Cebu FC will be banking on its stellar AFC Cup run when it competes in the Philippine Football League.
Cebu FC coach Joshua Schirmer said he remains proud of his wards despite their 0-3 loss to A-League side Macarthur FC that sent them to a 1-1-4 win-loss-draw record in Group F. Their lone win came at the expense of Shan United FC of Myanmar, 1-0, last 29 October.
With that, they emerged as the only Filipino club to notch a win in an Asian club competition this year as Kaya FC-Iloilo lost all of its six games in the AFC Champions League while Stallion could only forge a draw in six games in the AFC Cup.
“It’s something we can be proud of. Not only is this our first time in the competition but like you said, we’re the only team in the Philippines to win an Asian competition this year,” Schirmer said.
“We hope that this is good motivation for the new year to keep moving forward. Hopefully, they do well in the league.”
The Gentle Giants are enjoying its greatest campaign since being assembled in 2021.
In the PFL, they emerged second with 15-6-1 record for 51 points behind champion Kaya FC-Iloilo. They also made it to their third straight semifinal appearance in the Copa Paulino Alcantara before bowing to Davao Aguilas-UMak FC on aggregate, 1-2.
Schirmer said they will take a break before returning to work early next year in preparation for the domestic professional league.
“They need a break, mentally and physically. Hopefully we get some injuries healed up and there will be movement in the players and the staff. We’ll just see how preseason looks and get ready for the start of the season,” Schirmer said.
“If we are able to do this against a team like Macarthur, we should be competing in every game and try to win the league.”
“We have shown what we can do and we need to find a way to be consistent to perform at that level the whole time.”
