Wednesday, April 11, 2007 TCC coach: No more ‘suicidal sked’
TO avoid playing with a “murderous” schedule in the Palarong Pambansa, the Team Cebu City will suggest that teams in the annual meet be bracketed into two.
“During the 2002 Palaro, the teams were bracketed into two. During the meeting for this year Palaro, we will suggest that the teams be bracketed again,” said Team Cebu City head coach Francis Ramirez.
In most Department of Education-organized meets, football follows the double elimination format, forcing the early losers to play more than one match in a day.
During the Central Visayas Athletic Association meet, Team Cebu City had to play three matches in a day.
In secondary football, the game is played with two 40-minute halves and each coach is only allowed to bring four substitutes. This will pose a problem if many players are injured
If teams are divided into two brackets, they will have a lighter schedule as they will play a single round robin in each bracket. The top two teams in each bracket will then advance to the crossover semifinals.
Still, if their suggestion will be shot down, TCC will have no recourse but to win their early games to avoid having to go through three matches in a day.
“That’s suicidal,” said Ramirez when asked of the possibility of playing three matches in a day in the Palaro.
Ramirez, whose team recently copped the Aboitiz Men’s Open Division B crown last Sunday, is targeting a top four finish in the Palaro.
Though he admitted this year’s team is relatively weaker than that of last year, they were able to prepare longer for this year’s meet. (ML)
