7s Football moves forward with new partner

Skechers x 7s

Seven-a-side football is set for an explosive 2025, with the return of the 7s Football League, including the much-anticipated second season of the 7s Super League.

The new season also comes with a new partnership, with global footwear brand Skechers coming in as its Official Footwear and Presenting Partner.

In establishing this game-changing partnership, Skechers steps into the scene by equipping players with confidence through its innovative Skechers Football boots, in the process, empowering the fastest-growing football league in the country with unmatched support and inspiration to keep going for gold.

The league is set to kick off its new season this Sunday, February 16, at the McKinley-Hill Stadium, while also expanding its reach to 34 events in sixteen cities nationwide. Such an expansion allows for a bigger entryway for all sorts of players, whether in the grassroots level, to semi-professionals, up to elite athletes. It is expected to involve around seven thousand participants, with over five thousand being in the youth level and two thousand adults spread over thirty four different divisions.

On the same day, the start of the second season of the top-flight seven-a-side football, the 7s Super League will commence, with action set to be broadcast through the league's social media platforms as well as on Pilipinas Live and iWant.

Later on this year, the Kampeon Cup takes to the stage, where the best of the best in seven-a-side from across the country converge to determine which area plays the best brand of football.

Aside from the competition, the 7s Football League is also geared towards using its talents, experience, and expertise in helping train and inspire young footballers in underserved communities, conducting football clinics and holding special celebrity exhibitions as part of its outreach programs.

7s Super League set for March launch

FROM L-R; Melissa Henson - AIA Philippines Chief Marketing Officer, Anton Del Rosario - Founder & CEO 7x7 Philippines, Ethan Lee - Executive Director 7x7 Philippines

Another tweak in 7-a-side football is set to happen in a few weeks, as the people behind 7x7 Football Philippines is introducing its top tier domestic 7s football competition, the 7s Super League.

Set to debut in March, the 7s Super League will feature top-tier football talent from across Luzon, with seven teams set for participation in the inaugural campaign: Alabang South Supers, BGC Soldiers, Pampanga Strikers, Paranaque Super Nets, Quezon City Heroes, Siniloan GOM Blues, and Pasig City Pirates.

7x7 Football Philippines founder and CEO Anton del Rosario says about the Super League's launch, "This will be a game-changer for football in the Philippines. The unique format, combined with the caliber of players involved, promises to deliver an unforgettable football experience."

Del Rosario notes the growth of this particular aspect of football in the country. with the presence of the 7s leagues across the different regions, capped off with the Kampeon Cup.

He also shares the league's commitment to what it calls the "7x7 Goals of J.O.Y," which is focused on creating Jobs, providing Opportunities, and nurturing the Youth, all through football.

The league will also adopt rules currently in place in 7s Football League play, including the Target Score Time first introduced at The Soccer Tournament. 

Extending their support to the Super League is AIA Philippines, who has been a longstanding supporter of seven-a-side football in the country. With a mission of helping Filipinos live healthier, longer, and better lives, AIA's partnership with 7s Super League underscores its dedication to supporting football programs worldwide, providing players a pathway towards success in football.

Del Rosario shares about this partnership, "AIA Philippines understands the needs of its customers and provides holistic solutions that include life protection, health insurance, savings, education, retirement, and investment. Thanks to AIA, we are able to give players the opportunity to showcase their talent on a bigger stage with the 7s Super League."

Representing the group in the presentation held at the Mansion Bar in Makati is Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Henson.

The opening set of matches for the 7s Super League will take place at McKinley-Hill Stadium in Taguig on March 10. The expectation is that the competition will go around the different teams throughout its triple-round-robin eliminations. Outstanding teams advance into the semifinals, with the championship to be decided in a one-match affair.

Kampeon Cup set for Cebu debut, defending champions seek title defense

Photo c/o Karl Tan

The third edition of the AIA Vitality Kampeon Cup is set to be unveiled later this month, with the action finally making its long overdue visit to Cebu.

Set to take place on September 22-24 at the Dynamic Herb Complex in Cebu, the hosts will defend their crown against seven other squads, with each of them seeking to be the second-ever champion of the competition.

Leading the cast of challengers is BGC, who has been the losing finalists of the last couple of editions. Ethan Lee, who is managing the side, has decided to tap 7s Football League head honcho Anton del Rosario to serve as a playing coach for the side, in a bid to finally unseat Cebu.

Also set to take part are Bacolod, Iloilo, Palawan, and Pampanga. Davao returns after missing out on the second edition, while making its debut is Zamboanga, whom del Rosario praised for the work that has been done to grow the game there.

Action commences on September 22 with pool play taking place until the afternoon of September 23. Top two teams advance into the crossover semifinals that evening.

The final will take place on September 24 at 2pm, with youth matches serving as an appetizer for the culminating day.

