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[av_heading heading=’Ceres Negros bows out in AFC Cup ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Thursday. September 14, 2017
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MANILA – After settling for a draw with Istiklol of Tajikistan 1-1, Ceres Negros bowed out of the 2017 AFC Cup in the second leg of the inter-zone semifinals Tuesday night at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.
Ceres ended its Cinderella run after losing to Istiklol, a finalist in the 2015 AFC Cup, with an aggregate score of 5-1.
Facing a 0-4 deficit heading into the match, Ceres got aggressive early with Manuel Ott and Jose Elmer Porteria taking chances. The opponent’s goalkeeper foiled their attempts.
The Negros Occidental-based football club continued to take chances with Spanish striker Bienvenido Marañon, Stephan Schrock and Kevin Ingreso having a shot at the goal. They failed to convert any.
Ceres finally got a 1-0 edge in the 34th minute as Manuel Herrera headed a corner kick by Ott. But Istiklol quickly equalized the game before halftime break courtesy of a header by Manuchehr Dzhalilov.
The Negrense team had multiple shots at the goal in the second half but Istiklol’s tight defense prevented it from scoring further. Tension rose late in the match when Artem Baranovskyi of Istiklol got ejected for hitting Ingreso on the face.
“We did our best but Istiklol was just the better team,” said Ceres head coach Risto Vidakovic. “We played soft in the first leg and we conceded four goals. Maybe this is a learning experience to my players.”
Despite the exit, Ceres already made history as the first Philippine-based team to have reached this far in the annual football tournament.
The road was not easy for Ceres going to the inter-zone semifinals as it was pitted in the “group off death” in the ASEAN zone before beating Hanoi in the zonal semis, Johor Darul Ta’zim in the semis and Home United in the final./PN
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