KOKOY'S SOCCER BLOG: Cebu FC's Historic Victory Extends Philippine Clubs' Win Streak Over Shan United to Eight in a Row

By Kokoy Severino

Coach Han Win Aung of Myanmar's Shan United FC is a man of few words. If his club's winless record against Philippine sides in past pan-Asian tournament outings dating all the way back to 2018 were at all on his mind, he didn't let on a bit the night before they were to take on Cebu United FC. In fact, what seemed to be the only concerning factor to Han was the number of foreign players they each had on their respective rosters, Cebu with six and Shan only four in accordance with Myanmar National League regulations.

Whether this proved to be a deciding factor in Cebu's win Thursday night will forever be up for debate, as it took only one goal from a foreign player to extend the Philippine club win streak over Shan United to now eight in a row over the past five years. Japanese forward Ken Murayama owned the Cebu left flank all night, repeatedly driving deep into Shan territory. His 28th-minute thrust down the wing finishing from just inside the box with a lovely left-footed torpedo careening off goalkeeper Min Latt's right calf and into the net turned out to be the game-winner, and a history-making goal giving the young club its first continental victory.

The score remained 1-0 through the final whistle, belying the many more chances the Cebu offense squandered with poor finishes. Cebu coach Joshua Schirmer was quick to identify finishing as a key element his squad need to work on before the return match on November 9 in Yangon's Thuwunna Stadium.

"We could have put this game away a lot earlier and made our job a lot easier in the second half had we finished some of those really big chances."

The Filipino preference for the long-ball fast-break style ended up giving Cebu an advantage, consistently outrunning the opposition in the offensive third and outshooting them despite Shan United having a majority of possession.

On a rare day when Philippine teams went undefeated, the women's national team romping over Chinese Taipei 4-1 in the Olympic Qualifiers in Australia and Stallion Laguna settling for a draw in their AFC Cup Group G match against Terengganu in Malaysia earlier that afternoon, Cebu FC's historic win was an exhilarating way to cap off the night.

While these results are cause for collective national optimism in the development of Philippine football, it's still way too early to start any euphoric celebrations; there is a long way to go in both the AFC Cup and the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers.

And as Coach Han quite pointedly said, "Anything can happen in football."

Rizal Memorial Stadium readies for the AFC Cup showdown between Dynamic Herb Cebu FC and Shan United FC

Dynamic Herb Cebu FC results and fixtures in AFC Cup Group F:

September 21 – Cebu FC 0, Phnom Penh Crown 3 @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila

October 5 – Macarthur 8, Cebu FC 2 @ Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney, Australia

October 26 – Cebu FC 1, Shan United 0 @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila

November 9 – vs Shan United @ Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon, Myanmar 6:30 pm

November 30 – vs Phnom Penh Crown @ Smart RSN Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 7:00 pm

December 14 – vs Macarthur @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila 8:00 pm

Philippine Women's National Team results and fixtures in AFC Olympic Qualifiers Group A

October 26 – Philippines 4, Chinese Taipei 1 @ HBF Park, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

October 29 – vs Australia @ Optus Stadium, Burswood, Western Australia, Australia 3:00 pm

November 1 – vs Iran @ HBF Park, Perth, Western Australia, Australia time TBA

Stallion Laguna FC results and fixtures in AFC Cup Group G

September 20 – Stallion Laguna FC 2, Bali United 5 @ Biñan Football Stadium, Biñan, Laguna

October 4 – Central Coast Mariners 9, Stallion Laguna FC 1 @ Industree Group Stadium, Gosford, Queensland, Australia

October 26 – Terengganu FC 2, Stallion Laguna FC 2@ Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

November 8 – vs Terengganu FC @ Biñan Football Stadium, Biñan, Laguna 4:00 pm

November 29 – vs Bali United @ Captain 1 Wayan Dipta Stadium, Bali, Indonesia 8:00 pm

December 13 – vs Central Coast Mariners @ Biñan Football Stadium, Biñan, Laguna 4:00 pm

Kaya-Iloilo FC results and fixtures in AFC Champions League Group G (all kickoff times local at venue):

September 19 – Kaya Iloilo FC 1, Shandong Taishan 3 @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila

October 3 – Incheon United 4, Kaya Iloilo FC 0 @ Incheon Football Stadium, Incheon, South Korea

October 25 – Yokohama FM 3, Kaya Iloilo FC 0 @ Yokohama International Stadium, Yokohama, Japan

November 7 – vs Yokohama FM @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila 8:00 pm

November 28 – vs Shandong Taishan @ Jinan Olympic Stadium, Jinan, China 8:00 pm

December 13 – vs Incheon United @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila 4:00 pm

Kokoy Severino is a career educator and Secretary of the Football For Peace Movement in the Philippines. He has coached junior high school soccer in the public school system of the Greater Houston area for over 20 years. He holds a National Youth Diploma and a Goalkeeping Coaching Certification from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and United Soccer Coaches, two coaching certifications from the United States Soccer Federation, and a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between interscholastic competitive soccer and the academic success of at-risk economically disadvantaged students. Kokoy returns regularly to his native country of the Philippines and works with fellow soccer coaches to conduct training sessions for underserved youths in impoverished neighborhoods. He is also a member of Initiatives and Hearts for Indigenous People, a collective of soccer coaches in the Philippines who use the beautiful game to mentor youths out of poverty, particularly focusing on marginalized indigenous communities.

Kokoy is a lifelong traveler and has been documenting soccer matches through photographs in his native country of the Philippines, his adopted home state of Texas, as well as in Singapore, Vietnam, and Washington State, plus more parts of the world to come.

Check out The Adventures of Kokoy - A Travel Guide.

Read and view Coach Kokoy's blog about implementing the beautiful game as an academic and social-emotional intervention at an inner-city junior high school for new immigrants to the United States - Coach Kokoy's Las Americas Soccer Blog.