The competition seeks to cap off a strong year for the partnership and investment AIA Philippines has had with seven-a-side football in the country.

AIA Philippines Head of Branding and Communications Bernadette Chincuanco shares, "AIA Philippines, formerly Philam Life, has been partners with the 7s since 2019, even through the pandemic, and we’ve had very good games together, bringing football to so many children and communities in the Philippines and living our brand purpose of helping people live, healthier, longer, better lives. We look forward to more of these."

Lee, who is the AIA 7s Executive Director, shares, "This will be the biggest showing yet in terms of participation in the AIA Vitality Kampeon Cup. With every tournament we play, the league grows even more. I cannot think of a great way to cap off this 2023 with an eight-team field competing for the title of the fastest growing sport and biggest football tournament in the country."

For Del Rosario, this is a reflection of the continued growth of his program. He says, "Last season, we had over 700 teams from several cities around the country participating in their own local 7s football tournaments. Now we have an even bigger field. This will ultimately help the selection for the team that will represent us in the next BPI AIA Asia 7s and perhaps, even the TST tournament."

Back in April, the first AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup took place, with a couple of coaches from AIA-supported Tottenham visiting the country. Not long after, the first BPI AIA Asia 7s brought together some of the best seven-a-side ballers from across the region, with both competitions being held at the McKinley-Hill Football Stadium.

A few weeks after that, AIA helped support the lone Asian entrant Far East United in The Soccer Tournament, a $1M winner-take-all competition that made waves in North Carolina.

The experience allowed del Rosario, and Lee, to import a few things from TST into the 7s Football League, which just started its 8th season earlier this month, as well as in the Kampeon Cup.

The most notable adoption is Target Score Time, which is TST's version of the Elam Ending in their sister competition, The Basketball Tournament. Teams will play an untimed period with the objective of scoring one goal to serve as a winning moment. If Team A is trailing Team B, they will need to score one more goal than Team B's total at the end of the second half. Team B only needs to score to secure the victory.

A quirk of target score time is that every few minutes, a player from both sides will be taken off the field.

With the all the things happening in the sport in the past year, the former Philippines international had one thing to say about that, "It’s a great time to be involved in football."

Far East United impress in TST debut

Far East United

Far East United impressed on the opening day of the $1M winner-take-all The Soccer Tournament on Thursday at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

The side assembled by Anton del Rosario defeated West Ham, 4-2, capped by a Target Score goal from Bienve Maranon.

With both teams being held scoreless after the break, Far East United opened the scoring with a Jason Cunliffe assist to Tyler John, who then blasted it to the net seven minutes after the reset.

The lead doubled three minutes later, with Cunliffe figuring into another scoring opportunity, playing a two-man game with Felipe Souza as the latter received the former Guam international's pass and hitting it into the back of the net.

The third goal came in the subsequent minute thanks to a Safee Sali masterclass, as the Malaysian legend decided to beat his man one-on-one, drew three more defenders towards him and then poked the ball past the keeper.

The Hammers did pull one back before the end of the second half, with Marlon Harewood converted a goal off a free kick set up by a Masaki Watanabe foul.

They would then secure another goal during Target Score, an untimed period where the leading team needs to score one goal to finish the match. Harewood raced down the the right flank, then sent a cross towards Kyle Reid to score.

Far East United did manage to finish things off eventually. With the matchup reduced to a 5v5 affair, Alex Caceres found Bienve Marañon, who twisted the Hammers defense to fire home the clincher.

In assessing the match, head coach Matthew Holland says, "Fantastic start to the tournament regardless of the opponent. To beat West Ham with so many top players is a life moment for the boys. The togetherness we built over the past week came through even with players drip-feeding in. We have no alpha player. We just connect. We worked together in this match and managed all the situations."

Team manager Ethan Lee adds, "It’s a big win and it gives us confidence. It puts us a step closer to advancing to the next round."

Up next for the AIA-backed side is Culture by Mo Ali FC early Saturday morning. The squad organized by conditioning coach and social media influencer Mo Ali is fresh from a 3-1 winner over Dallas United in their opener.

Far East United to use TST as showcase for Asian Football

Far East United

When the page turns towards June, some of the best football players will battle it out on The Soccer Tournament, a $1M winner-take-all competition taking place at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC.

One of those teams is Far East United, composed of some of the best to have represented the region.

Leading the cast is Safee Sali, who helped Malaysia win the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. He and Greg Nwokolo of Indonesia will serve as the main guys up front. Supporting them are Thai international Charryl Chappuis, Indonesia-based Croat Marko Simic, Guam skipper Jason Cunliffe, and Japanese defender Masaki Watanabe.

Providing some local flavor are Anton del Rosario, and former Ceres Negros defender Joshua Dutosme, with the availability of Bienvenido Maranon still unclear as of the moment.

