ROXAS CITY --- Unaccustomed to playing in a grassless pitch, Negros Occidental absorbed a shocking 1-0 setback at the hands of Capiz at the start of the secondary boys' football tournament of the Western Visayas Regional Meet at the Villareal Stadium here.

Capiz showed it was an emerging football power in the region, dominating the second half, where substitute Michael Gabuyan pounced on a defensive lapse to strike the game-winner in the 45th minute.

Visibly out-of-synch, the Negros booters failed to read ball speed and bounces well because of the grassless field. There was no clear-cut scoring chance for the Negrense booters, who now face early elimination as it takes on Antique at 10 a.m. today. But Negros coach Samuel de Oca rued his players' "lack of will to win".

"Obviously, Capiz was comfortable at playing in this field, while my players were just too complacent. We hope to change this attitude tomorrow against Antique," de Oca, a former RP Team standout, told the DAILY STAR. It was actually the first loss by a Negros football team to Capiz in the regional meet, de Oca said.

Meanwhile, defending champion Iloilo got off to a roaring start, bringing down Antique, 9-0, for its first win. Capiz and Iloilo collide at 8 a.m. today. *CPT

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