You’re supposed to knock this guy out.”

Mosley tried to test Pacquiao in the early rounds. Once he got a taste of the Filipino’s power particularly in the third round, the game plan switched to one of survival while throwing the occasional jab then backpedalling. Mosley had his payday and while the evident would unlikely tarnish his stellar boxing career, he wanted one last thing to keep intact – that he not be knocked out.

After a push that sent Pacquiao to the canvass that referee Kenny Bayless erroneously called a knockdown, the champ had enough of playing Mr. Nice Guy. When he could, or more appropriately, when Pacquiao caught Mosley, he tried to knock him into next week. But the American had largely escaped unscathed in the earlier rounds and he was able to float away from the bee stings.

It was a win – Pacquiao’s 53^rd in his career – but an unsatisfying one despite the unanimous decision and no fault of his own. And yet, he has more than 20 million reasons to be gleeful.

But for Manny Pacquiao, he’s fast running out of opponents who will test his mettle… and the platitudes that writers like me have to serve him.

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This appears in the next issue of Philippines Free Press that will be out next week.


Photo from ESPN

The semis cast is complete for the PFF Suzuki U-23 National Cup

NCR Teams win in Suzuki Cup

This appears in the Wednesday May 11, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

NCR Teams win in Suzuki Cup

By rick olivares

LOS BANOS, LAGUNA -- One National Capital Region team made a grand exit from the competition while its brother team put on a fiery display of offensive might to put them in a position to advance to the next stage of the competition.

NCR Team A as coached by Anto Gonzales showed what they could do given enough time and preparation as they sent host team Laguna packing 3-nil over at the UP-Los Baños pitch. It was a king-sized upset considering that NCR were opening day 7-nil losers to Iloilo and on the business end of a 4-nil thrashing by Davao in the second day of the Group A quarterfinals of the PFF Suzuki U-23 National Cup.

Laguna in the meantime drew 2-2 with Davao and 1-1 with Iloilo. A win, especially by a huge margin would have been enough to send them through. Unfortunately, they were overconfident while NCR played with a purpose and a cohesiveness not seen in the first two matches.

Greggy Yang opened the scoring for NCR with a set piece that beat Davao keeper RS Mantos in the 7^th minute. Arturo Enriquez added a second in the 34^th minute while striker Anton Amistoso closed out the scoring in the 67^th minute.

Iloilo topped Group A with a 4-1 win over Davao which finished second in the group and will also advance to the semifinals that will be played in Barotac Nuevo next weekend.

Over at Panaad Stadium, Bacolod, NCR Team B crushed Dipolog 6-0. Striker Ojay Clarino broke out of his two-match funk by scoring his side’s first four goals. That included a virtuoso move in the 32^nd minute by the UST striker who went through and around five Dipolog defenders before sending the ball past keeper goalkeeper Rizziel Villaespin. Clarino later assisted fellow forward Don Rabaya who scored his second goal of the tournament.

Clarino later added a second half goal in the 54^th minute to complete the rout.

NCR had complete control of the midfield as Yannick Tuason, Nikko Villa, Stephen Permanes, and Jay Eusebio stymied all Dipolog incursions. And that led to the first half feeding frenzy.

Dipolog, which placed second in the Mindanao regionals was dealt a bad hand when four of their best players were unable to join them in Bacolod. As it was during their game against Bacolod (that resulted in an 8-1 drubbing), the charges of English coach Reginald Jukes played better in the second half as they allowed only one goal while manufacturing four decent scoring chances including one strike that whizzed past keeper Patrick Deyto only to hit the second post.

“Happens all the time,” lamented Jukes. “But we’re learning something.”

As of presstime, Bacolod, the first team to qualify for the semifinals, was playing Masbate. A win by Bacolod will see them go up against Davao in the crossover semifinals while Masbate must win by six goals to advance.

