DON Bosco Technology Center (DBTC) added another title to its trophy case after winning the 9th Pinta Flores U-16 National Football Invitational yesterday in San Carlos City.
DBTC is going home with the title after a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Barotac in the finals.
“Thank God for another national competition achievement for the Don Bosco football team. I’m very proud and we really deserved to win. After four years, we finally won the title again,” DBTC head coach Glen Ramos told SunStar Cebu.
Trailing behind the whole match, DBTC had a never-say-die attitude that finally paid off after the match went into a penalty shootout.
Barotac drew first blood and scored in the first half. Christian Agot equalized with a goal in the second half. In the third minute of added time, Barotac scored the go-ahead could, which could have well been the clincher.
The Greywolves, however, refused to quit and with a little bit of luck, scored an equalizer just in time. Vince Pacaña’s cross to a teammate bounced off a Barotac defender into the goal with just seconds remaining.
But the DBTC booters proved to be the better penalty kickers as they beat Barotac, 2-1, with Agot and Pacaña converting shots.
“We need to improve on our fitness, technical, tactical attacking, and defending and we need more exposure in matches,” said Ramos.
DBTC had a slow start in the tournament with a 0-0 opener against Bayawan. DBTC then beat San Carlos City A and La Salle Bacolod on identical 1-0 wins. DBTC outclassed Tagbilaran, Bohol, 4-1, in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) and DBTC are seeing action in the Pilipinas Cup until Oct. 31 at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga.
SHS-AdC is fielding four teams in different divisions. SHS-AdC is competing in the Boys Under-16 division, with a squad composed of the core of last year’s fourth place finishers. The team is also fortified by players from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) high school runner-up team—John Pomeroy Veloso, Gerald Abao, John Vincent Eduave, Musashi Ayabe, and Christopher Osawa.
The Magis Eagles also sent a solid Girls Under-17 squad composed of players from last year’s Aboitiz Football Cup and Cviraa futsal championship squads that is bannered by former national team players Arantxa Trebol, Itsuko Bacatan and Alex Gumilao.
The other SHS-AdC teams are competing in the Boys Under-12 and Under-10 divisions.
DBTC, on the other hand, is competing in the Boys Under-19 division with a team composed of players from the Palarong Pambansa and the championship Cesafi team.
DBTC, sponsored by Teen Azkals Under-16 manager Avin Caranza, is also competing in the Under-11 and Boys Under-12 categories. DBTC will compete as Caranz Don Bosco TC Cebu FC. (EKA)