POST-MATCH BRIEFING. Ceres-Negros head coach Risto Vidakovic (right) with Spanish striker Bienvenido Marañon during the post-match press briefing at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Wednesday night (May 9, 2018). (Photo by Nanette L. Guadalquiver)
BACOLOD CITY -- After foiling Myanmar’s Yangon United with a 4-2 win at the Panaad Stadium here Wednesday night, Ceres-Negros vowed to fight for a finals berth in the second leg of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup ASEAN Zonal semifinals on May 16.
Ceres-Negros of the Philippines will play an away game against Yangon United at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon at 3:30 p.m. on May 16.
“We have to go there and fight for qualification for the finals. Nobody said it will be easy. We know they’re a good team. They will fight for their group. We know they will fight 90 minutes there and we will do also,” Ceres-Negros head coach Risto Vidakovic said during the post-match press conference.
Spanish striker Bienvenido Marañon said that given the weather condition during next week’s match, they expect to face difficulties.
“It’s so difficult to play with the weather condition there. It’s really difficult, but we have to play like we played there against Shan United, we won there 0-1. We have to go there and play like we know,” he added.
On Wednesday night, Marañon scored a brace to lift Ceres-Negros to its first leg win.
The home team took the lead in the 29th minute with Marañon’s first goal, with the ball coming from Manny Ott.
Midfielder Patrick Reichelt followed up with another goal in the 33rd, and nearing half-time in the 44th minute,
Marañon scored his second, again after Manny Ott’s right corner pass.
Ten minutes into the second half, Yangon United striker Sekou Sylla delivered for the visitors.
Ceres responded in the 63rd with a goal from defender Manuel Herrera while Sylla scored his second for Yangon in the 83rd minute.
Assessing his team’s performance, Marañon, who was named “Man of the Match”, said he believed they performed well in the first half, but lost control of the game in the second half.
“I hoped to score more but it’s okay with two because we won. Now, we have to go there to fight like here,” he added. (PNA)
