The 2019 season was
Ceres–Negros Football Club's 8th season in existence and the club's 3rd consecutive season in the top flight of Philippine football. In addition to the
Philippines Football League, the club competed in the
Copa Paulino Alcantara
The Copa Paulino Alcantara, also known as the PFL Cup, is an annual football tournament in Philippines, sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation. The cup's first iteration began on September 1, 2018. It replaced the PFF National Men's Club ...
, the
AFC Cup
The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...
, and the first preliminary round of the
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...
. Competitive matches were played from February 5 to November 16, 2019. Ceres–Negros won the Philippines Football League for the third successive season, this time without a single defeat – a record of 22 wins and 2 draws, which included a 17-game winning streak. They also won the Copa Paulino Alcantara unbeaten, completing the
domestic double
The Double, in association football, is the achievement of winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season. The lists in this article examine this definition of a double, while derivative sections examin ...
without a single defeat in domestic competitions. The club was less successful in Asian competitions: after losing the first preliminary round of the AFC Champions League, they were transferred to the AFC Cup where they topped their group but were eliminated in the ASEAN Zonal semi-final. Ceres had only 3 losses overall.
Martin Steuble, who was club captain since 2017, left the club in July and was succeeded by
Carli de Murga
Carlos Alberto Olaivar Martinez de Murga (born 30 November 1988), known as Carli de Murga, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim and the Philippines national team.
Club career With Span ...
. The main additions to the team were striker
Robert Lopez Mendy, and midfielders
James Younghusband
James Joseph Younghusband (born 4 September 1986) is a former professional footballer who played mostly as a right midfielder and sometimes as a forward.
Born in Surrey, England to an English father and Filipino mother, Younghusband played fo ...
and
Takashi Odawara. Ceres also signed defender
Álvaro Silva, who played for the club from February to June.
Ceres–Negros players also won individual awards:
Bienvenido Marañón
Bienvenido Morejón Marañón (; born May 15, 1986), also known as Bienve, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Villarubia and the Philippines national team.
Born in Spain, Bienve played in the lower leagues of his birt ...
was the 2019 AFC Cup top scorer while
Stephan Schröck
Stephan Markus Cabizares Schröck (; born 21 August 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Azkals Development Team of the Philippines Football League. Although primarily a midfielder, earlier in his caree ...
won the PFL Golden Ball. In the Copa Paulino Alcantara, Robert Lopez Mendy won the Golden Boot while Takashi Odawara won the Golden Ball. Goalkeeper
Roland Müller
Roland Richard Guaves Müller (; born 2 March 1988) is a Filipino professional footballer who last plays as a goalkeeper for Amical Saint-Prex in the 2. Liga Interregional. Müller formerly played for the Philippines national team, earning 22 ...
won the Golden Glove in both the PFL and Copa Paulino Alcantara.
In July, the club's future became uncertain when club owner and chairman, Leo Rey Yanson, was ousted as president and CEO of
Vallacar Transit
Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI) is a Philippine transportation service under the umbrella of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC), serving as its flagship subsidiary.
The bus company is a family-owned and managed business that has grow ...
by his brother Roy. As the new president, Roy Yanson did not like to invest the company's money into the football club, though Leo Rey insisted that he spends his personal money for the club. On August 11, Leo Rey regained control of the company.
Season overview
After winning their second consecutive league title in the previous season, Ceres–Negros participated in the
qualifiers for the
2019 AFC Champions League
The 2019 AFC Champions League was the 38th edition of Asia's premier club association football, football tournament, organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 17th under the current AFC Champions League title.
Al Hilal SFC, Al ...
.
However, before the competitions began, veteran players
Patrick Reichelt
Patrick Gerry-Anthony Alcala Reichelt (born June 15, 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or a forward for Malaysia Super League club Kuala Lumpur City. Born in Germany, he represents the Philippines national team.
Club ...
and
Manuel Ott
Manuel Gelito Ott (born 6 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Malaysian club Kedah Darul Aman. Born in Germany, he represents the Philippines national team.
Born and raised in Germany, he started his profession ...
left the club.
The notable pre-season signing was Philippines national team defender
Álvaro Silva, who previously played under
Risto Vidaković
Risto Vidaković (Serbian Cyrillic: Pиcтo Bидaкoвић; born 5 January 1969) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who is currently managing Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors.
