UNITED City Football Club (UCFC) played true to form and so did Kaya Football Club-Iloilo as another bubble got going on Wednesday amid the Covid-19 pandemic, this time at the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Training Centre in Carmona, Cavite, for the Philippine Football League.
Mike Ott and UCFC, formerly Ceres Negros, slipped past the Azkals Development Team (ADT), 1-0, in the country’s first professional football match since the lockdown in March.
Ott’s match-winner, however, was tainted by a red card he incurred after hitting Troy Limbo. He will miss his team’s next assignment.
Kaya, on the other hand, downed Maharlika Football Club 1991, also 1-0, on Jayson Panhay’s goal.
The PFL finally kicked off after a week’s delay when five players and one coach tested positive of the virus.
Saturday’s matches pit Maharlika against the Stallion Football Club at 9:30 a.m., followed by the UCFC-Mendiola Football Club match 4:30 p.m. and Kaya against ADT at 8pm.
The matches are being played without fans with all members of the six teams, officials and staff confined at the Seda Nuvali bubble in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Safety protocols such as wearing of facemasks for coaches and players while on the bench and social distancing while off the pitch are strictly implemented.
The field and balls are also periodically disinfected and team huddles are not allowed.