Ceres–Negros F.C.

Ceres–Negros
Full name Ceres–Negros Football Club
Nickname(s) The Busmen
Short name CER
Founded January 2012 (January 2012)
Ground Panaad Park and Stadium
Ground Capacity 8,000
Owner Ricky and Leo Rey Yanson
Chairman Leo Rey Yanson[1]
Head coach Risto Vidaković
League Philippines Football League
2016 2nd (UFL)
Website Club website

Ceres–Negros Football Club[1], commonly referred to as Ceres–Negros or just Ceres, is a Filipino football club based in the city of Bacolod, Negros Occidental that plays in the Philippines Football League. The club is a member of the Negros Occidental Football Association. It was previously known as the Ceres–La Salle Football Club.

The name Ceres came from the Ceres Liner bus line owned by brothers Ricky and Leo Rey Yanson and operated by Vallacar Transit Inc., the largest public land transportation company in the Negros Region of the Philippines. La Salle came from the club's close ties with the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City. The club's home ground is the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.[2]

Ceres had their first major success in the United Football League in the 2014 season, when they won the United Football League Division 2 Championship, earning them promotion to the first division. Since then, they have won the UFL FA League Cup and the United Football League Division 1 Championship.

History

Ceres was founded by Leo Rey Yanson. Initially the club was composed of collegiate players reinforced by Koreans, but eventually it managed to recruit members of the Philippine national team.[3]

Negros Men's Open Football Championships

In January 2012, Ceres FC emerged as champions of the 1st Negros Men's Open Football Championships after they defeated Bacolod United F.C. (11–0). Louie Michael Casas was adjudged Best Goalkeeper; Jason Cordova as Best Defender; Aldrin Dolino as Best Midfielder and Ali Go as Most Valuable Player.[4]

PFF National Men's Club Championship

Ceres FC qualified in the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship Round of 16 after they swept all their games in the Visayas regional elimination in San Carlos City.[5] They battled UFL Cup Champions Stallion in the Round of 16 and won 1–0. They battled 2012 UFL Champions Global in the quarter-finals and also won 1–0. In the semi-finals, Ceres FC topped Kaya with a 3–1 scoreline to enter the finals of the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship. Ceres FC eventually won the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship trophy after they beat the other finalist PSG with a 1–0 score.[6] Byeong Jeong Yoon was adjudged the Most Valuable Player while his teammates Joshua Beloya (Best Midfielder), Jae Hun Hyeon (best goalkeeper) and Keon Hyeong Park (best defender) shared individual honors with him.[7]

Joining UFL

After they won the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship, Team Manager Ali Go said that they would not join the UFL 2013 season and hinted that the soonest Ceres could join the tournament is in the next UFL Cup set within the last quarter of the year.[8]

Following years of successful stints in local football tournaments, the Ceres-La Salle Football Club took another step into competitive football. Ramon Janeo, one of the team’s assistant coaches, confirmed the club's next step to joining the country’s premier football league – the United Football League (UFL).[9]

Ceres dominated the 2014 UFL Division 2 as debutante and was promoted to Division 1 the following season.[10] The two-time national club champions were keen on putting their mark on the history of Philippine football as they started their new campaign as one of the new additions to the top division of the country’s premier football league.[11]

Ceres was anticipated as serious contenders for the 2015 UFL Division 1 title in their first year, with Martin Steuble joining an already loaded line-up composed of Manny Ott, Adrian Gallardo, Patrick Reichelt and Paul Mulders among others.[12] They completed a highly successful first foray by claiming the championship with a number of games still left in the season. And for one local football observer, considering how the club was very active in recruitment and showed firm commitment to what it wanted to achieve, what it has done, all told, rendered itself not totally surprising. “At the start of the season, I didn’t think they would win it immediately, but I guess they proved me and most people wrong,” added Mr. Fenix, who also calls UFL games on TV for Sports5.

He said that seeing how Ceres has proven itself as a “game-changer,” it puts pressure on the rest of the field to look at their respective teams and assess their competitiveness relative to what Ceres has done and others who may follow suit.[13]

International competitions

Ceres made their international debut in the 2015 AFC Cup Qualifying play-off. The club were chosen to represent the Philippines after winning the UFL FA League Cup. They lost to Maziya 1–0.