Mentoring the side is Matt Holland, who has been based in the region for the last decade. He's ready for this new endeavor, says, "I have worked on a first team, youth and grassroots, and academy level including as an analyst.  My coaching is wide and in different disciplines. It is one of the reasons why I have gotten multiple jobs in the region."

The 34-year-old adds, "The make-up of the team is different and it changes because of the availability of players, but it is exciting. These are key players in their countries and national teams; players who I have seen and coached against while working in Southeast Asia. It is great to meet them and to help give them that opportunity to showcase their talent on a different global stage."

Far East United was drawn into Group D alongside West Ham, Dallas United, and Culture by Mo Ali FC. In order to advance to the knockout rounds, teams will have to finish in their top half of the group.

Other notable teams participating in the tournament include top-flight sides Borussia Dortmund and Wolverhanpton, as well as National League champions Wrexham.

With all the players based all across the globe, there could be potential chemistry issues, but team manager Ethan Lee has a means to address that before heading to Cary. The Palaro boss shares, "... We look forward to consolidating our team during our Las Vegas training camp. For sure the players will come out with a lot of pride to showcase what we can do. We are aiming for that top prize of US $1 Million."

Lee adds, "The challenge is simple – the boys have to be familiar with one another. It is very much going to be about togetherness and the pride of representing Asia on US soil. There are tactical elements that we are discussing internally. But we have to blend together in a short time."

At the same time, Holland dismisses fitness being a potential issue. "I am not worried about fitness because they are all playing in their current seasons," the Welshman declares.

The full Far East United lineup is made up of:

John Alexander Caceres (USA) midfielder
Charyl Chappuis (Thailand) midfielder
Jason Cunliffe (Guam) midfielder/defender
Anton del Rosario (Philippines) defender
Joshua Dutosme (Philippines) defender
Brandon Gomez (USA) goalkeeper
Nestor Hernandez (USA) midfielder
Tyler John (USA) midfielder/defender
Shane Andre Malcolm (Guam) midfielder
Bienvenido Marañon (Philippines) striker
Greg Nwokolo (Indonesia) striker
Felipe Oliviera (USA) midfielder
Jesus Pacheco (USA) midfielder
Mohd Safee Sali (Malaysia) striker
Tengku Fahad Shah (Malaysia) midfielder
Marko Simic (Croatia/Indonesia) striker
Felipe Souza (Brazil) midfielder
Masaki Watanabe (Japan) defender

Matthew Holland (Wales) coach

Bienvenido Marañon joins Far East United for TST

Far East United

Far East United shuffled the deck for the upcoming The Soccer Tournament.

With both Stephan Schroeck and Roland Mueller now unavailable for the competition slated for June 1-4 at Cary, NC, the team is enlisting Bienvenido Marañon to provide offensive spark, joining fellow Pinoy Anton del Rosario.

The former Philippines international shares about their new addition, "We are happy to have Bienve Marañon with us in Far East United. We all know his quality and impact. Fans saw that recently when he joined Bonifacio Global City in the Asia 7s where he scored four goals in one match. We all know what he has done here in Philippine football on a club level as well as for the national side. With Bienve in uniform, we are excited to show what we can do in this international seven-a-side tournament with quality competition."

Slotted in Group D alongside West Ham, Dallas United, and Culture by Mo Ali FC, Far East United will be relying on their ASEAN core of Safee Sali, Charyl Chappuis, and Greg Nwokolo, alongside Japanese defender Masaki Watanabe, among others.

They also revealed that the side will be coached by Thailand-based Englishman Matt Holland.

Notable teams also participating in this $1M winner-take-all competition include Borussia Dortmund, Wolverhampton, Wrexham, and Necaxa.

Far East United drawn into Group D of TST

Far East United

The pathway for Anton del Rosario's foray into The Soccer Tournament (TST) is set.

Far East United has been drawn into Group D of this inaugural competition, alongside West Ham, Dallas United, and Culture by Mo Ali FC.

The Hammers are set to be backstopped by a trio of club legends in Carlton Cole, Marlon Harewood, and Matt Jarvis. They have a total of 249 goals between themselves, including 106 for the London-based side.

Dallas United is composed mainly of players from the Dallas Soccer Alliance, sprinkled by ballers connected to Castro1021.

Culture by Mo Ali FC is a group assembled by Mo Ali Heydarpour, a Canadian social media content producer who also is a former soccer player and current trainer. He is collaborating on this endeavor with former MLS center back Leonardo.

Even with these formidable opposition, Far East United is coming into this competition ready. The squad is filled with ASEAN football legends, led by Philippines internationals Stephan Schroeck and Anton del Rosario.

