Ceres Negros sweeps 'Copa' individual awards

PFL commissioner Coco Torre, Biñan vice mayor Gel Alonte, and PFF secretary general Ed Gastanes handed the Copa Paulino Alcantara individual awards to three Ceres Negros players, namely Robert Mendy, Roland Muller, and Tadashi Odawara. Ivan Saldajeno
By Ivan Saldajeno

BIÑAN—Ceres Negros added all the three individual awards at stake in the Copa Paulino Alcantara to the club's domination of the said tournament.

During the awarding ceremonies that took place right after Ceres Negros edged Kaya Iloilo for the cup championship, three of its players were named the top performers of the cup.

Robert Mendy was the first recipient in the individual awards for winning the Golden Boot award.

Mendy led everyone in scoring all tournament long with five goals, including the go-ahead strike in the 30th minute to put Ceres Negros on the board in the final.

Roland Muller was then handed the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Muller kept a clean sheet in Ceres Negros' last group stage match against Green Archers United while only conceding one in the final against Kaya Iloilo.

He also made fantastic saves late in the final, just when Kaya Iloilo made one last charge.

In the final award, Tadashi Odawara was named the MVP of the tournament, giving him the Golden Ball award.

Although he did not score a goal in the Copa, Odawara, who plays midfielder, played stellar defensively, especially in the playoffs.

Odawara never let Abou Sy score another goal in the semifinals after the latter gave Stallion Laguna's second goal that put Ceres Negros in early danger. Ceres Negros eventually completed the comeback to enter the final.

[Related Story: Ceres Negros rallies from 0-2 down, survives Stallion Laguna's endgame push to enter 'Copa' final]

In the championship game, Odawara held Jordan Mintah scoreless, even keeping him from getting a lot of touches.

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