DEFENDING champion University of San Carlos (USC) currently may lead the standing in collegiate football of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundaiton Inc. but even with two rounds to go in the competition, no team is safe. Not even USC.
USC has 11 points and is number one in the standings with 11 points, while the University of the Visayas (UV) is second with eight points. The University of Cebu (UC), University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) are all tied at seven points.
Cesafi is using a double round robin format with the top two teams advancing to the finals and that means all teams--even the three tied at seven points--still have a realistic chance of making the top two.
USC is the favorite to reach the final at 11 points but if it loses to UV in its final game, then it’s going to be a wide open race. However, a win by USC puts it at 14 points, making the rest fight for the second finals spot.
But a draw between the two means USC closes its campaign at 12 points and UV at 9 points, making it possible for the teams with seven points to a finals spot. Both USJ-R and USPF have two games at hand, while UC only has one final game, against USJ-R.
To have a chance for the finals, UC has to beat USJ-R on Nov. 9 to close at 10 points and hope USC beats UV, so the Greenbooters stay at eight points. Then UC has to hope USJ-R and USPF play to a draw and that USPF and UV also play to a draw.
For UV, USPF and USJ-R, making the finals means they have to win their last two games. That’s how unpredictable the Cesafi collegiate football tournament is with this format and I think the finalists will be determined in the last game.
And that is how it should be, kudos to Francis Ramirez and the rest of the Cesafi football officials for adopting such format. This is how a football tournament with five teams should be run. In previous editions, there was a semifinal, and that allowed teams to take a vacation after winning one game because that’s what you only need to make it to the final four.
So, the first semester may be over, but not the football tournament. See you when it resumes on Nov. 9.