CERES-La Salle and San Carlos FC dispute leadership of the Under 21 men's of the Dynamic Football Club 3rd Conference Sunday at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.
The 1:30 p.m. showdown is considered a preview of the eventual finale that will determine Negros Occidental Football Association (Nofa) representative to the National PFF Smart Club Championship next year.
La Salle, under new coach Norman Fegidero, has established its presence in the tournament with a 12-0 drubbing of Kabankalan FC in its first assignment.
San Carlos, on the other hand, launched their bid for the title with a 10-0 thrashing of Kabankalan FC on the opening day.
Fegidero in an earlier interview said their team is focused on defending their title in the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (Nopsscea) competition and the players are keen on representing the school in national competitions.
San Carlos FC head coach John Carmona, meanwhile, expressed hopes of seeing his players wearing the Nofa colors once again in the PFF Smart Club competition.
The team from northern Negros topped last year’s provincial qualifier and represented the Nofa in the national finals where it won over Davao.
Carmona said the thought of competing in the national finals motivated his players to play better in the DFL U21.
“Our players are very motivated as they are challenged to retain the championship we won last year. Our aim is to advance to the top four and win in the semis,” Carmona said.
Also seeing action in the DFL U21 category are Bago FC, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), and Kabankalan FC.
UNO-R and Kabankalan will play in the second match at 3:30 p.m. after the leaders’ face-off.
