Loyola vs Global; Ceres faces Pachanga in FAL semis

MANILA, Philippines - Loyola Meralco Sparks and Global rekindle their rivalry while Ceres-La Salle Bacolod and Pachanga Diliman collide in a pair of semifinal matches in the Football Alliance League Cup at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium today.

Global seeks to duplicate its victory over Loyola in the League finals a few months ago as the two powerhouse clubs face off at 4:45 p.m.

“We expect to win every game, of course we’re confident. We’re looking forward to it. It’s exciting now, it’s the business end of the season,” said Global’s Scottish coach Leigh Manson.

Loyola mentor Simon McMenemy and the Sparks are raring to get back at the their Global rivals.

“They know how to win. They’ve had a lot of success, so it’s going to be down to us to stop them. We’re keen and ready to go, we’re looking forward to it,” said McMenemy, who steered the Phl Azkals team to a historic Suzuki Cup run four years ago that helped spark football renaissance in the country.

While the Ceres-Pachanga showdown will be shown live starting at 8 tonight on Aksyon TV, the Global-Loyola duel will be telecast on a delayed basis at 8 p.m. tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Ceres, which topped the Second Division last season and ruled the Smart National Club Championship in Bacolod City early this year, braces for an explosive showdown with Pachanga, which made a surprise run to barge into the recent UFL Cup finals.

The match is at 8:15 p.m.

“We’re very, very excited,” said Ceres manager Ali Go, who steered his club to a perfect 7-0 (win-loss) record in the Cup. 

“We’ve been waiting for this. We’re training so hard to win a championship. We will not stop until we are champions, he added.”