The University of San Carlos (USC) defeated its archrival University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), 2-0, in a fight-marred non-bearing Cesafi football game yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center football pitch.
Both USC and USJ-R will meet again in the Finals starting this Saturday since both teams finished at the top two after the double round-robin elimination round. USC leads the tertiary division with 22 points followed by USJ-R with 18.
Yesterday’s game was considered a non-bearing match since both teams were already assured of slots in the finals. But action was still intense, especially after a USJ-R’s goal keeper Joel Cahilog got into a fistfight with USC’s Yves Caballero.
The altercation almost broke into a free-for-all rumble but Cesafi officials managed to pacify both sides. When the dust cleared, Cahilog was given a red card for his unsportsmanlike actions.
John Arnaiz scored the first goal for USC at the 15th minute while Harvey Tumlad added another one at the 70th minute.
University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) was at third with 10 points.
USJ-R’s secondary division booters, meanwhile, defeated USC, 2-1, in the other heated confrontation between the two teams.
USC’s Ramel Taok and Andrei Astilla were slapped with yellow cards along with USJ-R’s Marco Albite for different unsportsmanlike actions.
Meanwhile, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) blanked Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC), 1-0, to take back the lead in the secondary division.
SHS-AdC has 19 points while DBTC is at second with 16. USP-F is currently at third and USJ-R at fourth.
The remaining matches for the elimination round will be on Wednesday while the finals round in both secondary and tertiary division will be held this Saturday. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL