CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/STEPHEN TAN
Philippines Football League champion Ceres Negros’ stunning upset of Brisbane Roar sent shockwaves in world football on Tuesday night, but for the Bacolod club, the triumph was a reward for the commitment and work put in by the players in an effort to enhance the country’s reputation in Asia.
Making their debut in the AFC Champions League preliminary round, the Busmen came from a goal down to beat the Roar, 3-2, in a result described by Australian pundits as “embarrassing” for the third place team of the A-League last season.
The Busmen travel to China to face Tianjin Quianjian on Tuesday in a playoff with the winner advancing to the group stage. No Filipino club has gotten this far in the most prestigious club competition in the continent.
But for Ceres, the rise has been remarkable considering that the club was just formed in 2012 and played in the now defunct AFC President’s Cup where it failed to progress past the group stage.
“We absolutely deserve the win, and we as a team are so proud of this achievement,” said Ceres midfielder Stephan Schrock. “This is the biggest success for Philippine club history, and I think also the biggest upset in the history of Australian football.”
Two goals from Bienve Maranon and another striker from Omid Nazari proved enough for the Busmen to overcome the Roar, prompting the Australian club to apologize for its performance. Even after a tough outing against Shan United of Myanmar, Schrock said the Busmen never wavered in their belief that they can create a stir in the tournament.
“I knew that we can beat Brisbane since the day we became champions (in the PFL),” said Schrock. “I started thinking and believing about the win against Shan and Brisbane during holidays.”
Maranon said playing free from the burden of expectation proved key for the squad.
“We went to enjoy the experience and didn’t put ourselves under any undue pressure, that was the point,” he said. “As a result, the atmosphere among the team was very relaxed and that was reflected on the pitch.”
Tianjin poses a more difficult test for Ceres with its slew of Chinese internationals and a couple of high profile players in Alexander Pato and Axel Witsel.
But Schrock said the mindset will not change even against stronger opposition.
“We will show them respect as all the other teams we faced, but we have to be fearless and with a clear belief,” he said.