The duo will join forces with their Suzuki Cup rivals Safee Sali of Malaysia, Greg Nwokolo and Marc Klok of Indonesia, and Charyl Chappuis of Thailand.

TST is the seven-a-side soccer version of The Basketball Tournament, which features a $1M winner-take-all prize money. It styles itself as potentially becoming the Champions League version of the sport.

Scheduled this coming June 1-4 at Cary, NC, TST teams will be playing matches with two twenty-minute halves sandwiched between a two-minute break, with the clock only stopping for official timeouts or injuries. As the norm in seven-a-side football, flying substitutions are allowed. Replacing throw-ins are indirect free kicks. In case of a match ending in a tie, ten minutes of added time will be imposed, with Golden Goal rules in effect. If it still remains deadlocked, a player from each side will be taken off every five minutes until a winner is declared.

Only the top two teams in each group advance into the knockout rounds, where the prize money beckons.

Japan tops Asia 7s

Champions of Asia 7s

Japan capped off the inaugural BPI AIA Asia 7s as its inaugural champions, defeating India in the final, 3-2 on Sunday at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig.

Shohei Agata found Takaharu Nakagawa for the game-winning goal in the 50th minute, his second of the game and eighth in the tournament.

Nakagawa had given Japan the lead just at the end of first half, but India managed to answer back a couple of minutes after the restart, as Clinton D'Souza found Johnson D'Silva for the equalizer.

Tomoya Sekina retook the lead at the half-hour mark, but India answered back as Mervin Stephen equalized against with just under ten minutes remaining.

Head Coach Keller Costa, who before the competition confidently expressed their title chances, would re-insert Agata in the final minutes with the role of being a pivot in the middle, setting up the winning heroics and an unblemished record.

Costa explains, "I know I said we’d win it, but you have to say it. Now you have to back up those words and I am glad the boys did. They worked hard for this."

In the third place game, the Philippines fended off an attempted Brunei comeback to secure a 6-3 victory.

MJ Libre ran wild for the hosts. scoring four goals in the first half as they scored the first five goals of the match.

Brunei would pull one back just before the first half, thanks to Khairul Amirin Mohammad.

Ulfi Aminuddin helped cut the deficit to 5-2, but they missed two penalty shots that could have cut the deficit further.

Libre would score his fifth goal five minutes from the end to make it 6-2, with an injury time strike from Ifmal Hakim completing the scoring in injury time.

Supporting the inaugural BPI AIA Asia 7s Football Championships are BPI AIA, TapGo TV, Blaze Athletics, Palaro, and the Mansion Sports Bar and Lounge.

Japan, India set for Asia 7s final

 

Japan and India set themselves up for a rematch to determine the inaugural BPI AIA Asia 7s champion.

The two will face off after they won their respective semifinal assignments on Saturday at McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig.

The former booked its spot in the final with a 6-1 victory over Brunei, whilst the latter clawed their way to a 4-3 win over the Philippines.

Japan went ahead four minutes into the match with a goal from Shohei Agata, doubling it at the 23rd minute thanks to Takaharu Nagata.

Brunei would pull one back in the second half, as Danish Alfian intercepted a pass from Itsuki Yamada and sent it past keeper Shunya Okita in the 35th minute.

Japan, however, responded with Agata scoring twice in a couple of minutes to net his hat trick.

Ryusei Okuma and Tomoya Sekina capped off scoring as they earned the first finals spot.

In contrast to the first semifinal, India had to go through the ringer to earn the other spot.

The Philippines, bolstered by the presence of Bienvenido Maranon, wasted no time taking advantage of the presence of the star striker.

After scoring four goals in their 11-1 demolition of Brunei in their last elimination round matchup, the former United City Football Club striker put the hosts ahead 2-0 after ten minutes, a couple of minutes after MJ Libre opened the scoring.

India found their legs and equalized with a couple of Johnson D'Silva goals in a span of three minutes, tying things up at 2-2 after 23 minutes.

Dean Ebarle retook the lead early in the second half, as his 27th minute strike made it 3-2 Philippines, but India found an answer with ten minutes remaining in the game, as Clinton D'Souza tied things again at 3-3.

D'Silva would cap off the match with a golden goal clincher in the first half of added time, allowing India to steal the win and the second finals berth.

The final is a rematch of their final elimination round duel, which Japan won, 5-1. Kickoff is set at 5pm at McKinley Hill Stadium. The Philippines and Brunei will face off in the third place game at 330pm.

Both matches will be streamed live on the TapGo TV application.

Japan, India take charge in Asia 7s

Japan and India impress in the opening day at at BPI AIA 7s Football Championships on Friday night, opening with a couple wins at the McKinley Hill Stadium.

The former issued eight goals against the Philippines and nine against Brunei, while the latter put five past Brunei and eked out a 2-0 win over the hosts.

