FOOTBALL MUSICAL CHAIRS: AN UPDATE ON UFL OFFSEASON TRANSFERS. by Bob Guerrero
Lots of player movement in between the UFL League and League Cup. Here is what I know thus far:
Lee Jeong Woo and Park Yi Young from Team Socceroo to Pachanga Diliman. Pachanga owner John Gutierrez has long admired these two Koreans from Seoul, who first saw UFL Cup action with General Trias International. Lee, only 21 and also known as Tony, scored 13 goals in the last league, many off assists from Park, who also goes by the name “Justin,” a central mid, scored five goals in the league to go with five assists. Now they will don the maroon-and-white of PDFC for the League Cup.
Lee and Park were a big reason why Team Socceroo stayed up in the top tier last season. TS needs to fill that attacking void going forward. Meanwhile Pachanga get ammo to make up for the loss of…
Nate Burkey to Ceres from Pachanga. Coach Ali Rojas Go gets a big, tall striker for the promotees, much like he was in his heyday. Ceres also picks up Azkal Manny Ott from FC Ingolstadt II in Germany. There’s another big signing for Ceres: keeper Eduard Sacapaño from Army. Ceres now has two former Azkals with Sacapaño and Michael Louie Casas, who will presumably battle for the right to be the number one between the sticks.
Burkey, Ott, and Sacapaño join a passel of other ex-Azkals in Bacolod, namely Carli De Murga, Marwin and Marvin Angeles, Jeff Christiaens, Juani Guirado, Patrick Reichelt, and Jason Sabio. If you include Jason Cordova, there could be as many as 12 former Azkals in Ceres. The club seriously means business.
Eddie Mallari and Anton Del Rosario from Kaya to Loyola. The two veterans switch black and yellow for orange and white for the League Cup. Del Rosario has been with Kaya since 1999, so this is a big shift.
Loyola needs quality Pinoy help in defense after a bunch of their stalwarts fled for Jeepney.
Also suiting up for Loyola are hulking English striker Jamal Fenelon and Spanish keeper Pedro Marenco, late of Stallion.
Meralco also has a new coach with Simon McMenemy, who coached the Azkals in 2010.
It seems that PJ Fadrigalan, Alexandro Elnar, and FEU’s Arnel “Nano” Amita, have exited from Loyola and are now with Manila Jeepney. They join other ex-Sparks Ref Cuaresma and Jake Morallo, who went on loan with the beep-beep crew and have made their loans permanent.
Amita will be there with other FEU team mates Eric Ben Giganto, Reimart Cubon, and Nicholas Ferrer.
Jeepney is now coached (driven?) by FEU coach Kim Chul-su, who also coached Loyola before Vince Santos, so the familiarity with the players is there.
Another ex-Spark has moved to Jeepney, and it’s Davide Cortina. The German-Italian veteran was with Pachanga last season.
Boyet Cañedo to Green Archers from Loyola. United maintains their reputation as a haven for homegrown players with the acquisition of Cañedo. The San Carlos native is a skilled central midfielder who has great passing touch and is a wicked free-kick taker as well. There is a report that GAU will also grab defender Angge Tresor Guisso from Laos. Green Archers already have striker Kennedy Venida Uzoka from Team Socceroo. The U21 NT striker is high on confidence after scoring in the Bolkiah Trophy.
Veteran keeper Kim Versales is now with GAU after leaving Pachanga. The Masbateño will compete with Paolo Pascual, who bid Global adieu. It will be good to see Pascual get badly-needed game time, which he hardly ever got with Global.
Kaya has a new coach, Adam Reekie, who replaces Australian David Perkovic. Jeremy Hohn, an American defender, and Diego Barrera from Colombia, are also on board. Barrera, a stylish striker who played for Kaya in the Charity Cup, has made his loan permanent from Socceroo. Both Hohn and Barrera also played in Stallion previously.
Global is not going to be outdone in all this. Paolo Bugas has come on over from Loyola. The talented FEU midfieder almost left the Sparks for Global last year. This year it’s finally a done deal. Bugas is a massive talent who will likely get an Azkals cap sooner than later. And of course, goalie Patrick Deyto is now in gold and blue now after switching from Green Archers.
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