Beloya impresses Azkals coach

This appears in the Tuesday May 10, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

Beloya impresses Azkals coach

by rick olivares

PANAAD, BACOLOD -- Joshua Belayo continued his tournament-long brilliance by tallying five goals in a 8-1 rout of Dipolog to book Bacolod a trip to nearby Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo for the semifinals of the PFF Suzuki U-23 National Cup.

The Fil-Am, who was born in Olongapo but who grew up in the United States and Sweden, only recently moved to his mother’s hometown of Bacolod. Beloya, who roots for Liverpool FC, has compiled 12 goals in a mere five matches. An astonishing strike rate of 2.4 goals per match. What makes the feat even more incredible is that it’s only in the last two games of Bacolod that he was inserted in the starting eleven by head coach Norman Fegidero Jr.

Fegidero, who knows a thing or two about goal scoring as he was a fearsome scorer during his heyday, showered his prodigious player with praise: “He has a great feel for the game and is very dangerous in the and around the box. I think however that his mental toughness is his biggest asset.”

The home team isn’t all Beloya. It has striker Jovin Bedic who has five goals in five matches. Fegidero also has two players who are former national players in defender Lemuel Unabia and midfielder Aldrin Dolino who were in the Azkals team that played in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers held in Iloilo. Dolino, who hails from San Carlos City, has four goals in the tournament thus far.

The trio of Bedic, Beloya, and Dolino have formed such as fearsome strike team that Bacolod has employed at times an unorthodox 2-5-3 attack formation to accommodate their capabilities.

“Now that we’ve qualified,” stated Fegidero. “Our next goal is to top our group. And I will encourage my players to score more goals.”

National football team assistant coach Edwin Cabalida was at the Panaad Stadium to scout players who could try out for the Under-23 team that will compete in the Southeast Asian Games this November in Indonesia.

Word has it that aside from Beloya, he was taking a look at National Capital Region goalkeeper Patrick Deyto and Dolino, who tournament Organizing Head Red Avelino describes as “the next Chieffy Caligdong.”

Notes: Bacolod was also the first team to qualify for the quarterfinals after it swept the Visayas Regionals that included a 1-0 win over arch-rival Iloilo. The final day of the quarterfinals in both the Laguna and Bacolod groups all have bearing. Over at the UPLB, Iloilo, Davao and Laguna are all looking to win their final matches in order to qualify for the two available semis seats. In Bacolod, NCR Team B and Masbate not only need to win their respective matches against Dipolog and Bacolod but to score goals as well. Both NCR and Masbate are tied in points but Masbate is ahead on goal differential.

It ends at five (and other NBA thoughts)

As the NBA’s regular season wound down, I read how the Boston Celtic’s would give their starters some rest rather than try to catch and pass the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference rankings. That alone said much about Doc Rivers’ unwavering belief that his team of aging stars can get the job done even on the road.

It remains to be seen if Doc was right because they went up against a less than 100% Knicks team and are now savoring the home cooking against the Heat.

But who would have thought that the San Antonio Spurs who dominated the regular season; the Los Angeles Lakers, a veteran championship team; and the Orlando Magic, long on potential and short on accomplishments would be dispatched in embarrassing fashion?

Not since the 1999 has the NBA playoffs been so unpredictable. But… I like it. I’m just hoping and being selfish here that my Chicago Bulls go all the way.

It’s like saying, “let the old order crumble and let’s start a new.”

I tried looking for parallelisms in yesterday’s NBA and I have found none. Time was teams cooled their jets and waited for the playoffs before turning on the afterburners. No such thing now. The Bulls did that in ’98. The Lakers at the tailend of their own Last Dance with Phil were not the same.

Whatever issues Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol may have, Kobe did not pick it up. As great as he is, this should once and for all, put him in a separate sentence with Michael Jordan. Once they began their ascent, Jordan’s teams were never swept.

In the chaos of the Lakers’ crumbling, Kobe was nowhere to be found. Make no mistake, I am a fan of Black Mamba but like Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Shane Mosley, he disappointed. Does the chase for six rings (that MJ has) end here?