He spent his playing caree ...
at
Cádiz
Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.
Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...
. On February 5, Ceres began their campaign by hosting
Myanmar National League
The MPT Myanmar National League ( my, မြန်မာ နေရှင်နယ် လိဂ်; abbreviated MNL) is the premier national professional football league of Myanmar. In 2009, the league replaced the Myanmar Premier League, which co ...
champions
Yangon United
Yangon United Football Club ( my, ရန်ကုန် ယူနိုက်တက် ဘောလုံးအသင်း ) is a Burmese football club, based at Yangon United Sports Complex, in Yangon, Myanmar. Owned by Tay Za, a prominent Burme ...
for the
preliminary round 1
Preliminary may refer to:
* Preliminary internships
* Preliminary English Test
* Preliminary finals
* Preliminary hearing
* Preliminary Notice
See also
*Preliminary examination (disambiguation) Preliminary examination may refer to:
In education ...
, to whom they lost 2–1. As such, they were relegated to the
group stage of the
AFC Cup
The AFC Cup is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Under its current rules, the competition is played primarily between clubs from nations that did not receive direct qualifying s ...
, the second-tier competition of Asian club football.
In the AFC Cup, Ceres–Negros were in Group G alongside
Vietnamese Cup winners
Becamex Bình Dương
Becamex Binh Duong Football Club (), simply known as Becamex Binh Duong, is a professional football club based in Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong province, Vietnam. It currently plays in Vietnam's top division, the V.League 1. Their home ground is Go D ...
, Myanmar National League runners-up
Shan United, and Indonesian
Liga 1 champions
Persija Jakarta. Ceres topped their group by winning all but one of their group matches, losing their last match—at home to Becamex Bình Dương 1–0. Their notable group match was the comeback win away to Persija Jakarta on April 23. After a goalless first half, Ceres were down by two goals at the 57th minute until
Miguel Tanton
Miguel Javier Tanton (born 5 July 1989) is a Filipino former footballer who plays as a midfielder. At the club level, he most recently played for Ceres–Negros in the Philippines Football League.
Early life
Tanton was born in Santa Clara, Ca ...
and
Bienvenido Marañón
Bienvenido Morejón Marañón (; born May 15, 1986), also known as Bienve, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Villarubia and the Philippines national team.
Born in Spain, Bienve played in the lower leagues of his birt ...
managed to equalize.
Mike Ott then scored the winning goal in injury time, ending the match 3–2.
In the
ASEAN Zonal semi-finals, Ceres faced
V.League 1
The V.League 1 ( vi, Giải bóng đá vô địch quốc gia, lit=National Football League), also called Night Wolf V.League 1 due to sponsorship reasons, is the top professional Association football, football league in Vietnam, controlled by ...
champions
Hà Nội who topped Group F. The first leg, played at Panaad on June 18, ended in a 1–1 draw. Ceres went on to lose the second leg in
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
on June 25, with a score of 2–1 (3–2 on aggregate), thus failing to make their third consecutive ASEAN Zonal final. Although they were eliminated, Bienvenido Marañón was awarded as AFC Cup top scorer at the end of the season, with 10 goals in eight matches.
In the domestic level, Ceres were supposed to participate in the
Philippine Premier League
The Philippine Premier League (PPL) was a short-lived top-flight association football league in the Philippines sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF). It was intended as a successor league to the Philippines Football League (PFL ...
(PPL)—the new top-tier league as the
Philippines Football League (PFL) was dissolved after the troubled
2018 season, which Ceres won. However, the PPL was also plagued with numerous issues, with
Stallion Laguna and
Global Makati withdrawing a day before the season commenced. Ceres later withdrew after the first matchday (in which they were not scheduled to play), and later the
Philippine Football Federation
The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is the governing body of association football in the Philippines. Established as the Philippine Amateur Football Association (PAFA) in 1907, the PFF is one of the oldest national football associations in ...
(PFF) decided to withdraw its sanction of the PPL thus dissolving the league.
The PFF then decided to revive the PFL for a third season. Ceres' opening PFL fixture was at the
Rizal Memorial Stadium against Stallion Laguna on May 25, which ended in a 2–2 draw. On May 29, they earned their first league win of the season at the expense of debutants
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
, 5–0. The next day,
Kevin Ingreso
Kevin Langbehn Ingreso (born 10 February 1993) is a professional footballer who plays for Malaysian Super League club Sri Pahang. Born in Germany, he represents the Philippines national team.