The 2015 UFL Division 1 champions made a sophomore appearance at the 2016 AFC Cup. They topped Group E with an undefeated record 3–3–0, chalking up two of their three wins on their own turf.[14] Bacolod-based Ceres-La Salle FC made history by being the first Filipino squad to advance into the AFC Cup knockout stages.[15] Together with Kaya FC, it was a big moment for Philippine football as the first time ever Philippine club football teams were advancing to the Round of 16 of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, which was something big and to bask in, said one local football analyst.[16]

Ceres-La Salle saw its 2016 AFC Cup campaign end with a 0–1 defeat to South China of Hong Kong in extra time in their Round of 16 clash at Panaad Stadium. Still, it was a respectable finish for a side that started playing in the United Football League just a couple of years ago. After earning an outright berth to the group stage for winning the UFL first division last season, the Bacolod side boosted its stock by going unbeaten in Group E that included wins over the Tampines Rovers of Singapore and Sheikh Jamal of Bangladesh.[17]

Crest and colors

Logo as Ceres-La Salle F.C. (until circa November 2016)

The club crest was derived from the main emblem of Ceres Bus Lines. It was encircled in green to represent the colors of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, which is known for its football team in the university school levels. The center is the oval logo of the Yanson Company – Vallacar Transit Incorporated which owns and manages the club.[18]

The club colors are blue with white trim. This is in consonance with other sports clubs like Ceres Crius FC and teams under the Yanson Group of Companies in Negros Occidental, Philippines.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
2012–16 Adidas Ceres
2016– Puma

Personnel

Current technical staff and management

Position Name
Chairman Philippines Leo Rey Yanson
Team manager Philippines James Dinsay
Technical director Philippines Ali Go
Head coach Serbia Risto Vidaković
Assistant coach Philippines Ian Rolando Treyes
Fitness coach Spain Jose Augusto Losada
Marketing manager Philippines Patrick Ace Bright
Kit manager Philippines Alfe Sebuha
Club administrator Philippines Daniel Nicolas Golez
Club doctor Philippines Emily Zerudo
Physiotherapist Philippines Angela Borras
Philippines Bianca Acebedo

Head coaches

Name Year(s)
Philippines Freddie Lazarito 2012–13
Philippines Ali Go 2013–14
South Korea Cha Seung-ryong[19] 2014–15
Philippines Ali Go 2015–16
Philippines Franklin Muescan[20] 2016 (AFC Cup)
Serbia Risto Vidaković[21] 2016–

Players

First team squad

As of 30 July 2017[22]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Philippines GK Roland Müller
2 Philippines GK Eduard Sacapaño
3 Japan DF Kota Kawase
4 Spain DF Manuel Herrera López
6 Philippines MF Kevin Ingreso
7 Spain MF Bienvenido Marañón
8 Philippines MF Manuel Ott
9 Philippines DF Melvic Pitogo
10 Philippines MF OJ Porteria
11 Philippines MF Iain Ramsay
12 Philippines MF Stephan Schröck
13 Philippines DF Joshua Grommen
No. Position Player
14 Philippines DF Carli de Murga
15 Philippines MF Krysler Opena
16 Philippines MF Arnie Pasinabo Jr.
17 Philippines DF Junior Muñoz
19 Philippines DF French Talaroc
21 Philippines DF Luke Woodland
22 Philippines FW Omid Nazari
23 Philippines MF Martin Steuble
25 Philippines GK Louie Casas
28 Philippines DF Jeffrey Christiaens
29 Philippines FW Patrick Reichelt
99 Spain FW Fernando Rodríguez

Foreign players

In the Philippines Football League, there can be at least four non-Filipino nationals in a team as long as they are registered. Foreign players who have acquired permanent residency can be registered as locals.

Honors

Domestic

League

Cups

International competitions

AFC Cup

2015: Play-off Round
2016: Round of 16
2017: Inter Zone Semifinal (ongoing)
Season Round Nat. Club Score
2015 Play-off Round Maldives Maziya 0–1
2016 Group Stage Malaysia Selangor 2–2
Bangladesh Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi 2–0
Singapore Tampines Rovers 1–1
2–1
Malaysia Selangor 0–0
Bangladesh Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi 5–0
Round of 16 Hong Kong South China 0–1 (a.e.t)
2017 Group Stage Vietnam Hà Nội 1–1
Singapore Tampines Rovers 5–0
Malaysia Felda United 0–0
0–3
Vietnam Hà Nội 6–2
Singapore Tampines Rovers 4–2
Zonal Semifinal Malaysia Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–3
2–1
Zonal Final Singapore Home United 2–3
2–0
Inter Zone Semifinal India Istiklol Leg 1
Leg 2

