CERES-LA SALLE underlined its title credentials with a narrow 1-0 win over Loyola Meralco Thursday night in the UFL Football Alliance League Cup at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Korean midfielder Kim Jin Ho scored on an overhead kick for the only goal of the match in the 25th minute, but the Bacolod side needed a strong defensive performance in the second half to survive, after Carlie De Murga was sent off just before halftime.
The victory sent Ceres to the top of Group A with a perfect nine points from three matches, while the Sparks fell to second spot with six points in a tie with Pachanga.
The 14 teams have been divided into two groups with the Top 4 from each bracket reaching the quarterfinals.
“I’m very proud of the performance of the team as everyone sacrificed to get the job done,” said Ceres skipper Juani Guirado, who anchored a Ceres defense that hardly gave the Sparks inch. “It wasn’t a final and we didn’t win a tournament but we showed everyone we are growing.”