Club career
Ceres–Negros
In December 2015, Ingre ...
left the club; he played three and a half years with Ceres.
On June 28, notable pre-season signing Álvaro Silva announced his surprise departure.
While on July 4,
Martin Steuble, who captained Ceres since 2017, left the club to join
Port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
of the
Thai League 1
The Thai League 1 ( th, ไทยลีก 1), often referred to as T1, is the top level of the Thai football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai League 2. Seasons run from August ...
.
Despite the loss of several key players, Ceres continued to win their matches with
Carli de Murga
Carlos Alberto Olaivar Martinez de Murga (born 30 November 1988), known as Carli de Murga, is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim and the Philippines national team.
Club career With Span ...
as the new captain. They notably thrashed Philippine Air Force 12–0 on July 13, the league's largest home win of the season.
In the midseason transfer window, Ceres made three notable signings: Senegalese striker
Robert Lopez Mendy, who was the PFL's top scorer in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
with
Kaya–Iloilo, Philippines national team midfielder
James Younghusband
James Joseph Younghusband (born 4 September 1986) is a former professional footballer who played mostly as a right midfielder and sometimes as a forward.
Born in Surrey, England to an English father and Filipino mother, Younghusband played fo ...
, and Japanese midfielder
Takashi Odawara.
On August 28, Ceres thrashed Global Makati 13–0 away, the league's largest margin of victory in the season. On September 28, a 1–1 draw with Stallion Laguna ended Ceres' winning streak at 17 games. After winning the subsequent fixtures, Ceres secured their third consecutive league title by defeating
Green Archers United
Green Archers United Futbol Club, formerly known as Alabang Grins Futbol Club, was a Filipino professional association football club based in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines. The team last played in the 2019 season of the Philippines Football Le ...
3–1 on October 12, with two matches to spare. After winning the two remaining games, Ceres completed a historic
unbeaten season with a total of 22 wins and 2 draws (68 points).
Goalkeeper
Roland Müller
Roland Richard Guaves Müller (; born 2 March 1988) is a Filipino professional footballer who last plays as a goalkeeper for Amical Saint-Prex in the 2. Liga Interregional. Müller formerly played for the Philippines national team, earning 22 ...
won the season's Golden Glove while midfielder
Stephan Schröck
Stephan Markus Cabizares Schröck (; born 21 August 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Azkals Development Team of the Philippines Football League. Although primarily a midfielder, earlier in his caree ...
won the Golden Ball. With 30 goals, striker Bienvenido Marañón was the Golden Boot runner-up behind Kaya's
Jordan Mintah
Jordan Owusu Mintah (born 2 September 1995) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Malaysia Football League club Terengganu II.
Career
In his native Ghana, Mintah has played for Medeama and Emmanuel Stars.
He later ...
, who scored 31.
After failing to progress from the group stage in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, Ceres were determined to win the
2019 edition of the
Copa Paulino Alcantara
The Copa Paulino Alcantara, also known as the PFL Cup, is an annual football tournament in Philippines, sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation. The cup's first iteration began on September 1, 2018. It replaced the PFF National Men's Club ...
. They were drawn in Group A alongside
Mendiola
Mendiola Street (simply known as "Mendiola") is a short thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. The street is named after Enrique Mendiola, an educator, textbook author, and member of the first Board of Regents of the University of the Philippi ...
, Green Archers United, and
Philippines U22 (who are participating in preparation for the
Southeast Asian Games).
In their first group match, they were held to a 2–2 draw by Mendiola. This was followed by wins over the two other clubs as Ceres topped the group. In the semi-finals, they defeated Group B runners-up Stallion Laguna 4–3 to earn their first ever finals appearance. On November 16, Ceres faced defending champions Kaya–Iloilo in
the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. Ceres won the match 2–1, completing their
domestic double
The Double, in association football, is the achievement of winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season. The lists in this article examine this definition of a double, while derivative sections examin ...
.
Ceres won the final despite having only 14 players available in their squad, as the others were either resting or on international duty. Head coach Risto Vidaković was also absent for the final, thus it was assistant coach Jooc Treyes who managed the team.
