DLSU Men’s Football Team: Conquering the United Football League

Long before the Philippines became a basketball-crazy country, it was first a football state. During the Spanish and the early parts of the American colonization periods, the chief sport in the Philippines was played with one’s feet and even the first Asian football tournament, which was played in the 1913 Far Eastern Games, was held in the Philippines. It was also during this time that Filipino Paulino Alcantara starred for FC Barcelona, achieving feats only Lionel Messi could surpass.

Yet as time went by, the Filipinos’ love for football slowly diminished and was shifted to basketball. Since then, football has been overlooked and sometimes ignored. It was only recently that interest in Philippine football was reignited when the national football team, the Philippine Azkals pulled off a fairy tale run to the semifinals of the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup. Since then, football’s presence in the country has grown, thanks in part to the United Football League (UFL).

Philippines’ Premiere Football League

In an article by Josue Jamlang for Interaksyon.com, it was mentioned that the UFL was made possible in a 2009 meeting by football aficionados that included the likes of Santi Araneta, Javier Mantecon, and Dong Longa. The result of which turned the UFL into a semi-professional league.

Twelve teams will compete in the UFL next season, with defending champions Ceres FC, Global FC, Kaya FC, Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, Pachanga Diliman FC, Stallion FC, Forza FC, Agila FC, Laos FC, JP Voltes FC, and Green Archers United FC among some of the squads set to contend for the title.

The Green Archers United Football Club, formerly known as Alabang Grins Football Club, was established in 1998 by Lasallian alumni. The club was among the 16 founding members of the UFL and it is currently one of the surviving founding clubs alongside the likes of Kaya FC and Global FC.

Playing amongst the nation’s finest

Members of the DLSU Men’s Football team took advantage of the offseason to play in the Philippines’ premiere football league, which also features current and former members of the Philippine Azkals.

In the first division of the UFL, DLSU head coach Hans Peter-Smit serves as the technical director of Green Archers United. Team captain Gelo Diamante along with veteran defenders Gerald Layumas and Greggy Yang suited up for the Alabang-based team in the offseason.

Midfielder Jojo Borromeo and defender Nicko Villacin took their talents to Stallion FC, where they joined the likes of Nathan Alquiros and Matthew Nierras, both of whom played out their UAAP eligibility with La Salle. Goalkeeper Raphael De Guzman and midfielder Iñigo Gonzales signed with the Loyola Meralco Sparks, which is led by Azkals captain Phil Younghusband and mentored by former
national team coach Simon McMenemy, who led the Azkals in their 2010 Cinderella run.

The duo of Noel Brago and Cristian Zubiri spent their offseason with Forza FC, while winger Jose Montelibano and defender Jhoguev Ibañez took their talents to Agila FC and JP Voltes FC, respectively, with the latter club earning a promotion to the first division at the end of the season.

Offseason development

Playing at the highest level in the country gave these players the opportunity to see how they fared against stronger, smarter, and more talented players. “You get a different perspective from collegiate football and the competitive environment gives you the opportunity to mature more quickly,” said Gonzales, who also emphasized that maturing as a player allows one to improve his contributions to the collective effort of the team. “Having trained with the Loyola Sparks, I get the chance to play with national team players (Phil and James Younghusband, and Simon Greatwich) and learn from Coach McMenemy,” he added.

Yang also mentioned that playing in the UFL goes beyond developing their individual skills. “We become more mature with our decision making and from being able to gel with different types of players. These are the tools that will help us contribute more to the team goal of winning a championship,” the defender added.

With the development of the game in the Philippines, the UFL has been able to attract players from abroad while improving its current pool. “Overall, the UFL just keeps getting more exciting for a young player like me. New and better guys come in every year, and I’m constantly challenged to get better in order to keep up with them,” Yang mentions.

With the UAAP Football tournament set to kick-off in a few weeks, members of the DLSU Men’s Football Team will return to action, looking to avenge and improve on their heartbreaking runner-up finish to the FEU Tamaraws last season with not just another UFL campaign under their belts but also new experiences from training with top-tier competition.