PFL kick-off delayed by virus, storm as it targets Wednesday start

It was third time unlucky for the Philippines Football League as it saw its much anticipated kickoff in the bubble delayed anew, owing to a bad mix of a health crisis and natural causes.

After its first two attempts to start hampered by the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country's top-flight competition had its start to the upcoming fourth season pushed back by Wednesday the earliest, with all games set to be played inside the PFF National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite.

A report from Lorenzo Del Carmen of Tiebreaker Times cites the tweet from Games and Amusements Board chair Abraham Mitra that they gave the PFL the green light to open the season, albeit sans the infected persons owing to an outbreak in their bubble residence at the Seda Nuvali Hotel in Sta. Rosa Laguna.

The said go-signal was then confirmed by the league on its release Sunday evening, in which PFF president Mariano Araneta was glad that it was a big moment for the game, as it was the first season  for its title sponsor Qatar Airways.

"We appreciate the collective effort from the PFF, the clubs, and most important, the Games and Amusements Board and the city government of Santa Rosa, Laguna," he said.

On its testing, five players and coach were hit by the virus, in which three more have have been tested positive after they were traced to one of the booters initially infected.

League commissioner Mikhail Torre has expressed confidence on the observance of protocols on situations such as these.

"What is important is that all continue to adhere with the protocols which are aimed to prevent or minimize the spread of the virus," he said in their statement Saturday evening.

Apart from the pandemic, the league had to move its opener owing to mother nature, wherein Carmona runs right smack into the path of typhoon Quinta which made its landfall twice in the province of Albay.

With those, the much anticipated match-up between newcomers Maharlika Manila and United City, as long as the Mendiola-Azkals Development Team tiff and the clash of veterans between Stallion Laguna and Kaya Iloilo have not been played.

FILE PHOTO: PFL