NCR, Masbate booters draw first blood

National Capital Region and Masbate displayed awesome power yesterday to crush their respective rivals at the start of the six-team all-Luzon finals in the Coke Go-for-Goal under-16 football tournament at the Philsports field in Pasig City.

Gerard Concio knocked in four goals and Ken Noda added three as the NCR booters, represented by Ateneo de Manila University, whipped Laguna’s Pedro Guevarra National High School, 7-2.

Mark Angelo Marcaida produced an even more impressive performance in the second game, firing six markers as the Masbate National Comprehensive High School boys blanked Rizal’s Gen. Licerio Geronimo Memorial High School, 10-0.

Action in the tourney sponsored by Coca-Cola with Adidas as official ball continues today with two more games at the Philsport field. It will be Masbate against Baguio’s Pines City National High at 7:30 a.m. and Laguna against Camarines Norte’s Vinzons Pilot High at 9:30.

The top two teams in the tourney will join Mindanao’s Ateneo de Davao and La Salle Academy of Iligan and Visayas’ Don Bosco Technology of Cebu and San Miguel Memorial High of Dumaguete City in the national finals set Feb. 9-13 in Dumaguete City.

Concio struck in the 63rd, 75th, 81st and 85 minutes while Noda scored in the 13th, 71st and 83rd for the NCR champions.

After Escobido tallied back-to-back goals in the third and eighth minutes to give Masbate an early 2-0 lead, Marcaida went on a scoring rampage by scoring in the 12th, 27th, 34th, 37th, 42nd and 68th.

The other Masbate scorers were Renante Ursal (65th) and Francis Alert Llevares (78th).