AFC President's Cup

2014: Group Stage
Season Round Nat. Club Score
2014 Group Stage North Korea Rimyongsu 2–2
Chinese Taipei Tatung 2–0
Turkmenistan HTTU 1–2

Singapore Cup

2016: Third Place[25][26][27]
2017: Preliminary Round
Season Round Nat. Club Score
2016 Preliminary Round Singapore Young Lions 3–1 (a.e.t)
Quarterfinal Brunei Brunei DPMM 3–0
2–3
Semifinal Singapore Tampines Rovers 1–2
2–3
Battle for Third Singapore Balestier Khalsa 2–1
2017 Preliminary Round Singapore Young Lions 0–1

Records

Season Division Teams Pos. PFF NMCC UFL Cup League Cup Singapore Cup AFC President's Cup AFC Cup
2013 — — — Champion Quarterfinal — — — —
2014 2 (P) 12 1st Champion — Champion — Group Stage —
2015 1 10 1st 3rd Place Runners-up — — — Play-off Round
2016 1 12 2nd — Runners-up — 3rd Place — Round of 16
2017 1 8 4th
(ongoing)		 — — — Preliminary Round — Inter Zone Semifinal
(ongoing)
Updated as of 9 August 2017

References

  1. 1 2 Doble, Henry (16 November 2016). "Ceres FC gets nominations in Sports Tourism Awards". Sun Star Bacolod. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Henry G. Doble (April 24, 2014). "Ceres-La Salle prepares for AFC President’s Cup". Sun Star Bacolod. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ Tupas, Cedelf (22 January 2017). "Road to redemption". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Ceres bags 1st Negros First Football crown". The Daily Guardian. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  5. ↑ Jerome Galunan Jr. (November 26, 2012). "Ceres-La Salle FC sweeps Smart Club Championships". Watchmen Daily Journal. Watchmen Daily Journal. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ Celest R. Flores (February 2, 2013). "Ceres FC clinches Pff Smart Club title". Inquirer Sports. sports.inquirer.net. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ Alder Almo (3 February 2013). "Cinderella Ceres completes fairy tale ending". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Karlo Sacamos (February 3, 2012). "Newly-crowned champ Ceres plans to join UFL". spin.ph. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  9. ↑ Jerome Galunan Jr. (August 22, 2012). "Ceres-La Salle FC to join UFL". Watchmen Daily Journal. Watchmen Daily Journal. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  10. ↑ Jerome S. Galunan Jr. (3 June 2014). "In UFL Ceres is Div.2 champion, gets nod for Division 1". Watchmen Daily Journal. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Jaelle Nevin Reyes (14 September 2014). "Ceres FC out to prove football supremacy in UFL top division". Rappler. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  12. ↑ Ryan Fenix (6 February 2015). "Rampaging Fullback: Five things to watch for in the 2015 UFL season". InterAksyon.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  13. ↑ Michael Angelo S. Murillo (31 July 2015). "Ceres’ UFL ascent a remarkable feat". Business World Online. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "AFC CUP – RD16: Ceres la Salle FC V South China Preview". AFC. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Santino Honasan (27 April 2016). "Ceres-La Salle makes history, advances in 2016 AFC Cup". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  16. ↑ Michael Angelo S. Murillo (17 May 2016). "Ceres, Kaya book AFC Cup Round of 16 slots". Business World Online. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  17. ↑ Cedelf P. Tupas (24 May 2016). "AFC CUP: South China ousts Ceres-La Salle in extra time". Philippines Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  18. ↑ Scott McIntyre (8 May 2016). "Untold Stories, Southeast Asian Clubs: Ceres-La Salle FC". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  19. ↑ Jerome S. Galunan Jr. (11 September 2014). "Ceres FC appoints new coach as they gear up for FA League Cup". Watchmen Daily Journal. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  20. ↑ "Ceres FC coach: We’re ready vs Selangor". SunStar Bacolod. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "Vidaković named as new Ceres coach – Ceres Football Club". 6 July 2016.
  22. ↑ "Ceres FC". Ceres Negros FC. 5 May 2017.
  23. ↑ Songalia, Ryan (25 July 2015). "Ceres FC claims UFL League title with Socceroo domination". Rappler. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "UFL: Ceres downs Global to win FA League Cup". InterAksyon. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "Ceres Bags Third Place in Singapore Cup". Ceres FC. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  26. ↑ Nigel Chin (29 October 2016). "Schrock's screamer clinches Singapore Cup third for Ceres". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  27. ↑ Olmin Leyba (31 October 2016). "Ceres La Salle posts record finish in Singapore Cup". The Philippines Star. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
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