United City FC makes game-changing moves

THE United City Football Club (United City FC), formerly known as Ceres-Negros FC, will implement a game-changing move when the football scene restarts as the club plans to allow young players to tackle bigger roles.

In an online news conference on Wednesday, United City FC co-owner Eric Gottschalk said there would be an equal opportunity for seasoned veterans and hotshot young guns to be considered for starting roles.

“We’re planning for the future and not for the next three months. That’s the reason why we are committed to giving our young players the exposure they need for their development,” stressed Gottschalk.

United City FC already has a loaded lineup, bannered by football stars Stephan Schrock, OJ Porteria, Bienvenido Marañón, Robert Mendy, Takashi Odawara and Sean Patrick Kane.

The addition of young prospects — such as University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 82 Juniors’ Most Valuable Player Pocholo Bugas and Filipino-Swiss goalkeeper Anthony Pinthus — is set to spice things up for the team’s bid in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).

“I’m very excited. [With big] shoes to fill, it’s a new club and new direction,” said Gottschalk.

The club has signed this week British-Australian Trevor Morgan as replacement for Serbian coach Risto Vidakovic. Morgan mentored the Bhutan National Team in the Indian Super League.

Gottschalk, founder and chief executive officer of Asian sports marketing agency MMC Sportz, said the new coach has the qualities that fit the team’s new direction.

“First, the team has a real superstar. We brought in someone that has the experience and can impose authority on day one of practice and will get the respect of the players. The second thing we considered was the coach’s vision to integrate young players and get them involved,” he said, adding that the mentor is someone who looks to the long term and getting the best out of each player and someone who also has a feel for the level of competition in Asia.

Since the resumption of football is still uncertain due to the ongoing restrictions on sporting events and mass gatherings, the United City FC is weighing its options regarding the 2020 AFC Cup, which is slated to restart on September 23.

“If the September 23 restart date pushes through, we might take the team out of the country to where the host city is. If [the AFC Cup] is in October, then we’ll sit it out and wait for the PFF,” said the MMC Sportz founder and CEO.

Another game-changing move is allowing United City FC captain Stephan Scrhock to train in Germany and apply in a fifth-division squad to keep his fitness level in tip-top shape for the AFC Cup.

“We received the news that we are back to GCQ (general community quarantine). We are back to where we were almost three weeks ago,” said Gottschalk. “So, we’ve just been asked [by the PFF] to be on standby to redo our tests for players, staff and coaches. And we’re waiting for the update if we can resume training.”