Benguet smothers Zambo, gains semis

MANILA, Philippines - Baguio Football Association’s Benguet State U blasted Zamboanga FA’s Alia FC, 5-1, then nipped two others in the tiebreaker to clinch the last semifinal berth in the Philippine Football Federation-Smart National Club Championship at the Bago City Sports Complex.

Alvina Aoas Jr. and Kachelei Levy combined for all their team’s five goals, sealing the Cordillera-based booters the No. 2 seed in Group A and a tough showdown with Group B topnotcher Ceres-La Salle Bacolod of host Negros Occidental FA, the reigning champion.

BSU actually wound up in a three-way tie for second after the group stages with Palawan FC and Columbia FC with six match points each. But it emerged with the highest goal differential of -2 against the -4 and -7 by the latter two that was used to shatter the tiebreak.

Columbia had all the chances to snatch the last berth with a win, a draw or a loss by not more than two goals to Global, which however scored an 8-0 rout in the other match of the day in the tournament bankrolled by Smart and sanctioned by the PFF.

The attacking tandem of Aoas and Levy scored early on the 15th and 18th minute before Alia FC’s Jake Tulawi sliced it to just a one-goal deficit with that brilliant 26th minute rocket.

Aoas then struck again late in the first half as BSU sent it back to a two-goal upperhand at halftime, 3-1.