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| Futbol Club Sikad members manning the registration |
Proving they’re up to the summer heat, a total of 38 teams played their way through the elimination round of Sikad Cup 2011 dubbed “Gear Up and Match the Summer Heat.” Football enthusiasts and fans flocked to the UP Track Oval for the fourth edition of Futbol Club Sikad's yearly tournament last May 22.
FC Sikad's annual 7-a-side football festival, in cooperation with Total Fitness Magazine and Orange Magazine TV, featured 10 teams in the women's division and 28 teams in the men's division, coming from across the metro and comprising different ages and races. 7-a-side football is a variation on the normal 11-a-side football, slowly gaining mainstream popularity in the Philippines with the success of the Azkals in international competitions. Instead of the usual 11 players, however, there are only 7 players and a smaller field is utilized. Rain or shine, nothing’s stopping these football enthusiasts as the games started at 9:30 with the summer sun high up in the sky while dark clouds and light rain set the mood for many of the games held in the late afternoon.
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| Women's Division champs Pata Team |
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| Women's Div 2nd placers Tams United |
The teams were divided into brackets and went through a single round robin during the eliminations. In the women's division first-time joiner Pata Team, composed of UP Varsity alumni and named after the “pata” (referring to the shape of the thigh) they developed after playing football for years, routed the four other teams in their bracket with a clean sweep, emerging top of their group. Tams United, with players from past Philippine Team lineups, came in second with their 3-1-0 win-loss-draw record. From the other bracket, Barubal FC, composed of alumni and current players from different colleges of UST and who played in last year’s edition of the tournament, and Futboleras completed the top four. Tams United defeated Barubal FC 3-0 in the semis to face Pata Team who won 2-0 over Futboleras. Barubal FC took the 3rd place a position while Pata Team emerged the Sikad Cup 2011 women's division champions after a draw was decided via a penalty shoot out. Jeanne Cruz of Pata Team was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Meanwhile, Marnelli Dimzon of Tams United and Monique Resurreccion of Pata Team shared the Golden Boot Award, given to the player with the most number of goals scored, after earning four goals apiece, while another UP alumnus Jennifer Barandoc was named Best Goalkeeper.
With the number of teams, it was inevitable that the games would continue on into the night. In the Men's Division, the eventual champions United South, based in Las Piñas and composed of players from DLSU, CSB, Perpetual Help System Dalta and their foreign friends, made it look easy as they routed all their opponents, winning all six games and conceding no goals in the eliminations, earning their keeper Jan Cedric Hodreal the Best Goalkeeper Award while captain Jon Michael Navarro was named MVP.
With four brackets of seven teams each, the top two from each proceeded to the quarterfinals. Team Basic, this year’s UAAP champions UP Fighting Maroons fielding three teams – Team Papy Lord Swing, Diliman FC and Maroons – the Sikad SNL Team along with veteran Sikad Cup Participants Sunken Garden United (SGU) B and the Ilonggo United Football Club (IUFC) A completed the top 8 for the quarterfinals. IUFC A, composed of players based in NCR with Ilonggo orientation or heritage, United South, Maroons and SGU B proceeded to the semis after penalty shoot-outs. Last year’s champions Ilonggo United faced SGU B clinching the 3rd place position while a consistently strong and organized showing placed United South on top defeating Maroons 3-1. Jinggoy Valmayor of the UP Fighting Maroons was awarded the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals in the eliminations around alone.
Winners were awarded custom-made trophies, reminiscent of the Jules Rimet trophy given out during the FIFA World Cup, medals for the champions and issues of Total Fitness and Speed Magazine. FC Sikad, based in UP Diliman and founded in 2000, stages football tournaments every year in line with its mission of promoting football in the country. These one-day tournaments called festivals are Sikad Cup, held during the club’s anniversary month of May, and Goal Rush, a futsal (indoor football) tournament held during the latter part of the year.
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| Men's Division Champs United South |
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| 2nd Placers Ilonggo United FC |
Complete list of participants:
Women’s Division: Tams United, Shembooters, FC Sikad, Pata Team, Fatbuleras FC, Barubal FC, Futboleras, Atelier Women’s, Laya FC, Iskoboleras
Men’s Division: Cuyo FC, United South, SGU A & B, Marcelo Homies FC, Corinthians A & B, UST Commerce A &B, Laya FC, Maoy FC, Diliman FC, Fun FC, Allan De Castro Experience, Sikad Veterans, Team Papy Lord Swing, Atelier Alumni, Garuda FC, Layabilities FC, Ilonggo United A & B, Maroons, Ball Busters, Pamutiks, Team Basic, Caspian FC, UST Arki, Sikad SNL
More photos can be found at www.facebook.com/sikad.
Words by Romina Mislang / Photos by Regine Matusalem, Haj Francisco and Alessa Lopez / Post Processing by Haj Francisco
*Excerpts featured in Total Fitness mag's July 2011 issue
*Excerpts featured in Total Fitness mag's July 2011 issue