The Copa's individual awards were all won by Ceres players: striker Robert Lopez Mendy, who scored five goals in the tournament, won the Golden Boot, goalkeeper Roland Müller won the Golden Glove, and midfielder Takashi Odawara won the Golden Ball for his defensive performances.
With the Copa win, Ceres finished their 2019 season without a single defeat in domestic competitions.
Ownership crisis
On July 7, Ceres–Negros' owner and chairman, Leo Rey Yanson, was ousted as president and CEO of
Vallacar Transit
Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI) is a Philippine transportation service under the umbrella of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC), serving as its flagship subsidiary.
The bus company is a family-owned and managed business that has grow ...
in a boardroom coup led by his older brother Roy and supported by three of his other siblings. In a statement, Leo Rey called the move "illegal" and refused to recognize it, saying: "The removal was only done through a special meeting of which the election/removal of the president was not even included in the agenda." As the new president, Roy Yanson accused Leo Rey of using the company's funds for the football team, adding that players who are "just simply kicking the ball" are earning more than the Vallacar Transit employees. Leo Rey defended the football club and denied the accusation, insisting that he funds the team using his own money, saying: "I don't need to justify how much I'm spending for the club because it's my own personal money." Leo Rey also spent for the refurbishment of the Panaad Statium, the club's home ground. Nonetheless, the Yanson siblings' battle for control of the company made the team's future uncertain. The football players expressed their support for Leo Rey, with
Stephan Schröck
Stephan Markus Cabizares Schröck (; born 21 August 1986) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Azkals Development Team of the Philippines Football League. Although primarily a midfielder, earlier in his caree ...
saying: "He's been there for us not only as an owner or manager or benefactor. He was, for the longest time for us, a friend almost like a dad to everyone at the club. We owe him." On August 11, Leo Rey regained control of the company's headquarters in Bacolod with the help of his sister Ginnette, mother Olivia, and the
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
.
Players
Squad information
:''As it stands on November 16, 2019''
Transfers
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules
As the governing body of association football, FIFA is responsible for maintaining and implementing the rules that determine whether an association football player is eligible to represent a particular country in officially recognised internation ...
. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
In
Out
Kits
Supplier:
Grand Sport /
Sponsor:
Ceres Liner
Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI) is a Philippine transportation service under the umbrella of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC), serving as its flagship subsidiary.
The bus company is a family-owned and managed business that has grow ...
Competitions
Overview
Philippines Football League
Standings
Results summary
Results by round
Matches
Note:
: a Global forfeited the match due to an inability to field a team. The result was 0-3 in favor of Ceres.
Copa Paulino Alcantara
Group Stage
On October 20, Ceres–Negros were drawn in Group A of the
Copa Paulino Alcantara
The Copa Paulino Alcantara, also known as the PFL Cup, is an annual football tournament in Philippines, sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation. The cup's first iteration began on September 1, 2018. It replaced the PFF National Men's Club ...
alongside
Mendiola
Mendiola Street (simply known as "Mendiola") is a short thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. The street is named after Enrique Mendiola, an educator, textbook author, and member of the first Board of Regents of the University of the Philippi ...
,
Green Archers United
Green Archers United Futbol Club, formerly known as Alabang Grins Futbol Club, was a Filipino professional association football club based in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines. The team last played in the 2019 season of the Philippines Football Le ...
, and
Philippines U22.
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
Final
AFC Champions League
Qualifying play-offs
AFC Cup
Group Stage
The group stage draw was held on November 22, 2018 at the AFC House in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Ceres–Negros were drawn in Group G alongside
Vietnamese Cup winners
Becamex Bình Dương
Becamex Binh Duong Football Club (), simply known as Becamex Binh Duong, is a professional football club based in Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong province, Vietnam. It currently plays in Vietnam's top division, the V.League 1. Their home ground is Go D ...
,
Myanmar National League
The MPT Myanmar National League ( my, မြန်မာ နေရှင်နယ် လိဂ်; abbreviated MNL) is the premier national professional football league of Myanmar. In 2009, the league replaced the Myanmar Premier League, which co ...
runners-up
Shan United, and Indonesian
Liga 1 champions
Persija Jakarta.
Knockout stage
ASEAN Zonal Semifinal
''Hà Nội won 3–2 on aggregate.''
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2019 Ceres-Negros F.C. season
Ceres–Negros F.C. seasons
Ceres-Negros 2019
Ceres-Negros 2019