Limpag: Playing fair

THE Negros Oriental Siquijor Football Association and Central Visayas FA Boys 15 match was a fun and exciting affair. However, there was a moment late in the game that for me, left a bad taste in the mouth.

A cramping Vaugh Pacaña got the ball just beyond the half-court line, and gingerly back heeled out of bounds to stop play. Had it been against a Cebu team, I am confident the other team would let it go out in the spirit of fair play.

But a Dumaguete player not only got the ball before it went out, he ran to the Cebu defense, who by then were expecting a break in play, to orchestrate an attack.

The people in the stands erupted in disgust and unfortunately some words were exchanged with both the Dumaguete team and its supporters.

Fair play is a unique practice in football and for years now, the Cebu teams have been observing it. Sure, there were some instances where players had to be instructed but there was nothing as blatant as what Dumaguete did.

Thankfully, Dumaguete’s shot didn’t go in as it would have put a rather negative ending to a great game. The visitors did well. They weathered the Cebu attack and late in the match, got the host backpedaling. That late strike by Kyle Lacson was a thing of beauty too.

But I hope the next time the two teams meet, it won’t be just one side practicing fair play. It should be taught to the kids, parents and supporters by the coaching staff. It shouldn’t be just a concept or a clip we see online in football pages and share to friends. It should be practiced.

Anyway, congratulations to the visitors. A long tournament such as the Boys of Tomorrow, which had the five Visayas squads playing a double round robin home and away format, rewards the consistent teams and CVFA surely wasn’t consistent early in the tournament, earning only a point in its first three matches.

It didn’t help too that some key players were called up for national team duties but still, I hope that in the next edition, CVFA will learn from the mistakes this year.

Curiously, the CVFA team seemed to have fared better on the road than at home with wins over the leading Negros Occidental Football Association and Panay FA. Was it a case of pressure getting to the kids? I don’t know.

To the CVFA team, no need to fret. You represented CVFA and the Cebu football community and you represented it well.

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