To paraphrase Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts, Cebu FC’s ghosts are not just the mistakes of yesterday or those they inherit from who came before, but men in pink, and the specters rose again on Saturday afternoon as Stallion Laguna once again tripped them up in the title race, grabbing a 2-1 win that allows Kaya-Iloilo to put 8 fingers on the league title.
As expected, both clubs played a cagey first half, wanting to impose themselves on the game while not stretching out too much and leaving an opening for the other side to exploit, and thus it became a battle of who could convert first. Both sides left chances begging, and the game’s first 45 minutes ended as it started – goalless and oh so tense.
The second half, however, sparked into life and raised the specters of the same fixture last season, where Patrick Deyto stood on his head to deny Cebu and cost them critical points in their chase. How this season differed, however, was the momentum went forward for the Rosanero – they got more fluent poking at the Cebu offense and threatened Yusuf Cekic more and more as the momentum swung the Steeds’ way. The dam cracked in the 57th minute, halftime sub Jose Magson Dourado picking up a low cross from Christian Schaffner and blasting it into the right corner of the box to put the Steeds up and send nervous sweats down the Cebu bench.
Stallion would double the lead 3 minutes later, the Chino Hills boys linking up as Abe Placito teed up Juan Trujillo across the pitch to run at the box, firing off a low cross that Yusuf Cekic ended up bobbling for Finn McDaniel to slam in for his 17th and final goal of the season. After that goal, the intensity ratcheted up as Cebu pushed in waves to get back into the game, and Stallion broke at them repeatedly trying to net a 3rd to put it out of reach, punctuated by a bad injury for Cebu defender Kamil Amirul after getting effectively squashed by two Stallion defenders.
Rintaro Hama did pull one back for the hosts at the door of stoppage time, heading in a cross from JB Borlongan to set up a nervy finale. The tempers flared up completely in the middle of stoppage time, Hama inadvertently kneeing Freddy Cortez in the face after a cross was whipped in; the commotion extended the game further, seeing both benches having to be restrained as the chippiness intensified, and the final whistle dawned finally as the Steeds held on to the victory and the Giants are left ruing what could have been once again.
It’s curtains for Stallion in the season, while Cebu have their season finale next week at the Borromeo Stadium against a lowly Mendiola FC.
Psychology graduate that’s been down the football rabbit hole since a kiddie camp in 1996. Once made a tryout for Manila Jeepney and a weekend consists of hand-wringing about Manchester United and Stallion Laguna. Can be found spouting opinions on X @FullyVaxxedJ
