THE lone unbeaten team in its grouping in the ongoing AFC Cup, top local team Ceres-Negros FC looks to maintain its fine form when it goes for its fourth win in as many games in an away match today in Indonesia.
To take on Persija Jakarta at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta at 4:30 p.m. (Manila time), Ceres (3-0-0) guns to stay unblemished in Group G and further propel its cause of advancing to the next round of the tournament.
As per tournament format, the top teams in each of the groupings earn an automatic spot in the Zonal semifinals of the tournament.
Ceres is coming off a 1-0 win over Persija Jakarta (1-1-1) on April 3 at its home turf of Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City where Bienvenido Maranon (9’) scored early for the team and after which it held tight to book the huge win that kept the “Busmen” ahead of the chasing pack.
It was a victory that team stalwart Stephan Schrock hailed as a “massive” win considering that they still are not in the form where they want to be.
“It was a massive, massive win for us, especially considering that we only play every three weeks as our league hasn’t started yet,” Mr. Schrock was quoted as saying by the official AFC Cup Website after their victory.
“To stay undefeated at the top of the group is very, very good. What we need to improve is our match fitness but that’s hard because the league hasn’t started yet,” added the Philippine Azkals player, referring to the rebranded local league — Philippine Premier League — which was rescheduled to start later this week from the original kickoff of March 30.
In today’s match, Ceres, which has nine points, goes for back-to-back wins over Persija Jakarta to secure another full three points and keep a safe distance from second-running Becamex Binh Duong (2-1-1) of Vietnam which has seven points.
Mr. Schrock said they will do that by way of continuous hard work.
“We work hard because nothing beats hard work. We try to improve things from the previous games and from 1-25, not just the 18 in the squad for game day, all the players are working hard and there for each other,” he said.
Home side Persija Jakarta, for its part, attempts to swing back to the winning track and add to its four points to keep in step with the top two teams in the grouping.
In Group G, only Shan United FC (0-0-4) of Myanmar has been eliminated from the running. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
