EVERYTHING is all set for the holding of the 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara which will start on November 7 at the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

Following the draw held Wednesday night, Group A is composed of last year’s Philippines Football League champion United City FC, Stallion Laguna and Dynamic Herb Cebu.

Kaya FC Iloilo, Azkals Developmental Team and Mendiola FC 1991 forms Group B.

The competition, which is named after Filipino football legend and recent enshrinee to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame, Paulino Alcantara, was last played in 2019 with Ceres Negros FC, the precursor of UCFC, winning it all.

The Copa Paulino Alcantara will be played in lieu of the PFL league season, which has been cancelled.

The domestic football cup competition will be held in a closed-circuit bubble with two matches played every two days.

“The Copa is a viable competition for clubs to remain physically and mentally active during these trying times while adhering to the health and safety protocols,” said PFL commissioner Coco Torre.

“The competition will provide healthy and compelling rivalries and at the same time will determine clubs’ performance on sporting merit,” he added.

The Cup will consist of a group stage and a knock-out stage. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semifinals, while the third placed teams will square off in the Plate.

The semis winners will battle in the finals, while the losers will face off in the third place play-off match.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Theodore P. Jurado