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LAGUNA, Philippines – After dropping their first match in this year’s Palarong Pambansa secondary football tournament, Western Visayas got back on track as they crushed Ilocos Region, 7-1, to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals, Wednesday, May 7, at the Laguna State Polytechnic University football field in Sta. Cruz.
Three players found the back of the net for the Iloilo-based crew as they made their Ilocos counterparts look like schoolboys in their second win out of their three games this year.
Jonas Oren nailed a hat trick in the second half while supersub Jed Adrian Guillergan and Jekkan Sullano each put up a brace to help Region VI secure a berth in the quarterfinals against the reigning champions MIMAROPA tomorrow.
“We won, we had a good performance but I believe our pace was still a little bit slow. There’s more room for improvements,” coach Mark Agriam told Rappler after the match.
Looking forward to Thursday’s titanic quarterfinal matchup between the country’s football hotbed and the defending Palaro titlists, Agriam, who is also Iloilo province’s Grassroots Development Officer, is optimistic with their chances come the knockout stages.
“I think we can give them a fight but that’s yet to be seen tomorrow,” the Western Visayas mentor said. “As of now, we just want to bring the boys back to 100 percent condition since we have several injuries.”
The fleet-footed Sullano put the boys off Central Philippines University on top as he fired from outside the box past three defenders and Ilocos’ goalkeeper in the 12th minute.
Ilocos, however, equalized just five minutes later when Western Visayas keeper Chris Perocho spilled Sebastian de Jesus’ attempt that rolled into the net.
But it was the closest Region I could get as their Visayan counterparts poured in six more goals in the lopsided matchup.
“We’re just lucky to be here. This is the first time in 20 years that our school is representing our region and that’s big since we have to get past football-crazy towns like Barotac Nuevo. We just want to take back what was once ours,” Agriam added.
Today’s results
Cordillera Administrative Region 2 – 0 Eastern Visayas
Davao Region 2 – 0 Soccsksargen
Cagayan Valley 6 – 1 Central Luzon
– Rappler.com
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