CEBU, Philippines - Team Hiroshi booked a pair of final tickets in the 15th Aboitiz Cup football tournament yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Hiroshi barged into the men's open final after a convincing 4-1 victory over ERCO FC, 4-1. Hiroshi will take on either defending champion Queen City United or Crazy Horse in the gold medal match next week.
Earlier in the day, Hiroshi advanced into the championship round of the 38-above category after dumping QCU, 4-0, behind the efforts of Mario Rago, Arvin Mangubat, Oswald Oracion and Panny Kyriakopoulos.
The win set up Hiroshi to a title showdown with ERCO FC, which booted out San Roque FC, 3-0. Among those who drilled in goals for ERCO were playing coach Glenn Ramos, team owner Rodney Orale and Danilo Juezan.
Over at the Aboitiz Sports Field in Brgy. Subangdaku, Mandaue City, the University of San Carlos (USC) stormed into the under-23 final after dethroning the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), 1-0.
Just when everybody thought the game will head into a penalty shootout, Kiko Recaplaza came out of nowehere to knock in the killer goal for USC with only eight minutes left in the contest.
USC will fight for the crown against the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF), which terminated Philsca via a 3-2 cliffhanger.
In the players 8, it's going to be an exciting final between the Don Bosco Technology Center and Bright Academy. DBTC-3 kept its title bid alive with a 5-3 win over Lahug-B, while Bright Academy advanced following a 2-0 conquest of DBTC-4.
DBTC has four other final assignments via the players 10, boys 12, boys 14 and boys 17.
In the players 10 semis, DBTC-1 grabbed a 3-1 win over Giuseppe, while Canduman prevailed over Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu-B in the penalty shootout, 5-4, while in the boys 12, the Bosconians trounced Bright Academy, 5-0, to earn the right to face Giuseppe, which earlier crushed SHS-AdC, 8-1.
In the boys 14, DBTC whipped ANS-Pomeroy, 2-0, to arrange a title duel with Springdale-A, which dumped Subangdaku FC, 3-0.
DBTC also overpowered Cebu International School, 6-1, to march into the boys 17 final against SHS-AdC, which ousted Mandaue Technical Institute (MTI), 1-0.
In the girls 17 category, USC Girls demolished SRFC, 9-0, to book a championship match against SHS-AdC, which axed St. Theresa's College, 2-1. (FREEMAN)