Football (or Futbol, if you are so inclined) is the world’s most popular sport for a reason. If you’re a fan of the sport, and looking for the thrill of the football pitch here in our homeland, then mark your calendars because from October 28 to 31, Santa Rosa, Laguna will play host to the Pilipinas Cup 2013.
The tournament, which is the largest gathering of amateur football teams in the country, will be at Nuvali, Santa Rosa, and will see the participation of 78 teams and 4,000 players and spectators per day. Categories for the tournament will include 11 a-side for Boys U18, U15, U13 and Girls Open, as well as 9 a-side for Boys u11, and 7 a-side for boys U9.
“The goal of the Pilipinas Cup 2013 is to build a highly competitive quality competition for the country’s youth on an annual basis. We want to give all our young footballers from the various corners of our islands the chance to compete at a national and international level, and with the aspiration of doing so every year,” says Monoty Roxas, program head of Pilipinas Cup.
The Tournament has even attracted the attention of an international team from the Mariana Islands (MP United FC), as well as several regional teams.
The tourney format is based on Pools of four or five teams in the first round, played on a League basis. This is followed by progression into either the “Cup” or”Plate” Finals. Teas are are divided into groups of four or five teams so that each team can play against others once.
The first and second teams in each group qualify for the “Cup Play-off”, while the other teams in the group qualify for the “Plate Play-off”. The third and fourth in the group will also play against each other for ranking. All teams will play at least four games, and as many as five or six games. The tournament is played under all applicable FIFA or PFF rules.
Winners from each category shall receive trophies and medals for besting the competition.
The Pilipinas Cup is made possible by Nuvali Evoliving, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Racks, Frabelle Foods and Kpability, as well as Standard Chartered (Hong Kong) Limited, and organized by the Manila Soccer Academy.