The Philippines managed to score first against Japan, with Jappeth Piñero's corner kick deflecting off a Japanese defender in the 11th minute.

It did not take long for a response, as Japan answered back with Takaharu Nakagawa brace in a span of two minutes to take a 2-1 lead after fifteen minutes.

Rusei Okuma would score the third goal three minutes later, and Nakagawa would complete his hat trick at the 27th minute, ensuring a 4-1 first half lead.

Okuma would eventually score a hat trick with two more goals in the second half, with Shohei Agata and Reo Sato completing the scoring.

Against Brunei, Nakagawa, Okuma, and Naoki Oishi each netted a brace, while Agata, Sato, and Tomoya Sekine also scoring.

India kicked off its campaign with Johnson D'Silva and Clinton D'Souza netting a brace against Brunei, with Season D'Souza also scoring.

Yunos Yakim would score the lone goal for Brunei in first half added time to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Brunei would have chances to to cut the lead down further, but were unable to complete, including a one-on-one opportunity against India's keeper.

India capped things off with a second half burst against the hosts, as Mervin Stephen and Craig D'Souza scoring in back to back minutes.

Action resumes on Saturday with the final set of round robin matches at 330pm, with Japan facing India battling who finishes the prelims undefeated, while the Philippines and Brunei battle to determine who does not finish with a winless record.

The semifinal knockout matches will take place afterwards.

All matches will be shown live on the TapGO streaming application.

Four nations set for inaugural Asia 7s

Fresh from the success of the AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup, the 7s Football League is set to ride the wave of seven-a-side with inaugural continental competition this weekend.

The BPI AIA Asia 7s brings together four nations for three days of intense action at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig, as hosts the Philippines faces off against Brunei, India, and Japan.

The tournament will feature a round robin on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, that would determine the semifinal matchups to be played that day, with the winners coming back on Sunday to determine the first-ever-champion.

Anton del Rosario, who founded the 7s Football League, declares, "This tournament is about building dreams. Who doesn’t want to represent their country through sports competition? The Asia 7s platform provides these communities to represent their country through seven-a-side football. I can’t wait to grow these dreams."

Accompanying del Rosario in this endeavor is AIA Philippines, supporting the tournament through BPI AIA.

Head of Branding and Communications Bernadette Chincuanco shares, "We’re very happy to extend the partnership across the AIA Philippines Group. This time around BPI AIA—our bancassurance arm—will come in and sponsor the Asia 7s international football tournament, bringing together the best of football not just from the Philippines but also from other countries to battle it out in the pitch. Through this sponsorship, football becomes the platform through which we bring to life our Purpose of helping people live healthier, longer, better lives."

BPI AIA's Partnership Marketing Principal Mika Calixterio adds, "The recent years have made people more aware and realize the importance of their health and many have started to make better choices to improve their lifestyles. We’ve seen more and more people reigniting their love for sports or even trying out new ones. By partnering with Anton and his team, we hope that we can emphasize our advocacy and commitment to help Filipinos live healthier, longer, better lives; and further localize the AIA group’s support for football through BPI AIA’s participation as the newest member of the AIA and 7s partnership family."

All three visiting teams expressed optimism in becoming the inaugural champion of the tournament, which is supported by 7x7, TapGo TV, Blaze Athletics, and Mansion Sports Bar & Lounge.

India's playing coach Aniketh Kesarkar notes that this is not their first go-round, as he bares, "We took part in a tournament in Guatemala six years ago and this will be our second." He also shares, "We currently have a national league with 24 teams associated with us. In fact, we have more talent in 7s football than 11-a-side."

Japan's head coach Keller Costa admits, "Expectations for the team are high." The Brazilian acknowledges, "We are here to win it."

Brunei coach Rashid Zakaria says, "This is a great opportunity for us to represent ourselves and our country. We might have a new team, but we will give it our all."

BGC named inaugural Kampeon Cup champions

Team BGC

Hosts Bonifacio Global City topped the inaugural AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup after a couple of impressive shutout at the McKinley Hill Stadium.

BGC plastered Palawan in their semifinal matchup, 7-0, then dispatched Muntinlupa in a rematch, 5-0, on Sunday afternoon.

The latter forced a rematch after they pulled off a 5-1 victory over Cebu in their semifinal matchup, buoyed by the presence of Philippines international Camille Rodriguez.

In the final, however, BGC showed the mettle that merited their tags as favorites.

They would break the ice after four minutes, as Joyce Semacio raced down the right flank and drew four defenders. Displaying that deft touch, the do-it-all player sent a cross that blew past the remaining Muntinlupa players and found an unmarked Shelah Cadag who blasted the ball past the keeper.

The second goal did not take long, as Dai Dolino's long clearance somehow found the right top corner of the net.

Maegan Alforque made it 3-0 for BGC before ten minutes has even elapsed in the final.

