United City F.C.

United City Football Club is a Filipino professional football club that competes in the Philippines Football League (PFL), the top-tier league in Filipino football. From 2012 to 2020, the club was known as Ceres (founded as Ceres–La Salle; renamed Ceres–Negros in 2017, when it joined the PFL) and was associated with Ceres Liner, a bus company owned by Leo Rey Yanson. Yanson was the club owner and chair during that period. As Ceres, its home venue was Panaad Stadium in Bacolod, Negros Occidental.

United City
Full nameUnited City Football Club
Founded2012 (2012) (as Ceres La-Salle FC)
OwnerMMC Sportz Asia
PresidentEric Gottschalk
Head coachFrank Muescan (interim)
LeaguePhilippines Football League
2020Philippines Football League, 1st of 6 (champions)
WebsiteClub website

As Ceres–La Salle, their first major success in the United Football League (UFL) was winning the UFL Division 2 title in 2014, earning them promotion to the first division. Since then, they have won the UFL FA League Cup (2014) and the UFL Division 1 title (2015). The club also won the PFF National Men's Club Championship twice (2012–13 and 2013–14). As Ceres–Negros, they won the PFL title in three consecutive seasons: 2017 through 2019, as well as the 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara. In 2019, they completed the domestic double without a single loss.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected Ceres Liner operations, Yanson was forced to sell the club to Emirati-Philippine sports marketing firm MMC Sportz Asia. MMC retained most of the club's players and renamed it United City F.C.

History

Early years
Ceres-Negros FC Fans

United City was founded by Leo Rey Yanson in 2012 as Ceres–La Salle FC,[1][2][3] with the cooperation of the University of St. La Salle of Bacolod.[4] The club was initially composed of college and some Korean players, becoming primarily led by Philippines national team players.[5] A notable early victory was at the inaugural Negros Men's Open Football Championships in January 2012, an 11–0 win against Bacolod United F.C. in the final.[6]

United City's first national tournament was the 2012–13 PFF National Men's Club Championship,[7] where they qualified for the round of 16 after sweeping their games in the Visayas regional eliminations in San Carlos.[8] United City won the championship trophy with a 1–0 victory against Pasargad in the final. En route to the championship, they won matches against Stallion, Global and Kaya.[9][10]

United Football League

After their victory in the PFF championship, Ceres expressed an intention to join the United Football League (UFL, the top-tier football league in the Philippines at that time). They were not able to play in the 2013 UFL season, however, and joined the league for the 2013 UFL Cup.[11][12]

Ceres debuted in the UFL in the 2014 season in Division 2. The club dominated the division, and was promoted to Division 1 the following season.[13][14] Ceres were considered serious contenders for the 2015 UFL Division 1 title in their first year,[15] and clinched the championship with a number of regular-season games to play.[16] They were unable to replicate their success in the 2016 season, and finished second.

First three seasons in the PFL
Davao Aguilas vs. Ceres–Negros on September 16, 2017

When the Philippines Football League supplanted the UFL as the Philippines' top-tier football league, Ceres was among the pioneer clubs of the 2017 inaugural season. Ceres renamed themselves the Ceres-Negros F.C., designating the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod as their home venue. Ceres-Negros won the championship in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and the 2019 Copa Paulino Alcantara title.

Issues at Vallacar Transit affected Ceres-Negros operations during the 2019 season, when the team's status was uncertain due to a Yanson family dispute about Vallacar's management.[17][18] Although Ceres chairman Leo Rey Yanson lost control of Vallacar after four of his siblings staged a boardroom coup in July, he regained control of the company in August.[19] Despite the turmoil, Ceres clinched the league title.[20]

United City (2020–present)

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and after the 2020 PFL season was postponed, rumors of Ceres–Negros' departure from the league (or disbanding) have circulated.[21][7] The pandemic triggered a force majeure which terminated the contracts of all the club's players.[22]

In July 2020, Ceres-Negros announced that club owner and chairman Leo Rey Yanson would step down and the club would negotiate with potential investors.[23] Emirati-Philippine sports marketing firm MMC Sportz Asia was announced as the new owner of Ceres–Negros, and renamed the club United City F.C. The new owners said that the core of the original club (16 of its 21 players) would remain.[24] MMC Sportz Asia had been involved in Philippine football as sponsors of Global F.C. in 2019, but did not renew their agreement the following season due to internal issues with the club.[25]

United City's new management re-signed Ceres' former players, intending to retain the core of its previous owner.[26] They include team captain Stephan Schröck, who was appointed a player-coach.[27][28]

Crest and colors
2016–2020 club crest
2019 Ceres–Negros home kit. As Ceres, the kit was predominantly yellow.

As Ceres FC, the club crest was derived from the Ceres Liner emblem. It was encircled in green to represent the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, which is known for its football team. The center is the oval logo of the Yanson company: Vallacar Transit, which owned the club at that time.[29] The team wore yellow home shirts.[30][31][32]

After the renaming of Ceres-Negros as United City F.C., a contest to design a new club crest was announced.[24][33] The new crest, a circle with a football in the center, was unveiled on July 29, 2020.[34] It was designed by Gerard Endaya, creative director of Grit Sports. Some of the crest's elements note United City's past as Ceres; its shape was carried over from its predecessor, and the two stars symbolize United City's incarnations as Ceres–La Salle and Ceres–Negros.[34][35]

Stadium

United City has no home venue, although they plan to construct a 7,500 to 10,000-seat capacity stadium by 2022.[36] As Ceres, the club had the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod as its home stadium.