But in spite of the sweep by Dallas, Phil Jackson’s record and legacy is fine. This devastating loss should not tarnish anything. And what a record he has as a player and as a coach, huh? If he does come back… I want it to be with the New York Knicks. The journey would be complete.

I honestly thought that they’d stampede their way to a third straight title given the players they picked up along the way. They seemed well on their way to that but it would be interesting to find out what happened. Maybe another Last Season: A Team in Search of it’s Soul?

I remember during the Last Dance of the Chicago Bulls, Tex Winter was interviewed by the NBA that was prepping its season video of the Bulls. The inventor of the Triangle Offense said, “I just realized that I am the longest coach that Michael Jordan’s even had? How fortunate can I be?”

The same can be said of Jackson. He’s had Michael, Scottie, and Dennis among others in the Windy City. He’s had Shaq, Kobe, and Pau in LA. Those are going to make some great stories at the coffee shop or while fishing. Or what did Rick Carlisle say, “smoking peyotes?” Bwahaha.

People talk about reloading and maybe just maybe the Lakers need one. But if there are any two teams that need it – that’s the San Antonio Spurs and the Orlando Magic. They’ve clearly run the course with their current rosters.

Even as the Lakers were given the broom, some are salivating over the possibility of landing Dwight Howard. If that happens will lightning strike twice? The last time the Magic sent a center to the Lakers, well, they began an incredible run.

The Magic have jettisoned a lot of personnel in the past two seasons and clearly the current batch doesn’t work. It’s going to be interesting to see what pieces they put together to complement Jameer Nelson and Howard. If they keep them at all.

As for the Knicks, the past year together should help them for next year. Now they know what they can do and cannot do. Now they still need a little help.

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pics by Elas and Andrew Bernstein

Bleachers' Brew #259 Heaven is a pitch Part 2

This column appears in the May 9, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

Heaven is a pitch Part 2

words and pics by rick olivares

If you’re looking for an imposing façade with gilded gates then you’re going to miss West Negros University. The main entrance is next to a mini mart and fronted by several internet shops with siren call of “gaming center” that should be a red flag for truancy and indolence. You only realize the school is right there because of a streamer announcing high school enrollment in ongoing.

When you enter, the first thing you see if the administration building. Turn a corridor, then you see the pitch which is right in the middle of the school and parallel to two basketball courts.

West Negros University (WNU) has made a name for itself for those two sports. Among many others, the university has produced former pro basketball players Yves Dignadice and Mike Mustre. There are also former national football players like Robert Cañedo, Neil Calinawagan, and Joshua Fegidero as well as current Azkals Eduard Sacapaño and Raymark Palmes.

What makes the WNU even more remarkable is the size of the school. With three other big schools in Bacolod and the “more prestigious” being the University of St. La Salle, the student population has shrunk. Yet steadfast in their philosophies of shaping character and instilling a sense of discipline, the Mustangs, as the school’s varsity teams are known by, continue to defy the bigger programs to romp away with titles.

The cabinet inside the school’s athletics department is overflowing with trophies that many of them are just placed on the floor. When you enter, the coaches seem almost embarrassed. “Sorry sa kalat,” says with no trace of haughtiness as he scurries away.

Aside from WNU being a perennial contender in the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSSCEA), my interest in writing about the school is primarily because of two people -- Nonoy Baclao and Norman Fegidero Jr.

Baclao became a household name in Manila and the rest of the country after transferring to Ateneo de Manila where he helped the Blue Eagles to two UAAP titles. He was also a part of the Philippine Patriots that captured the first ever Asean Basketball Championship before he went on to become the number one overall pick of the last Philippine Basketball Association draft.

Before he chose basketball as his primary sport, Baclao tried his hand at goalkeeping under Fegidero. In hindsight, that is probably one reason why he became so adept at protecting Ateneo’s basket and sending back errant shots.

