Ceres–Negros F.C.

History

Ceres was founded by Leo Rey Yanson. Initially the club initially composed of collegiate players reinforced by Koreans but eventually managed to make members of the Philippine national team to play for them.

Negros Men's Open Football Championships

In January 2012, Ceres FC emerged as champions of the 1st Negros Men's Open Football Championships after they defeated Bacolod United F.C. (11–0). Louie Michael Casas was adjudged Best Goalkeeper; Jason Cordova as Best Defender; Aldrin Dolino as Best Midfielder and Ali Go as Most Valuable Player.

PFF National Men's Club Championship

Ceres FC qualified in the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship Round of 16 after they swept all its games in the Visayas regional elimination in San Carlos City. They battled UFL Cup Champions Stallion in the Round of 16 and won 1–0. They battled 2012 UFL Champions Global in the quarter-finals and also won 1–0. In the semi-finals, Ceres FC topped Kaya with 3–1 scoreline to enter finals of 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship. Ceres FC eventually won the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship trophy after they beaten the other finalist PSG with 1–0 score. Byeong Jeong Yoon was adjudged the Most Valuable Player while his teammates Joshua Beloya (Best Midfielder), Jae Hun Hyeon (best goalkeeper) Keon Hyeong Park (best defender) shared individual honors with him.

Joining UFL

After they won the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship, Team Manager Ali Go said that they will not join the UFL 2013 season and hinted that the soonest Ceres could join the tournament is in the next UFL Cup set within the last quarter of the year.

Following years of successful stints in local football tournaments, the Ceres-La Salle Football Club took another step into competitive football. Ramon Janeo, one of the team’s assistant coaches, confirmed the club's next step to joining the country’s premier football league – the United Football League (UFL).

Ceres dominated the 2014 UFL Division 2 as debutante and was relegated to Division 1 the following season. The two-time national club champions were keen on putting their mark on the history of Philippine football as they start their new campaign as one of the new additions to the top division of the country’s premier football league.

Ceres was anticipated as serious contenders for the 2015 UFL Division 1 title in their first year, with Martin Steuble joining an already loaded line-up composed of Manny Ott, Adrian Gallardo, Patrick Reichelt and Paul Mulders among others. They completed a highly successful first foray by claiming the championship with a number of games still left in the season. And for one local football observer, considering how the club was very active in recruitment and showed firm commitment to what it wanted to achieve, what it has done, all told, rendered itself not totally surprising.“At the start of the season, I didn’t think they would win it immediately, but I guess they proved me and most people wrong,” added Mr. Fenix, who also calls UFL games on TV for Sports5.

He said that seeing how Ceres has proven itself as a “game-changer,” it puts pressure on the rest of the field to look at their respective teams and assess their competitiveness relative to what Ceres has done and others who may follow suit.

International Competitions

Ceres made their international debut in the 2015 AFC Cup Qualifying play-off. The club were chosen to represent the Philippines after winning the UFL FA League Cup. They lost to Maziya 1-0.

The 2015 UFL Division 1 champions made a sophomore appearance at the 2016 AFC Cup. They topped Group E with an undefeated record 3-3-0, chalking up two of their three wins on their own turf. Bacolod-based Ceres-La Salle FC made history by being the first Filipino squad to advance into the AFC Cup knockout stages. Together with Kaya FC, it was a big moment for Philippine football as the first time ever Philippine club football teams are advancing to the Round of 16 of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, which is something big and to bask in, said one local football analyst.

Ceres-La Salle saw its 2016 AFC Cup campaign with a 0-1 defeat to South China of Hong Kong in extra time in their Round of 16 clash at Panaad Stadium. Still, it was a respectable finish for a side that started playing in the United Football League just a couple of years ago. After earning an outright berth to the group stage for winning the UFL first division last season, the Bacolod side boosted its stock by going unbeaten in Group E that included wins over Tampines Rovers of Singapore and Sheikh Jamal of Bangladesh.

Crest and colors

The club crest was derived from the main emblem of Ceres Bus Lines. It was encircled in green to represent the colors of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, which is known for its football team in the university school levels. The center is the oval logo of the Yanson Company – Vallacar Transit Incorporated which owns and manages the club.

The club colors are blue with white trim. This is in consonance with other sports clubs like Ceres Crius FC and teams under the Yanson Group of Companies in Negros Occidental, Philippines.

Current squad

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