Foton’s Branislav not worried about PSL quarterfinal pairings

MANILA, Philippines – The race to the crown is getting tight as three teams are bunched at the top of Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga Grand Prix standings.

But for Foton coach Moro Branislav, their ranking at the end of preliminaries will hardly affect their drive for their third consecutive title.

The seasoned Serbian tactician said the Tornadoes would be ready for the sudden-death quarterfinals regardless of their opponent.

So far, the Tornadoes are sharing the top spot with rival Petron and F2 Logistics with a 6-1 win-loss card following an emphatic five-set conquest of the Cargo Movers over the weekend in Batangas City.

The three leaders still have a game left in the single-round eliminations, but they are stacked against relatively lighter opponents like Victoria Sports-UST, Iriga City and Cocolife.

If and when they breeze through their last remaining games and finish with an identical 7-1 mark, the Cargo Movers, the Blaze Spikers and the Tornadoes will emerge as first, second and third seeds, respectively, based on superior quotient.

Branislav said they are really not concerned about the quarterfinal pairings.

“This match changed nothing,” said Branislav after posting a massive win over the Cargo Movers that evened things out.

“After the preliminary competition, F2 Logistics may finish first, Petron may finish position two and Foton may end up position three. It is not important where we end up. We will just prepare and be ready for the quarterfinals.”

If the battle for the top spot is getting hotter, the jockeying for position under is also getting more intense.

Cocolife is looking to post important wins in its last couple of games to secure the fourth spot while Cignal, Generika-Ayala and Sta. Lucia Realty are also looking to avoid the cellar, where they might end up facing a powerhouse opponent in F2 Logistics.

“Cocolife is a very surprising team,” said Branislav, adding that the Asset Managers may be a rookie team but the presence of veterans Tina Salak, Mary Jean Balse, Joanne Bunag and Jane Gonzales make them dangerous in the crucial stretch.

“Same goes with Cignal and Generika-Ayala. You can never really tell where they would end up until their very last game in (the) preliminaries.”

“This thing is actually good for the league. This makes the league very interesting and unpredictable.”