Queen City United rules World Cup football

After missing a title in the Cebu Inter-Club Football Championships, the Queen City United bounced back and collected not just one, but three titles and a runner-up trophy in the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)-presented World Cup Football Festival at the San Roque Football Field in Subangdaku, Mandaue.

Queen City United garnered the most number of trophies plus two special awards among the 64 squads, which played in different divisions.

The Queen City United reigned in the premier men and women's open division and the 36-above class.

Martin Bontia powered Queen City in defeating host San Roque Football Club after logging in the lone goal in the 7-aside championship match for the men's open division.

Magone-Firefox ended the men's open battle with a bronze finish.

The former MLSDF football squad member, Bontia was named the Most Valuable Player among all the players under eight squads playing in the men's open.

In the distaff side, it was a 1-2 finish for the Queen City-United in another 7-aside battle with Carmela Openiano as the MVP.

San Roque settled for a third place and missed another chance for the top post under the 36-above class after being outsmarted by Queen City United-B in the final showdown as Hiroshi wound up third.

Besides the 36-above title, QC's Roy Tunacao was also named MVP in their division.

After missing three chances of wining, San Roque was able to bounce back in the players-8 division and in the girls'12-under.

In the mixed P8 battle, San Roque outplayed Don Bosco College-Black in the 4-aside game while DBC's Brown squad was third while the Girls'12-under saw San Roque beating Isla Printers in the 5-aside match.

San Roque's Ann Juezan and Lawrence Colina were named the best players in the girl's 12 and P8 classes, respectively.

The girls'12-under was almost scrapped as it only had three squads, short by one team from its tournament rule in the number of participants to be able to play. However, the organizers of the event decided to let them play.

"This is a developmental group and we want more girls to play and enjoy the game. We want to correct the impression that football is a rough game and played by the boys only," said Maxi Maximo, president of the sanctioning Cebu Football Association and event organizer.

On the other hand, DBC who missed the P8 title, got another chance to win a title and succeeded in the Players-10 division.

DBC-Red, led by the division's MVP, Yves Caballero didn't give the visiting Ateneo de Manila-A an easy game, to win the top post while Sacred Heart School-Jesuit-B was third.

DBC's Blue squad, however, was not as lucky as the Reds after bowing to Hiroshi Football Club in the boy's 12-under.

Hiroshi's Jale de Los Santos was the boy's 12-under MVP while Paref-Springdale School was third.

Another Springdale bet, Verano claimed the boys'17-under class with Blui Arriola as the best player after beating Cebu International School and Springdale's PFF Regional squad was third.

CIS bounced back in the girls'17 after beating San Roque with Isla Printers at third place.

The event saw several VIPs in attendance in the one-day football festival in line with the promotion of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Germany including Peter Keller, senior program adviser of GTZ, GTZ Adviser for Peace Development, Ute Huebner and other officials of GTZ and representative of the German Embassy.