SOME defending champions faltered in their opening matches in yesterday’s start of hostilities of the 14th Aboitiz Football Cup at the Aboitiz Sports Field at the North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City.
Last year’s Players 8 champions Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) 1 dropped its first game against Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), 0-1.
Another defending champion which failed to open its title retention bid with a win is SHS-AdC, which defaulted its match against San Roque Football Club (SRFC) A for a 0-3 score.
The lone team which started its defense with a win was the Springdale Football Club in the Boys 12, which routed SAIS FC, 12-0.
In the inaugural Players 6 category, which is played using a league-type format, SRFC, DBTC, SHS-AdC, Giuseppe FC and BMALV all successfully hurdled their opening matches against separate foes.
SRFC was handed a 3-0 win when MABES FC defaulted in their match, while DBTC also had a walk in the park with a 3-0 pounding of Bright B. The Magis Eagles blanked Canduman Deadon, 2-0; Giuseppe FC edged Bright A, 1-0; and BMALV outsmarted Children’s Paradise Montessori School (CPMS), 1-0.
Giuseppe FC also had a field day in the Players 8 with a 9-0 demolition of DBTC A.
Enjoying a spectacular win in the Players 10 was DBTC 4, which completed a 17-0 annihilation of CPMS.
Other winners in the category were Bright Academy, which routed the Center for International Education (CIE) 1, 9-0; HIS, which whipped Mandaue Technical Institute (MTI), 11-1; and Giuseppe FC, which pocketed its third win for the day with a 4-2 victory over DBTC 2.
Giuseppe FC’s Boys 12 team was handed an easy victory after the Magis Eagles defaulted in their match.
The category also saw MABES FC blanking Cebu Eastern Colleges (CEC), 6-0; while Bright Academy finally posted a win via its Boys 12’s outsmarting of Colegio dela Inmaculada Concepcion – Mandaue (CIC-M), 4-0.
Seeing action today will be the Men’s Under 23 category and the Men’s Open. /Correspondent Mars G. Alison