VIGAN, Ilocos Sur -- After a grueling elimination round, the NMRAA Tangerine Voltz Elementary Boys football team booted out the hard- fighting Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Association (ZPRAA) Region 9 in the quarter finals, 2-1. But still, they ended up settling in the battle for bronze after they were routed by Western Visayas, 4-0 in the semis.
Alas, the NMRAA boys squandered their chance of winning a medal and lost steam in the stretch when they suffered a 0-5 setback at the hands of the bigger and stronger ARMM side to miss the bronze.
Despite the loss, it was still a better performance from last year when NM team got eliminated right in the quarterfinals. And to their consolation, the NM boys have to go home bringing along with them the "Fair Play Award" for not getting a single yellow or red card in the entire tournament.
Western Visayas won the gold when they upset the title favorite Central Visayas, 2-0, in the championship round.
Western Visayas made it to the finals after beating the tough Socssksargen eleven in a thrilling 10-9 penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in the regulation.
Central Visayas punished the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm) in the semis, 4-0 to barge into the championship.
Two goals in the first half from strikers Sam Salingay and Vinson Manubag sealed the semis place of the NMRAA kids against the booters from Region 7.
The NMRAA kids were like a house on fire in the first half charging the Zambo kids defense with no let up. Sam Salingay of Rosevale School then opened up the scoring in the 10th minute with a one-on-one goal from the center.
Manubag then scored his second goal of the tournament in the 20th minute after he was left unguarded at the right flank.
The NMRAA kids wasted countless of sure goals in the remainder of the first half as Salingay was left unguarded at least four times with only the goalkeeper to beat. He however, scored only once but was enough to rattle the Zambo kids.
The second half was a different match as Zambo kids upped their offense. They came out charging, forcing the NMRAA players to back pedal most of the time.
They then scored in the 40th minute and then pushed for the equalizer. Luckily for the NMRAA kids, goalkeeper Farhan Labay was excellent between the sticks and saved some clear attempts to save the day for the NMRAA kids.
National Capital Region of coach Mari Aberasturi and John Cortez won the Secondary Boys title when they nipped Socsargen, 1-0, in the final.
The NMRAA Secondary Boys team of coach Webie and Mawi Racines failed to advance to the semis round when they lost to Calabarzon in the quarterfinals. NCR then made it to the finals at the expense of CVIRAA.
Calabarzon won the bronze after defeating Western Visayas, 2-0 in the battle for gold.
(l.biantan@gmail.com)