Semacio would make it 4-0 thanks to a penalty in the 19th minute.

Muntinlupa would managed to keep the scoreline there until halftime, but Cadag's second goal eventually came in the second half to cap off an impressive scoring spree in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Semacio did double duty as well with Charisa Lemoran by also keeping Rodriguez in check all game long.

The former UST standout finished with nine goals overall, still showing her scoring prowess.

Head coach Shane Cosgrove shares, "I am happy for the girls. Every week in the 7s, they go hard against each other but in this team, they found a common cause to collectively take home a championship."

The Nomads mentor adds, "They knew that Muntinlupa had great quality but we stuck to our game plan of stopping their playmakers and it worked for us."

The third place game saw Cebu win, 2-1, but not before being tested by Palawan's keeper Desiree Juan.

BGC, Cebu top Women's Kampeon Cup group stage action

Team Cebu

Cebu and Bonifacio Global City topped Group Stage action after Day 1 of the inaugural AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup on Saturday, April 15, at the McKinley Hill Stadium.

BGC romped their way to the semifinals with a 12-1 demolition of Pampanga and a 5-1 victory over Muntinlupa to top Group A.

Team was led by the best of the best in the 7s Football League in Shelah Cadag, Maegan Alforque, Charisa Lemoran, and Joyce Semacio, with Nomads' Shane Cosgrove utilizing an uptempo game with their quick diagonal passing and pressure making it difficult for their opponents.

Muntinlupa earned a 3-0 shutout of Pampanga in the opener to finish runner-up in the group.

Coached by former UP men's football stalwart Ryan Fermin, they rode on their go-to-options Hazel Lustan, Danielle Tanjangco, Nicole Ramores, and Mai Martinez, focing Pampanga keeper Bim Capuno to make at least a dozen saves in the first half.

Capuno was forced to the sidelines after an inadvertent knee to the right side of her face, forcing Kate Herrera into action.

The reserve keeper would manage to deny Muntinlupa thrice before conceding a couple in two minutes.

Capuno would manage to return into action, but Mary Loise Defante clinched the win with an insurance goal for the final score.

In Group B, Cebu escaped with a 5-3 victory over Batangas, while putting forth a 6-0 shutout of Palawan.

Joining the Queen City in the next round is Palawan, as they held on to a 2-1 win over Batangas,

With the results now in the books, the semifinal matchups are now confirmed for this afternoon, as BGC faces Palawan and Cebu going up against Muntinlupa. The winners will then face off for the championship and the losers for the third place game.

The first ever AIA Vitality Women’s Kampeon Cup is also sponsored by TapGo TV, the official broadcaster of the tournament, 7x7, Palaro, Blaze Athletics, and Mansion Sports Bar and Lounge.

Tottenham coaches present for AIA Philippines Here to Play

Flanking Ethan Lee and Anton del Rosario are the representatives of the six teams in the inaugural Women's Kampeon Cup.

Aligned with the AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup, the 7s Football League will also conduct grassroots activities at the McKinley Hill Stadium this weekend.

To help in this endeavour, league partner AIA Philippines is tapping a couple of coaches from Tottenham Hotspur, which the firm is a Global Principal Partner, for the AIA Philippines Here to Play program, a pilot campaign that takes place in AIA countries.

Shannon Moloney and Tegan Burling were introduced to the media on Friday night, as the International Development Coaches will assist in the training sessions and also partake of the Women's Kampeon Cup activities.

The former was a midfielder in her playing days, having played for the Spurs in the FA Women's Super League back in 2016-2019. The 34-year-old shares, "Both Coach Tegan and I are excited to finally be here. We first got involved back in 2020 but the lockdown happened due to the pandemic. Our interaction was done through online meetings."

The latter adds, "We’re going to be going around the pitch tomorrow for the festival where we will be playing games that involve the kids as well as our guests and sponsors. While we like to work with the young to teach them to play the right way, it is never too late to fall in love with the game of football."

AIA Philippines Head of Brand and Communications Bernadette Chincuanco notes, "It’s the first time that we’re having a special sponsorship for women, and it is high time that we shine the spotlight on these strong players in a male-dominated sport. And this tournament is part of a whole-day and weekend event of football, dance, music, and good food brought to you by AIA Philippines and BPI AIA."

The Women's Kampeon Cup brings together outstanding seven-a-side footballers from its different locations. The inaugural iteration is bringing six teams: Batangas, BGC, Cebu, Muntinlupa, Palawan, and Pampanga.

For Palawan's head coach Matt Gol-lod, he can relate to his team's excitement. "We’re very happy to be a part of this prestigious tournament and for the girls to meet the Tottenham coaches will surely inspire them."