Fegidero, a former national player who led the Philippines to a semifinals berth in the 1991 Southeast Asian Games in Manila alongside Rudy del Rosario, Elmer Bedia, Adolfo Alicante, Hersey Salmon, and Nonoy Carpio among others, has been the minder in charge of the winning football program of WNU.

The school’s football pitch is not even of standard size. It’s a small field but it’s located right in the middle of the school as if to say the beautiful game and the football team are the centerpiece of the school.

The size, Fegidero says, is not a problem. All the better to work on the short game and spacing rather than an emphasis on long ball play. An astute student of the game, Fegidero, who once played striker first for WNU and later for the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, learned much of his game philosophy from his coaches -- Argentinean Carlos Cannero and German Eckard Krautchon. He closely studies FC Barcelona and their style of play which mirrors much of the game he espouses.

“It sounds like a cliché, but for me the team always comes first,” said Fegidero who is a stickler for discipline.

The Philippine Football Federation’s Red Avelino holds Fegidero in high regards. “He leads by example,” said Avelino. “You should see him leading his team during training.”

In his brief stint as national team head coach during the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers held in Iloilo, Fegidero brooked no brattiness from his players. He threatened to throw out players who insisted on preferential treatment or coming to play in their own time. He kowtowed to no one – not from the Philippine Football Federation officials who insisted on pampering the Fil-foreigners to the soccer dads who think they know better than the coach.

But after the tournament when the Philippines didn’t advance to the next stage because of the goal differential, Fegidero walked away. “It wasn’t worth it when you have so much politicking and no clear program for the development of the national team and football.”

With West Negros, he is ironclad in his approach to handling his kids. When he recruits, tops on his list is a person’s attitude and speed. “Skill and the technical aspect can be taught and learned, but the first two is something that not every one possesses.”

Aside from WNU, Fegidero brings that discipline and order with his coaching the Bacolod team in the ongoing PFF Suzuki Under-23 National Cup. All the coaches wear the same type of clothing with the same color. Everything is in order and properly organized. And every one has to be on time and play their roles. “Business-like” is the term to best describe them. And I for one admire them for their sense of order and discipline.

When Joshua Belayo, a talented Fil-American out of Sweden who only recently moved to Bacolod, was not on the same page with the team, Fegidero set him straight. Belayo took the message to heart and began to play sweet music with teammates. Alongside strikers Jovin Bedic and Adrian Dolino, the trio has led Bacolod to four consecutive and convincing wins over their opposition. As for the Fil-Am? He has notched a tournament-leading seven goals in four matches. And to underscore his point, Fegidero observed, “All it requires is a change of attitude and things will become easier for you.”

Although WNU’s basketball court is decorated with streamers celebrating the Mustangs basketball team, the football field has no tell tale signs of a winning tradition.

“Simple lang dapat,” he smiles. “There is no need to call attention to yourself. Football may be a tough game but that is where there is ‘fair play’. You have to conduct yourself like a gentleman.

Fegidero pauses and looks out at the damp football field in the center of the school as a light rain falls. The game is his life and his teams’ continued excellence remains his pursuit aside from molding them into good people. It’s a must that they graduate and not just play football. “The game has been good to me. Now I am giving back to it.”

There’s practice at 4pm. He will go out there in the rain and lead by example. He smiles then enters the athletics office to get ready.

With Norman Fegidero Jr. at the West Negros University football field. After a semester in WNU, Fegidero went to Manila to coach at the Ateneo Football Center alongside the late Chris Monfort who also recruited him to play for Ateneo-Swift in a commercial league. It was there where he became teammates with Ompong Merida. That friendship also bore fruit as later, Fegidero sent Neil Calinawagan to Merida where he was a crucial piece to Ateneo's football dominance in the early 2000s.

