7S Football: Super Eagles end up with best record; Tondo F.C. and Futbol Funatics advance
Tondo F.C. and Futbol Funatics put on one of their best performances even as the Super Eagles have clinched the top overall record after Match Day 11 of the Philam Life 7’s Football League at the Mckinley Hill Stadium.
The Super Eagles scored a convincing win against Ghana F.C., 2-0, a rematch between two teams who met in last season’s finals. Both teams went scoreless in the first half before Ebere Ugochukwu and Stanley Edeme shattered made their respective goals. From there, there was no looking back for the Super Eagles.
“It was just beautiful and awesome. You know, even if this was a friendly game back home it was always like this because we never want to lose against those guys. We’re happy we won against them,” said coach Danny Kross.
Tondo F.C. came out sizzling from the get-go, pouring in three straight goals in the first half against Stallions Laguna. Through their balanced firepower, the former added three more in the second half to seal the victory.
In getting the victory, Tondo F.C. ended the regular season with a 5-6 record and clinched a playoff spot.
On the other hand, Superbad had a stellar showing against Ceres-Negros Youth, 4-1. Through Emmanuel Amoudo’s all-around performance in the first half, Superbad closed their season out strong and ended their campaign with a 2-9 record.
“We’re actually happy of the results since this is our first year in the league. We weren’t really expecting much coming in. [At the start] we were dominated by some teams but eventually, we got it together, we started competing. It’s something to look forward to next season since we have good chemistry, we just have to build on it,” said coach Iggy Halili.
Bohemian S.C. secured the third seed after posting a clean sheet against the H&J All-Stars, 4-0. The Mikee Carrion-mentored club poured on two goals each in both halves as they controlled possession.
In a game that went to the penalties, Real Amigos came out with a victory against Matu Deportivo, 4-3. Johnson, Sam, and Messi scored three goals in the penalty shootout while Sen made a key save, icing the game for Real Amigos.
Rounding out Match Day 11 was FutbolFunatics pulling off a crucial 2-1 win against Delimondo-Laro F.C. After being down 0-1, David Komenan and Michael Osuji notched two big goals before intermission en route to the victory.
With the win, the FutbolFunatics also finished the regular season with a 5-6 slate and now face a daunting task of going up against either the Super Eagles or Ghana F.C.
In Match Day 6 of the inaugural Women’s 7s Football League, Bohemian S.C. and Nomads stayed on top while Outkast F.C. and Sugod Malaya found their bearings once again.
In what was the highlight of the day, Sugod Malaya bucked a slow first half to complete a stunning comeback against TYFA, 5-4. Despite being down 1-3 during intermission, Sophia Margarse and the rest of the team kicked things up a notch on offense where they scored four straight goals.
Coach Marigen Ariel’s instruction for her players to communicate constantly paid dividends for Sugod Malaya, especially since they looked lost in the first half.
Sugod Malaya is currently tied with Outkast F.C. with a 3-2 slate.
“Actually, ‘yung adjustment namintalaga is sinabihan ko silana mag-usapsilasaloobkasisobrangtahimiknilanoong first half, taposhindinilaalam ‘yungnangyayarisaloob,” said Ariel.
“Important na at least may chance kaming mag-third peroibibigay pa rinnamin best naminsa next game, must-win pa rin kami doon. Hindi kami magigingkampantekasibakamawala pa saamin ‘yung placing naminsa standings,” she mentioned.
Outkast F.C., on the other hand, waylaid Young Pinay, 5-1. After a rough first half, Keuts Smith reminded her players to play with a sense of urgency and it worked in their favor, as they chipped in four unanswered goals.
“I told the girls that it’s win or go home and they didn’t have a choice but to do what they have to do to win. It would be a great morale booster but we’re not celebrating [yet] because we need to win our last game. If we don’t win next week, we might be out. But this still gives us confidence moving forward,” said Smith.
Meanwhile, Nomads won over against the gritty Stallions-Hiraya F.C., 6-4. After cruising along with a 3-1 lead come half time, Nomads almost saw their lead evaporate with Stallions-Hiraya’s three goals. However, Kyla Gibson and Joyce Semacio provided a timely boost helping their team get three goals of their own.
“It’s a win but it was a tough game. We knew at the start that this team is a tough one to face, which is why to come away here scoring six goals and a win is special,” said Coach Shane Cosgrove.
Fresh from her stint in the national team, Joyce Semacio was unfazed with the mental and physical fatigue as it was her unconditional love for football that pushed her to play at a high level tonight.
“Sobrangganda ng game and we worked together kaya nakuhanamin ‘yungpanalo. Nakayanan ko namankahit [nakakapagod] kasi love ko natalaga ang mag-football, sanaysanayan din,” said Semacio.
Establishing their dominance once again was Bohemian S.C., as they posted a clean sheet against Payatas F.C., 5-0. Through their fast-paced play and stingy defense, Bohemian S.C. controlled possession against the helpless Payatas F.C.
Despite their ongoing winning streak, Coach Ava Africa reminds her players to ward off complacency given their huge targets on their backs.
“From the start of the game, we kept on pressing them and we moved the ball around. Of course, we need to work on a lot of things and improve from this game. We never take our past success to get into our heads. We don’t think ourselves as the ones on top of the board and we [avoid] being complacent,” said Africa.
Complete results for Match Day 11
Women’s 7s Football League
- Outkast F.C. 5, Young Pinay 4
- Nomads 6, Stallions-Hiraya F.C. 4
- Bohemian S.C. 5, Payatas F.C. 0
- Sugod Malaya 5, The Younghusband Football Academy 4
Philam Life 7s Football League Men
- Superbad 4, Ceres Negros-Youth F.C. 1
- Tondo F.C. 6, Stallions Laguna 0
- Bohemian S.C. 4, H&J All-Stars 0
- Real Amigos 4, Matu Deportivo 3 (1-1 in regulation; 3-2 via penalties)
- Super Eagles 2, Ghana F.C. 0
- FutbolFunatics 2, Delimondo-Laro 1