Fans can watch the AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup through the streaming application TapGO TV. By using the code TGTVAIA, one can not only watch the the tournament, but also partake of the exclusive access available on the app for the next month.

Also sponsoring the competition are Palaro, 7x7, and Blaze Athletics.

7s Football League set for inaugural Women’s Kampeon Cup

7s Pampanga

The Kampeon Cup is getting its female flavor this weekend.

Considered as the showcase event to best show seven-a-side football in the country, the first-ever AIA Vitality Kampeon Cup for women is scheduled this weekend, April 15-16, at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig.

Six sides will comprise the inaugural cast: Batangas, Bonifacio Global City, Cebu, Muntinlupa, Palawan, and Pampanga, with the draw earlier this splitting them into two teams: Group A will have Pampanga, Muntinlupa, and BGC, while Batangas, Cebu, and Palawan will be in Group B.

Saturday action will see round robin pool play, while Sunday is devoted to the postseason. The semifinal is slated at 3pm, with the third place game at 5pm and the championship to be determined one hour later.

League founder Anton del Rosario shares, "I’m really excited for the first Women’s Kampeon Cup. Women need a pathway for the sport and more local role models. This is where I believe that these ladies representing their cities will be able to step up and be that heroine."

The former Philippines international adds, "We’re happy to have six cities participating, but the goal is to get all the major cities from all over the Philippines to participate. That will not only help the women but also the sport of seven-a-side football grow."

AIA Philippines Head of Health and Wellness Kats Cajucom says, "AIA Vitality is excited to not just sponsor one but two Kampeon cups this year! We’re dedicating the first one specifically for women. Personally, I believe that women deserve their time to shine in a male-dominated sport, and the AIA Vitality Women’s Kampeon Cup happening this April 15th will showcase some of the best female teams the country has to offer. This will be the third time we’re having a Kampeon cup under AIA Vitality, and it’s a fitting continuation because not only does it help us promote our brand purpose of helping people live healthier, longer, and better, but it also highlights AIA Vitality’s dedication to espousing an active lifestyle."

AIA Philippines Head of Branding and Communications Bernadette Chincuanco adds, "Our partnership with 7s founded by Anton, has grown stronger since we first kicked off in 2019. It has given us an additional platform to promote our brand purpose of helping people live healthier, longer, better lives through sports. This year, our fifth with 7s Football League, brings about even more exciting games for Filipino football fans: the weekly 7s during the weekends brings together football players of all ages, and with the two AIA Vitality Kampeon Cups with the women’s cup this April 15, we’re once again gathering the best of the best. The newest one, BPI AIA Asia 7s, brings to the Philippines international teams. So watch out for those!"

Former UAAP collegiate football standouts are among those set to participate in the competition, both on the field and on the sidelines, led by BGC's stellar group that includes the likes Charisa Lemoran. Shelah Cadag, Dai Dolino, and Irish Navaja.

Aside from the AIA Vitality Women's Kampeon Cup, the 7s Football League is also set to host its AIA Vitality Youth Kampeons One Day Festival at the same venue. U5, U9, U15, and U17 matches take place on Saturday and the U11 and U13 matches on Sunday.

The tournament is sponsored by 7x7, TapGo TV, Palaro, and Blaze Athletics.

Former ASEAN internationals set to participate in TST

Far East United is set to be one of 32 teams participating in the $1M winner-take-all The Soccer Tournament, or TST.

A sister competition to the much-successful The Basketball Tournament, TST is slated to take place on June 1-4 at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, aiming to be the defining tournament for seven-a-side football worldwide.

Adopting the current World Cup format for 32 teams, twenty of which have already confirmed their participation. This includes the likes of established clubs like Welsh side Wrexham, Premiership side Wolves, MLS's Charlotte FC, and Liga MX's Club Necaxa.

A few of the teams have celebrities as their figureheads, like mixed martial arts royalty's Gracie family with Gracie FC. And soccer legends are a plenty with Clint Dempsey's Team Dempsey. Jimmy Conrad and Demarcus Beasley's Conrad and Beasley United, Heather O'Reilly's US Women, AJ Dela Garza's Zala FFF, and Far East United.

An initiative brought about the 7s Football League boss Anton del Rosario, Far East United brings together a few of the best players from across the region to be a part of the inaugural TST.

This is led by del Rosario's fellow former Philippines internationals Stephan Schroeck and Roland Mueller, both of which have made recent headlines by their recent coaching call-ups to the Azkals for the ongoing friendlies inside this month's window. They have also tapped regional foes in former Indonesian international Greg Nwokolo and Thai legend Charyl Chappuis.

Filipino fans will also recognize Jason Cunliffe, the former Guam international who previously played in the United Football League's Pachanga Diliman.

Far East United's build-up will ratchet up in the next couple of months, as the days come closer to the start of the competition.