NCR climbs back into contention in Suzuki Cup

This appears in the Monday May 9, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

NCR climbs back into contention in Suzuki Cup

by rick olivares with aj bolando

PANAAD, BACOLOD – National Capital Region Team B settled down in their second match of the PFF Suzuki Under-23 National Cup as they put themselves back into contention for a semifinals berth with a 1-0 win over opening day winner Masbate.

Striker Don Rabaya blasted home a rebound past Masbate keeper Anthony Albao after a superb long distance set piece by NCR’s Jess Melliza in the 22^nd minute.

The Manila eleven showed more fluidity and creativity in their attack with Stephen Permanes, Jay Eusebio, and Nathaniel Alquiros starting in the midfield. With defender David Basa linking up on the attack, NCR dominated large stretches of the first half.

Instead of buckling under the pressure, Masbate regroup and stopped NCR as they forced them into a series of long balls that never served any purpose.

The reset found NCR once more dominating the match. Striker Ojay Clarino and midfielder Yannick Tuason were inserted by coach Hans Smit and their pace and energy galvanized in their attack. NCR thought it tacked on another goal following a Clarino tap in when the keeper dropped another Melliza blast but the linesman whistled the former for offside that drew immediate protests from the NCR coaching staff. “That’s twice we’ve been victimized by a bad call,” lamented Smit. “The goal difference could hurt us.”

Even as one NCR team got going, another was ousted from the quarterfinals.

Davao ousted NCR Team A with a 4-0 thrashing at the University of the Philippines-Los Baños in the first game of the Laguna double-header.

Davao, the Mindanao regional leader, came out with a lot more intensity after nearly losing to Laguna in their opening match. Said keeper RS Mantos, “We were embarrassed and we agreed to play with a lot more heart and intensity.”

The Davaoeños, coached by Alvic Troyo, scored first with an outside volley by midfielder Nur Mentang in the 22^nd minute. But after NCR defender Enzo Bonoan was sent off with a red card for a reckless tackle, Davao took advantage of the manpower advantage as they poured it on in the second half. Al-dina Tiburon added the insurance goal in the 57^th minute that broke the Manilans’ backs. Joven Benitez and Reyelle Pino tacked on two more goals in the 72^nd and 89^th minute even as a second NCR player, forward Matteo Yuhico was red carded.

In the main match at the Laguna group quarterfinals, the home side drew 1-1 with fancied Iloilo. A Lawrence Gatasi strike in the 67^th minute saw Laguna go up as they outplayed Iloilo. But head coach Marjo Allado’s boys leveled the match in the 82^nd minute after midfielder Michael Poras found a crease in the defense.

The Ilonggos destroyed NCR Team A in their first game 7-0.

Pacquiao-Mosley as I see it

I figure Shane Mosley trying to probe and play it cautious in the first few rounds. He isn’t going go to toe-to-toe with Manny. He’ll fight defensively and try to nail Pacman on the counter. After all, in addition to the lucky haymaker, he’s trying to land a huge payday that will pay for his responsibilities outside the ring (i.e. child support) and he’d love for nothing than to land another huge payday then he’d be set. If he gets battered, he might do a Joshua Clottey. He may not get the win but if he can survive without kissing the canvas then it’s somewhat of a victory. He’s never been floored and he’d like to keep it that way if he can. And at his age and given that Manny has rearranged his previous foes faces, anything less than a facial is a victory.

Obviously, Mosley isn’t the fighter he once was. Father time has really caught up with him. But those massive arms of his can still pack a punch. Even a lucky one. If Manny is peppering him with shots then it isn't going to do Shane any good. Even if he tries to drag the fight into the later rounds. Antonio Margarito can attest to that. It's like an artillery barrage for three-quarters of an hour.

The onus is on Manny to finish this off right away. Forget all talks about this being the prelude to that elusive Chickenweather. Boxing history is replete with upsets, bad decisions, and surprises. This fight is for real and it happens now. Every one is wondering if there’ll be signs of slippage, if Manny is distracted, if Manny still wants to fight, but every time that crops up, Pacman shows his greatness.

Manny with a TKO in six.