Historical: Aboitiz Football Cup & Face-off

11-11-12. Mark this date and the week to follow. You are going to be part of sports history when Cebu Football celebrates its biggest week ever. We all know that the Azkals play Singapore in an international friendly game on Thursday, the first ever international game of a national football team in Cebu. Yes, that’s how big this week is.

And so the week starts with another big one: the opening ceremonies of the 15th Aboitiz Football Cup, Cebu’s premier football league. At last Wednesday’s press conference, it was revealed that around 155 teams are joining the tournament, with more teams signing up until last Friday when the final coaches meeting was conducted. The Aboitiz Sports Field in Subangdaku, Mandaue, will be a sea of football players as young as six (maybe even four) years old all the way to those veterans in the 38-above category. We’ll see school and community-based teams. We’ll also see regular working professionals playing the game that they love, and the young “once” who still feel they are at the prime of their careers, “feeling” mid-20ish. No other sport has managed to gather this broad spectrum of age groups in Cebu. Only the Aboitiz Football Cup does it. Basketball? None. Volleyball? None. Only football.

All football teams always make the “Aboitiz Cup” a must-join event every year. It’s the only eleven-a-side tournament that draws this level of participation. It is our wish that Cebu’s premier league continue to grow and elevate itself to breakthrough levels. The extra special icing on the cake for today’s opening will be the presence of the Philippine Azkals. Dan Palami committed to bring the team to today’s opening and here he is stepping up to deliver. The Azkals will have a mini training camp as part of their participation in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2012 which kicks off on November 24 in Thailand and Malaysia. The next five days will be crucial as this includes daily practice and the game aptly called “Face Off in Cebu City” on Thursday. There will then be more practice after “Face Off” as they make their way to Thailand where they face off against Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar in group play of the Suzuki Cup. It’s thus only right that Cebu’s biggest tournament kick off Cebu Football’s biggest week in sports history.

It’s strange but the past two months of preparations have suddenly come so close to game day, and football fans are anxiously counting down the days to November 15 as if it were an early Christmas present (which is actually be true). The Cebu Football Association (CFA) has been moving heaven and earth (literally) to get it done and there surely is no looking back now, is there? The football field at the Cebu City Sports Center has received the kind of VIP treatment that one gets at a beauty parlor or from Vicky Belo. Gone are the uneven surfaces of the ground and the irregular growth of grass. Kudos to the team handling the field, and to the crew of Ricky Ballesteros of the Cebu City Sports Center who are also working on the other important facilities that need a make-over. The Cebu Country Club lent its mower to level the grass while a crew from Alta Vista lent a hand. Where else can one find Cebu’s top golf clubs team up for football?

Ticket sales have been brisk but there are more tickets available for sale. So don’t listen to those who say that the event is already sold out. While the game will be aired live over Studio 23, we all know that there’s nothing like the real thing, is there? So rush on to the SM Tickets outlets at the SM Cinemas of the SM City Cebu and Consolacion. These are also available in all SM Tickets outlets nationwide. In fact, ticket purchases have been made from as far as SM Tarlac in the north to SM Davao in the south. Our neighbors in Bacolod and Iloilo will also be making the trip to Cebu for Face Off.

Sponsors make Face Off click and shout outs to Smart, Parklane Hotel, The Persimmon Studios, Planet Sports, 7-Eleven, Island Souvenirs, MDick Printers, Malunggay Life Oil, Coca Cola and our precious media partners Alcordo Advertising, Sun Star, RCTV, Y101, Mindanao times, Business Week Mindanao, Watchmen, Daily Guardian, Panay News, Goldstar and RJ 100.

Gates will open as early as 3pm on Thursday, and it’s highly recommended to come early to avoid the rush. Please also note that liquor, bottled water, canned soda, umbrellas and other forms of  “foreign objects” will not be allowed into the stadium. However, a row of stalls has been set up to answer basic needs. There’ll be food, drinks, and shirts for sale. Parking will be very tough for all. The advice is to park your vehicles somewhere convenient, and either commute via jeep or take a cab to the venue. The parking area of the CCSC will not be opened to the public. A benchmark for parking concerns would be the annual Sinulog and the Gorres-Montiel fight a few years ago. Security will also be tight. The CFA has put together a group of volunteer security units, policemen and marshals who will secure the stadium. All other little details regarding accommodations and meals are covered and there’s really only one thing left to do.

Face Off!

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Time-out: This is a call for prayers that Face Off becomes smooth and easy. Thanks a bunch! >>> You can reach me at [email protected].