LEGENDARY. Cebu’s winningest youth coach Glenn Ramos is one of the assistant coaches of the Philippine U20 Men’s National Team in the Asian U20 Championship qualifying tournament in Burinam, Thailand. (Photo from Glen Ramos fb account.)
MindanaoToday.com | Cebu’s Glen Ramos assistant to coach ‘Coco’ in U20 team
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Cebu’s multi-titled coach Thomasito ‘Glen’ Ramos is one of the assistant coaches of Spanish head coach Josep Maria ‘Coco’ Ferre in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifier in Bangkok, Thailand.
MATCHES SCHEDULE
25 September 2024 (Wednesday) 730 p.m.: Thailand vs. Philippines (Buriram City Stadium Buriram)
27 September 2024 (Friday) 330 p.m. Philippines vs. Iraq (Buriram City Stadium Buriram)
29 September 2024 (Sunday) 3:30 pm (Buriram City Stadium Buriram
Philippines vs. Brunei Darussalam
Ramos early this year, led the Cebu Regional Football Association (CRFA) team to the National U19 title, defeating the team from the National Capital Region FA.
He was appointed as one of the assistant coaches to the U20 team, along with Sergio Mascarell, Bryan Capistrano, and goalkeeping coach Juan Drets.
Ramos is the head coach of the most successful football-playing school in Visayas and Mindanao, Don Bosco Technology Center in Cebu City.
Coach Ferre started his coaching career in Spain at the Academy of CE Europa. He then worked in the CE Premia and the with the FC Barcelona Academy.
He also worked for Burinam United as an academy director. He also coached Burinam’s B team.
Coach Ferre came to the Philippines first in 2022 when he was appointed as coach of the Philippine Men’s National Team (PMNFT), then known as the Azkals, in the AFF Championship.
The team spent weeks training at the Rizal Memorial Stadium before flying for a training camp in Thailand on Sept. 16. PFF Director of Football Vince Santos is head of the delegation.
The team is in Group H with Iraq, Thailand, and Brunei Darussalam. A total of 45 teams divided into 10 groups will compete in the qualifiers. The top teams in each group will qualify and the five second-best teams will also advance to the Asian Cup U20 in China next year.
According to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Gutierez in a statement released on the PFF website, they decided to keep the core of the ASEAN U19 squad from last July since the team won against Timor-Leste for the very first time in this group age. The team, he added, also has a better understanding of Coach Ferre’s system.
Coach Ferre was appointed Technical Director of the PFF in April this year. He was also the head coach of the Ph U19 team in the ASEAN U-19 Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Gutierez added that the PFF continues to strengthen the youth national teams through fair tryout and selection processes and more opportunities for training. “We have recruited key additions to our U-19 squad who will add more depth. The squad members come from teams and clubs from Spain, USA, Australia, Germany, Canada, Russia, Turkey, Italy, and the UK,” he said.
The 24-man squad has 11 homegrown talents plucked from different local clubs and University teams.
The 11 homegrown talents include four players from the conveyor belt of local football talents Tuloy sa Don Bosco FC. They are Bryan Ezekiel Villanueva, Jhon Henson Tubada Diaz, Cyrelle James Medez Saut, and John Levis Rito Sajor.
De La Salle Zobel has a lone rep on the team. Zobel team captain Bacchus Dwyn Pinaroc Ekberg, a solid defender for Zobel, is also an excellent set-piece kicker.
Completing the homegrown lads are Edcel James Lauron, Yuan Maniscan, and Rodrigo Marinas III of the University of Sto. Tomas, Yuan Maniscan Miguel Bengson of Ateneo, and Sylver Porment of San Beda.
The PFF has also gathered Filipino players based abroad for these three matches tournament to be played at the Burinam City Stadium, five hours and 30 minutes away from Bangkok.
Most of them are from Europe like Cesar Iñigo III Alonso Castro– Odisea FC (Spain), Alexander Caleb Pahud Santos – Odisea FC (Spain), Martin Joshua Leonor Merino – Alicante City FC (Spain), Jian Vinz Solomon Caraig – Odisea FC (Spain), John Allen Orteza Koyama – FC 08 Homnurg (Germany), Timofey Kristian Abenoya – FC Torpedo (Moscow), Dustin Davebrim Dingil Ogur – Gaziantep FK (Turkey), Bryan Casalla Bandara Manamperi – Italy, and Ethan Lee Groves Smith – Notts County (UK).
Completing our foreign-based Filipino players are Luc Richard Sino-Cruz Narido- Breakers FC (USA), Manolo Concepcion Veneracion – Perth Glory FC (Australia), Otu Abang Banatao – DC United Academy (USA), Alexander John Agius Sabatin – Signa CF (Canada), and Elijah Rocket Toroc Ritarita – Charlotte FC (USA).
Very few in the local football community have seen this team play. It will be a tough tournament for the Filipinos as they are scheduled to kick off the competition against the always-strong Thailand on Wednesday and then Middle East powerhouse team Iraq on Friday.
They will then end their campaign on Sunday against lightweight Brunei before they come back home. (jackbiantantambok@gmail.com)
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