UFL's LBC Cup kicks off Saturday at Nomads

MANILA, Philippines - The United Football League kicks off its inaugural staging with the holding of the LBC Cup on Saturday with the country’s top players seeing action at the Nomads Football Field in Parañaque.

Players from the national pool, the Armed Forces, the Phil. Army, the various expat groups and the country’s top football schools will compose the 16 teams vying for top honors in the three-month long tournament featuring 38 matches, according to UFL tournament director Philip Hagedorn.

“For sure, this will be the top league for men’s football in the country,” said Christopher Hagedorn, president of the United Football Club Association (UFCA). “Our local players will have a chance to showcase their skills in a tournament of this magnitude.”

Randy Roxas, a former member of the national team, said the UFL will elevate weekend football to a professional level.

“Finally, the best of the best will be given the right opportunity to develop their talent and skills,” said Roxas, president of Football Alliance.

Sanctioned by the National Capital Region Football Association under the Philippine Football Federation, the UFL will be hosted by the UFCA in cooperation with the FA.

Presented by LBC Express, Inc., the event is backed by Rudy Project, Gatorade, Orient Freight, 2GO, and McDonald’s.

“We were pleasantly surprised at how well the business community responded to the UFL,” said LBC marketing director Javier Mantecon. “Our company immediately saw the enormous potential of this league, in terms of being a pioneer and an enabler of goodwill. Fortunately, this was recognized by other stakeholders as well.”