Youth club

United City (as Ceres–Negros) sponsored a youth club with the same name,[37] which competed in the 7's Football League.[38]

Head coaches
Name Year(s)
Freddie Lazarito 2012–2013
Ali Go 2013–2014
Cha Seung-ryong[39][40] 2014–2015
Ali Go 2015–2016
Frank Muescan[41] 2016 (AFC Cup)
Risto Vidaković[42] 2016–2020
Frank Muescan[43][44][45] (interim) 2020–present
Trevor Morgan[46][47] 2020–present

Players
As of 13 August 2020[48]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  PHI Anthony Pinthus (on loan from ADT[49])
2 DF  PHI Sean Kane
3 FW  PHI Pocholo Bugas
5 FW  PHI Mike Ott
6 MF  PHI Tristan Robles
7 FW  PHI Bienvenido Marañón
9 MF  JPN Takashi Odawara
11 DF  PHI Miguel Clarino
12 MF  PHI Stephan Schröck (captain)
13 MF  PHI Dennis Villanueva
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF  PHI Jorrel Aristorenas
15 DF  PHI Arnie Pasinabo
17 FW  SEN Robert Lopez Mendy
18 DF  PHI Joshua Dutosme
22 DF  PHI Jordan Jarvis
24 GK  PHI Florencio Badelic Jr.
25 GK  PHI Ronilo Bayan Jr.
29 MF  PHI Hikaru Minegishi
30 MF  PHI Angélo Marasigan

Honours

League

Cups

Continental record
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubScoreAgg. / Pos.
HomeAway
2014 AFC President's Cup Group Stage Rimyongsu 2–2 Group B
(3rd)
Tatung 2–0
HTTU 1–2
2015 AFC Cup Play-off Round Maziya 0–1 —
2016 AFC Cup Group Stage Selangor FA 2–2 0–0 Group E
(1st)
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi 5–0 2–0
Tampines Rovers 2–1 1–1
Round of 16 South China 0–1
(a.e.t)		 —
2017 AFC Cup Group Stage Hà Nội 6–2 1–1 Group G
(1st)
Tampines Rovers 5–0 4–2
Felda United 0–0 0–3
ASEAN Zonal Semifinal Johor Darul Ta'zim 2–1 2–3 4–4 (a)
ASEAN Zonal Final Home United 2–0 1–2 3–2
Inter-zone Play-off Semifinal Istiklol 1–1 0–4 1–5
2018 AFC Champions League Preliminary Round 1 Shan United 1–1
(a.e.t)
(4–3 p)		 —
Preliminary Round 2 Brisbane Roar 3–2
Play-off Round Tianjin Quanjian 0–2
AFC Cup Group Stage Boeung Ket Angkor 9–0 4–0 Group F
2nd
(Best Runner-Up)
Home United 0–2 1–1
Shan United 1–0 2–0
ASEAN Zonal Semifinal Yangon United 4–2 2–3 6–5
ASEAN Zonal Final Home United 1–1 0–2 1–3
2019 AFC Champions League Preliminary Round 1 Yangon United 1–2 —
AFC Cup Group Stage Shan United 3–2 5–0 Group G
(1st)
Becamex Bình Dương 0–1 3–1
Persija Jakarta 1–0 3–2
ASEAN Zonal Semifinal Hà Nội 1–1 1–2 2–3
2020 AFC Champions League Preliminary Round 1 Shan United 3–2 —
Preliminary Round 2 Port 1–0 —
Play-off Round FC Tokyo 0–2 —
AFC Cup Group Stage Svay Rieng 4–0 Cancelled Group G
(1st)
Than Quảng Ninh 2–2 Cancelled
Bali United 4–0 Cancelled
2021 AFC Champions League Group I Kawasaki Frontale
Guangzhou
Winner of play-off East 2.4

Overall record
Accurate as of February 11, 2020.[53]
CompetitionPlayedWonDrewLostGFGAGDWin%
AFC Champions League 7 3 1 3 9 11 −2 042.86
AFC Cup 39 19 9 11 81 45 +36 048.72
AFC President's Cup 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 033.33
Total 49 23 11 15 95 60 +35 046.94

Invitational tournaments
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
2016 Singapore Cup Preliminary Round Young Lions 3–1 (a.e.t)
Quarter-final DPMM FC 2–3 3–0 5–3
Semi-final Tampines Rovers 2–3 1–2 3–5
Third place Balestier Khalsa 2–1
2017 Singapore Cup Preliminary Round Hougang United 0–1

AFC Club ranking
As of 11 March 2020.[54]
Current Rank Country Team
21Al Ittihad
22Tianjin Quanjian
23Ceres–Negros F.C.
24Shandong Luneng
25Buriram United

Records
Season Division Teams League Position Copa Paulino Alcantara PFF NMCC UFL Cup League Cup Singapore Cup AFC President's Cup AFC Cup AFC Champions League
2013 — — — — Champion Quarter-final — — — — —
2014 2 (P) 12 1st — Champion — Champion — Group stage — —
2015 1 10 1st — 3rd Place Runners-up — — — Play-off Round —
2016 1 12 2nd — — Runners-up — 3rd Place — Round of 16 —
2017 1 8 2nd (Regular Season) — — — — Preliminary Round — Inter Zone Semi-final —
1st (Final Series)
2018 1 6 1st Group stage — — — — — ASEAN Zonal Final Play-off round
2019 1 7 1st 1st — — — — — ASEAN Zonal Semi-Final Preliminary Round
2020 1 6 1st — — — — — — Group stage (cancelled) Play-off round
Updated as of 12 November 2020

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