Bacolod beats Iloilo to claim top spot in Visayas Regionals

In an intense battle between regional rivals and tournament favorites, Bacolod took the pole position in the Visayas Regionals of the PFF Suzuki Under-23 Cup with a 1-0 win over Iloilo at Cimafranca Field in Dumaguete City. Bacolod midfielder Jovin Bedic sent a low cross from the right wing that Iloilo keeper Wilson Muñoz seemed able to corral., but he lost possession as the ball spiraled away. from his grasp. Before Muñoz could recover, Bedic’s teammate Jay Baguioro quickly raced in to slam home a shot in the 44th minute. It was a typical Bacolod-Iloilo tussle, with elbows, nasty tackles, and harsh words thrown around. “It’s a real rivalry. Whether elementary, high school, collegiate or club game…. Grabe. Matindi. We expect nothing less from them and vice versa," said victorious head coach Norman Fegidero. Eight yellow cards were issued, plus one red card. The match was temporarily stopped in the 70th minute when Iloilo assistant coach Richard Bedia was thrown out by referee Vladimir Villacora for vigorous dissent. The Ilonggo coaching staff vhad ociferously complained about a series of calls that went against their side. Iloilo dominated first-half action with superb control in the midfield by Francis Gustilo and Shirmar Felongco. But the goal by Baguioro on the quick counter saw Iloilo unravel faster than the Wifi connection at Cimafranca Field. The Bacolod coaching staff noticed that the Ilonggo players were getting tired and wilting under the scorching heat so that Fegidero sent more attackers to try to sneak past the three defensive backs of Iloilo. “It worked," succinctly said Fegidero,who also coaches West Negros University. “We tried to score more goals. That was my instruction, but Iloilo is not so easy to beat." “Our goal was to qualify. Now that we’ve done that, we now try to top the group." - KY, RCJ, GMA News