Victoriahanon coach makes his mark in football
-A A +AMonday, August 6, 2012
FRANKLIN Muescan, who learned kicking footballs in Don Bosco–Victorias in the early 80s, has made his mark as a football coach in Manila.
Muescan with two commercial league championships and three University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) already made titles under his teams’ names.
Currently assistant coach to the Green Archers Globe Football Club, Coach Frank was in Victorias last Saturday to conduct a football clinic at Don Bosco with his Green Archers booters. Together with head coach Rodolfo Alicante, he called the shots that evening during the Green Archers’ 3-0 dominance over Ceres FC at the North pitch in Talisay.
“Choosing Don Bosco–Victorias as the venue for our team’s clinic is my way of giving back to Don Bosco the blessings which I enjoy now from the skills which I learned from our school,” disclosed Coach Frank, who belongs to Don Bosco – Victorias Batch ’85.
He recalled playing football, kicking the ball and chasing after it by himself, at the football pitch in South Barrio, Vicmico near his residence at Barrio Palma during his grade school years.
“My mother often fetched me at the pitch with a big stick in hand, ordering me to stop playing football and to go home and finish my household chores,” he reminisced. “I never understood why I was so drawn to football at that time but I think I already have an idea now.”
Since taking over coaching chores at University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in 2007, he has steered the Fighting Maroons to not one but three football crowns in the UAAP.
The Maroons won their first title under Coach Frank in 2008 after about a decade’s title drought. The team was on its way to scoring back-to-back titles in 2009 but their games were forfeited because one of UP players, Ghanian Ayi Nii Aryee, saw action at the inaugural staging of the United Football League (UFL).
In 2010, the UP fighting Maroons didn’t commit the same mistake and ensured that they regained their title. Last year, Coach Frank’s wards annexed their back-to-back UAAP titles and are gunning for a three-peat in the current UAAP season.
As though these collegiate victories are not enough, Coach Frank was also the head coach when Global FC emerged champion in the 2011 UFL Cup and the PFF-Smart national club championship. Global FC is owned and managed by Azkals manager Dan Palami.
Now that Coach Frank is with the Green Archers, the team looks forward to a strong finish in the upcoming UFL league which opens on September 19. Of course, he also has his eyes on the historic three-peat for the UP Fighting Maroons this UAAP season.
Coach Frank downplays his achievements.
“It’s a small thing. I am just happy to do what I love most - football.”
Notwithstanding Coach Frank’s self-deprecations, what he accomplished as a football coach in the Big City speaks for itself.
Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on August 06, 2012.
Sports
Forum rules: Do not use obscenity. Some words have been banned. Stick to the topic. Do not veer away from the discussion. Be coherent and respectful. Do not shout or use CAPITAL LETTERS!