Rangers claims 7s Football League title

Rangers as Div 1 champions

A new champion was crowned in the AIA 7s Football League Division 1, as Rangers Philippines survived a 2-1 penalty shootout victory over Manila Digger on Sunday night at the McKinley Hill Stadium.

Olisa Anena scored the winning spot kick, with Junel Marasigan able to stop all of the defending champions' attempts. The keeper ended up being named as the Most Valuable Player for his efforts.

Ebere Juel broke through in the ninth minute for Rangers, but Manila Digger found their equalizer just before the end of regulation through a strike from Ilemona Usman, the first goal Rangers allowed in the postseason.

Extra time saw both teams unable to pierce their respective defenses, setting up the heroics in the penalty shootout.

Team manager Kross Ubiam shared, post-match, "We were peaking at the right time."

Rangers completed its "Cinderella" run in the postseason with this championship, which was set up through a 7-0 shutout of Middle Beast in the quarterfinals and a 3-0 upset of top seeds Sino FC in the semifinals.

Coached by former UAAP champion Ayi Aryee, Rangers is composed of: Ebere Juel, Bolaji Idris, Stanley Edeme, Hassan Mohhamed, Forio Jonah, Junel Marasigan, Fidel Nnabuife, Charles Ujam, Olisa Anene, Femi Originde, Charles Muotouh, Idowu Ominisi, Bernard Ifeachor, and Mikael Lagard.

In the two other division finals, Black Amigos defeated Resenha, 4-2, to claim Division 2, with Manila Digger not going empty handed as they secured a 3-2 win over Mangtas FC in Division 3.

Manila Digger seeks Div 1 repeat in 7s Football League

 

Manila Digger seeks to defend their AIA 7s Football Division 1 title on Sunday, November 27, at the McKinley Hill Stadium in Taguig. Kickoff is scheduled at 630pm.

Led by Stephen "Tonaldo" Appiah, who recently represented BGC at the Kampeon Cup, Manila Digger is also backstopped by a couple of collegiate standouts in Michael Asong and Darwin Regala.

Tonaldo shares, "Tactically, mentally, and physically, we are ready for the game. It will definitely be a difficult game but we are ready."

Serving as the foil in this one is Rangers Philippines, who carved two upsets en route to the final, dispatching Middle Beast and top-ranked Sino FC. They also were able to defeat Manila Digger in the eliminations, which may prove to be a slight advantage.

Managed by former Kaya FC defender Kross Ubiam and coached by former UAAP champion Ayi Aryee, they are led by former UFL players Fidel Nnabuife and Charles Ujam.

Kross says about the matchup, "This is going to be a great finals but we are going for nothing less than the cup. Manila Digger are not pushovers but we will be ready. Let the best team win."

There will also two other men's finals to be decided, with Manila Digger facing off against Mangtas in Division 3 at 430pm, followed by Black Amigos against Resenha at 530pm.

Kaya FC retains AIA 7s Football League Women's Division 1 crown

Division 1 champions

Kaya FC successfully defended its AIA 7s Football Women's Division I title this past Sunday, November 20, at the McKinley Hill Stadium, defeating Nomads Braves, 1-0.

The lone goal of the match came in the 44th minute, as Dionesa Tolentin's cross found Shelah Cadag, with the former UST standout sending it towards the top left corner.

It was then up to the league's best defense to hold on to a clean sheet, as they shut down any offensive opportunity from the Braves, who had beaten them in their last two meeting coming into this one.

Head coach Let Dimzon shared post-match, "It was a great showcase for the young Nomads Braves, but this was our best performance all tournament long. We strive to improve with every game so we can play great football with a premium on passing and classy finishing."

With this in the bag, the team now is focused on securing the PFF Women's Cup, which is currently ongoing.

In Division 2, Azzurri SC-Diliman claimed the title with a 2-1 victory over Manila Digger.

Finalists in AIA 7s Men's Div I to be determined

Things are set to become more interesting at the AIA 7s Football Tournament with the semifinals of Men's Division I taking place at 7pm on Sunday at the McKinley Hill Stadium.

Sino FC is seeking to extend their undefeated run to eleven matches against Rangers Philippines. The former is fresh from defeating Spoly FC, 6-3, whilst the latter stunned Middle Beast, 7-0, a contrasting result given the separation between the teams seeded fourth and fifth in the quarterfinals.

Middle Beast had been seeded fourth with six wins against three defeats, as well as a +4 goal difference. Rangers, on the other hand, had a better GD at +11, but lost one more match.

The other semifinal matchup sees Manila Digger go up against Manila Stars.

Digger fended off Maharlika Manila, 3-2, while Stars stunned Manhur Fatima, 4-2.

As for Division 2, Manila Digger will go up against Black Amigos for a finals slot, with the other side of the bracket features Paha FC against Resenha FC.