Little Azkals make final in Pintaflores football
The Little Azkals Under 14 overcame a sluggish performance in the last 30 minutes of the ballgame and set up a championship battle against Negros Oriental Football Association (NORFA) in the 5th Pintaflores National U16 Invitational Football Cup today in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
The national team managed to get its act together in the second half to edge the Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) Cebu, 4-3, in the semifinals yesterday.
Cebu’s Lawrence “Soysoy” Colina scored two of the Little Azkals’ four goals.
DBTC-Cebu, coached by Glenn Ramos, waxed hot in the match by scoring the first goal courtesy of Russel Saballero.
Colina leveled the match at 1-all via a penalty shootout, which resulted from a bad tackle on Davao’s Javier Romero-Salas.
DBTC-Cebu took back the upperhand at 2-1 with another goal scored by Kent Lusoc.
Lusoc once again found the back of the net to put DBTC-Cebu up, 3-1.
However, a bad tackle on Cagayan de Oro’s JB Borlongan gave the Little Azkals another goal via a penalty kick to slice the deficit to 2-3.
This seemed to jolt the Little Azkals as they started their own scoring spree with just 25 minutes left. Colina managed to level the match again at 3-all after picking up a corner kick from Jhenry Hamdan.
Romero-Salas gave the Little Azkals the finals ticket with just two minutes remaining when he picked up a cross from Ian Mellibo and lobbed it overhead past the goalkeeper.
DBTC-Cebu tried to force an extension but they lost the ball at the left flank. The team refused to give up as one of its players went one-on-one with the Little Azkals’ goalkeeper Jose Anton Yared. However, the latter managed to deflect the ball.
In the other semifinals match, NORFA dethroned defending champions San Carlos City by prevailing via penalty shootout at 4-3. The regulation match and extension ended scoreless.
The titular battle between the Little Azkals and NORFA will be preceded by the fight for third by DBTC Cebu and San Carlos City selection.
