The presence of two national team members and seasoned players has been key in One Taguig’s rousing introduction to the Philippines Football League (PFL).
Despite being one of the neophytes in the league, One Taguig made its presence felt right in its debut game after a convincing 4-1 beating of Montet Manila FC over the weekend at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
Head coach Jovanie Villagracia said that having current national team members Kevin Ingreso and Stephan Schrock along with PFL veterans Arnel Amita, Quincy Kameraad and PFL veteran Yannick Tuason in the fold gives stability and leadership to the team.
“It’s challenging for the coaching staff since it’s a mix of veteran and young players but it’s an advantage for us since we have the experience,” Villagracia said.
“The presence of Ingreso, Shrock and Amita gives us a leader inside the pitch.”
Also beefing the squad are Philippine youth standout Patrick Grogg and Japanese players Tsukasa Shimomura and Naoto Hiraishi.
But Villagracia admitted that it will take a lot of hard work for them to challenge PFL powerhouse teams in Stallion Laguna FC, Davao Aguilas-UMak FC and defending champion Kaya.
“PFL is the top league in the country. It’s not going to be easy because a lot of teams are organized. The lapses have to be addressed in training,” Villagracia said.
“Since the league is only a single round-robin, every goal counts. You only play once against a team so every match should feel like a championship match.”
