Ceres slays Bung Karno demons

Ceres-Negros pulls off stunning comeback at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. Photo from AFC Cup Website

JAKARTA—The Gelora Bung Karno Stadium right in the middle of the business district here has not been kind to Filipino football teams over the past two decades.

Although they’ve improved in recent years, the Azkals have not won in the 80,000-capacity stadium against their Indonesian counterparts in three meetings. A 13-1 beatdown in the 2002 Southeast Asian football championships remains one of the worst results of the Philippines in the international stage.

It took a comeback for the ages from the country’s top club, Ceres-Negros, to finally exorcise some old ghosts at Bung Karno on Tuesday night.

Facing the mighty Persija Jakarta and an intimidating crowd of almost 35,000, the Busmen pulled off a 3-2 victory over in the AFC Cup.

Down 0-2 after conceding twice early in the second half, the Busmen battled back and took maximum points, thanks to goals from substitute Miguel Tanton, Bienvenido Marañon and Mike Ott, who fired home the match-winner in the 92nd minute that kept Ceres’ record perfect in the group stage.

“These type of matches is why you play football,” said Ceres midfielder Stephan Schrock, who provided the assist to Marañon and Ott’s goals. “Right in front of a big crowd, really passionate fans when you are supposed to be underdogs. You just wish you had that type of crowd in the Philippines.”