PAOLO Pascual pulled two saves to lead Team Cebu City (TCC) to a scintillating 5-4 shootout win over a gritty Cebu International School (CIS) in yesterday’s Aboitiz Division B finals at the San Roque Parish football grounds.
Both teams ended the regulation tied, 2-2, with both teams exchanging their hold of the lead.
In the battle for third, Lukas Malgo scored twice to lift Queen City FC to a 5-3 win over Metropolitan FC.
CIS got the ball rolling in the fifth minute after Kevin Trunker got pulled down inside the box and former national team mainstay Joshua Fegidero converted the spot kick for a 1-0 lead.
In the 15th minute, the CIS defense left Ryan Bordalba unmarked inside the six-yard box and Bordalba made them pay as he simply tapped in the cross for the equalizer.
Fegidero could have put CIS ahead in the 30th after streaking past three defenders in a breakaway, but he was called for a foul just before his power shot.
In the second half, Fegidero found Sharpe open inside the box but a poor finish from the national youth team member kept the teams on level terms.
Five minutes later, Sharpe got past the defense and only had Pascual to beat but the keeper was up to the task; anticipating and pushing off Sharpe’s flirty chip in an impressive dive.
After the crowd’s heckling of the officials and some of the players got rowdier in the 61st, the game was delayed for a few minutes to force the crowd to clear the area behind the CIS goal.
When the game resumed, Fegidero got another chance but his shot merely kissed the bar, while his header sailed wide.
TCC got its share of missed chances late in the game with Bordalba, Canoy and RJ Sembrano getting clear shots at goal. However their attempts all went straight to CIS keeper, Miguel Red.
In the first extension, it was the same story as Sembrano missed a simple tap from pointblank range before Junthy Romero broke the impasse three minutes in for a 2-1 TCC lead.
Pascual pulled another save off Fegidero but a free header late in the extension allowed CIS to force the shootout.
After the first five kickers, both teams were still tied after Jesus Singson missed his shot and Miguel Red stopped Sembrano, forcing the sudden death shootout.
It was Pascual’s turn to come up with the heroics as he made two saves, while Red had one and Romero finally got past Red for their tough win. (ML)
