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I still vividly remember the 2017 Philippines Football League season as if it were yesterday - it was truly a watershed moment for Philippine football that transformed how we view the sport in our country. Having followed Philippine football for over a decade, I can confidently say that 2017 marked the beginning of something special, a professional league structure that finally gave our local talents the platform they desperately needed. The inaugural season kicked off on May 6, 2017, with eight founding clubs, though honestly, I had my doubts about whether we could sustain professional football given our previous struggles.
What struck me most that season was how quickly certain teams established their dominance. Ceres-Negros, under my favorite coach Risto Vidakovic, absolutely dominated the league with what I consider one of the most impressive campaigns in recent memory. They finished with 55 points from just 21 matches, losing only once throughout the entire season - a statistic that still amazes me when I look back. Their attacking trio of Bienvenido Marañón, Iain Ramsay, and OJ Porteria created magic week after week, with Marañón netting 17 goals that season, a record that stood for two years. Watching them play was pure joy, especially their 4-0 demolition of Global Cebu in the crucial match that essentially decided the title race.
The league structure itself was fascinating - divided into two rounds with teams playing each other thrice, totaling 21 matches per team. While some critics argued the format was confusing, I actually appreciated how it kept the competition interesting throughout. The quality of football surprised even skeptics like myself, with average attendance hovering around 1,200 spectators per match, which honestly exceeded my expectations for a fledgling league. What really stood out to me was how the league showcased emerging Filipino talents alongside quality foreign players, creating that perfect blend of local passion and international experience.
I can't discuss that season without mentioning the rise of young Filipino players who used the platform to launch their careers. Similar to how Aly's performance in UAAP and international leagues showcased her potential in the reference material, players like Stephan Schröck and Misagh Bahadoran demonstrated that Filipino footballers could compete at professional levels. Their development throughout that season reminded me of the quote about Aly - "Malaki yung chance ni ate Aly kasi maganda yung pinapakita niya" - because these players similarly showed beautiful, promising performances that indicated bright futures for Philippine football.
The financial aspects were equally intriguing, with the league operating on what I'd estimate was around ₱50 million in total funding across all teams, though I suspect the actual figure might have been higher. Television coverage on PTV-4 brought the games into homes nationwide, creating new football fans in regions where the sport previously had limited exposure. I particularly enjoyed watching how football culture developed in unexpected places - from Ilocos to Davao, you could see local communities embracing their teams with genuine passion.
Looking back, the 2017 season laid crucial groundwork for everything that followed in Philippine football. It proved we could sustain a professional league, developed homegrown talents who would later represent the national team, and most importantly, created lasting memories for fans like myself. While the league has evolved since then, that inaugural season will always hold a special place in my heart as the moment Philippine football truly came of age. The energy, the surprises, the breakthrough performances - it set a standard that continues to influence how we approach professional football in the Philippines today.