MANILA – Ceres Negros hopes to strengthen its hold on the top spot of the 2018 Philippines Football League when it faces Visayan rival Global Cebu tonight at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium here.
Defending champion Ceres Negros hopes to improve its 9-2-1 win-loss-draw slate (29 points) while Global Cebu, which currently is at the tail-end with 1-1-7 for four points, hopes to pull off another upset.
This will be the second meeting between last year’s finalists with Ceres Negros scoring one over Global Cebu on April 18, 2-0, behind the conversions of Michael Ott and Stephan Schrock.
“We cannot take them for granted even if they are in the last place,” said Ceres Negros assistant coach Ian Treyes on Global Cebu. “With our rivalry in the past few years, it is very important for us to be at our best against them.”
Expected to lead the way for Ceres Negros are Bienvenido Marañon, Stephan Schrock, Jeffrey Christiaens, Mike Ott, Manuel Herrera, Carlos de Murga, Martin Steuble, Kevin Ingreso, Sean Kane, Takumi Uesato, and Toni Doblas.
Philippine Azkals mainstay Manuel Ott, meanwhile, is still out for the match after recently being operated for the facial injury he sustained during their 1-1 draw with JP Voltes Marikina two weeks ago.
Global Cebu, meanwhile, is to be led by Negrense Gerardo Valmayor, Patrick Deyto, Jun Badelic, Paul Mulders, Paolo Salenga, Darryl Roberts, Dominic del Rosario, Jerry Barbaso and Jordan Jarvis./PN
