MANILA, Philippines – The UFL-LBC Cup will be staging its quarterfinal phase tomorrow, with the top eight squads in the tournament's four groups vying for a spot in the finals.
At the Ateneo de Manila University football field in Quezon City, undefeated Army Phiten, Group B's top seed, will go up against Group A runner-up Grins Orient Freight. Will the youthful energy of the Grins, under veteran coach Hans Smit, be enough to neutralize Army Phiten? Or will the 2008 Filipino Premiere League champions prevail?
Game time is 1:00 p.m.
The second match, set at 3 p.m., pits Group A’s Navy Selecta against Group B’s No. 2 Loyola ATR Kim Eng.
Navy Selecta will be pinning its hopes on its sturdy team chemistry, while Loyola will be leaning on its potent scoring.
At the Nomads football grounds in Paranaque City, archrivals Union and Kaya FC clash in another quarterfinal match at 6 p.m.
Kaya FC, which topped Group D, will be banking on UFL’s leading scorer Izzeldin “Izu” Elhabbib and RP team captain Ali Borromeo.
On the other hand, Rudy Project-backed Union is expected to lean on its aggressive international recruits.
In the 8 p.m. game, Group D’s runner-up Mendiola Egames will be facing Group C No. 1 Air Force Phiten, the UFL’s top-scoring team that boasts the league's No. 2 scorer Yanti Barsales
Meanwhile, teams that finished in the bottom half of their respective groups will figure in a separate knockout quarterfinals, with the ultimate winner getting crowned as the UFL Plate Cup champions.
Admission for the UFL-LBC Cup quarterfinals is free.
The UFL-LBC Cup is backed by corporate sponsors LBC Express, Inc., Rudy Project, Gatorade, McDonald’s, Nike Park and Globe. Media partners include philstar.com, Magic 89.9, Wave 89.1, MaxFM 103.5, Studio 23 and Balls.
For more details on the UFL-LBC Cup, visit http://www.footballalliance.ph/index.html.