Limpag: Global Cebu’s impact on kids

I WAS at the sideline of the Sinulog Cup when I noticed a woman, who I presumed was the mother, was consoling a grief-stricken goalie, the only girl keeper in the U9 division at that time.

Her team narrowedly loss and she took it hard. They all tried to console her but she was still sobbing. Then, another person--her sister, I presume--also stepped in and pointed out that even her idol Patrick Deyto concedes a goal now and then and that Global also loses.

“Ka-maayo na gani ni Deyto, malutsan man gani, ikaw pa kaha,” she said. That was at that time that I noticed the girl’s jersey was full of signatures of the Global Cebu FC players.

That simple statement shows that even though Global Cebu has yet to really penetrate and get invovled with the whole community, at least in the younger age group, it has made its impact.

I remember one game when Deyto, who yet had another impressive stint between the sticks, threw his gloves at a bunch of kids from Ateneo, who began muscling each other to be the one to keep the memento. One pointed it out, Ateneans fighting over a La Sallian’s glove but for the kids, they were simply fighting over their idol’s gloves.

During the Sinulog Cup, my son also played keeper and let’s just say, I was happy that he was still enthusiastic enough after three games. He told me he’d just bring his gloves in case someone forgot and when I went to check on him after visiting the organizer’s table, I was more than surprised to see him between the posts.

Like the girl keeper, he too, idolizes the Global players and I think he saw all the home games last year. Like the rest of the young players too, he’s looking forward to the new season, so I hope this year’s PFL home games will have a friendlier schedule to fans like him.

By the way, for their AFC Cup campaign, Global Cebu will be playing their home games at the Rizal Memorial Stadium again. The club nominated Cebu City Sports Center but I think one look at the state of the field had the AFC inspectors shaking their heads so fast they were eyes popped out.

I really think it’s time that Cebu City seriously consider having an artificial pitch at the CCSC. If the running community managed to gather enough signature—and noise—in 2008 to prod the city to spend some P40 million to replace the rubber oval, I think it’s time for the football community to unite, gather some signatures and make some noise.