DBTI GOES TO NATIONAL FINALS

Courtesy of Sun Star Newspaper (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/)

Monday, December 08, 2003 issue

by Patrick C. Costelo, Staff Reporter

DBTI goes to national finalsHOST team Don Bosco Technology Center got back with a vengeful but untimely 3-0 win over Negros Oriental National High School yesterday at the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus.

But it was immaterial as Cebu failed to qualify to the National Finals. Negros Occidental giant Don Bosco Technical Institute emerged the champion by goal difference after stunning DBTC last Friday, 2-0, and drawing with Negros Oriental High on Saturday, 1-1.

For the first time in two consecutive years it has hosted the Coke Go-For-Goal National Football Championship-Visayas Regional Finals, Cebu lost the championship.

DBTI could have wrested the National Finals ticket earlier had it beaten Negros Oriental, but the draw made matters tentative as the former had to wait for the result of yesterday’s match.

Negros Oriental, meantime, could have won the regional title had it defeated DBTC by three points. A penalty shootout could even have materialized between both Negros teams had Negros Oriental won against Cebu by two points.

But an entirely different DBTC squad set out yesterday giving the visitors the intensity of a defending regional champion as Kyle Soriano slammed a goal in the 25th minute to end the half at 1-0.

The Glen Ramos-coached DBTC scored its last two goals in the last 10 minutes of play after its defense held on, unlike the team that ran out of gas in the second half against DBTI in the opening day after trailing 0-2 at halftime.

Soriano scored goal No.2 in the 80th while Cebu leg MVP candidate Patrick Caricari drained the third goal in the 85th to thump the visitors and save face with the runner-up trophy.

DBTI’s Jonard Benetic, who scored both goals in the win against Cebu, bagged the MVP award while his teammate Von Joseph Bayquin took home the Best Goalkeeper honors.

DBTI took the third individual award as Michael Orbino nabbed the Best Midfielder medal.

Cebu, on the other and, took the remaining awards with John Tirol and Soriano taking the Best Striker and Best Defender medals, respectively.

Philippine Football Federation’s Jojo Rodriguez, director of competition and Jimmy Somogod, Referee Committee head, CFA’s Jonathan “Maxi” Maximo, Neil Montesclaros and Merk Bretherton, graced the closing rites, which saw Negros Oriental take the Chris Monfort Fair Play trophy after not logging a single caution. PCC