Pasargad F.C.
The Pasargad Football Club[1] is a Filipino football and futsal club. The team played in the former United Football League which was the highest level of club football in the Philippines. It remains competing in the Philippine Futsal League.
 | |||
| Full name | Pasargad Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | PSG | ||
| Founded | 1996 | ||
| Head coach | Joel Villarino | ||
| League | Philippine Futsal League (currently) | ||
|
| |||
History
Foundation and early years
Pasargad F.C. started in 1996 when a group of football enthusiasts decided to form a team. Initially, the team consisted mostly of Iranians, a few Africans and some Filipinos that joined to play the game. The team eventually consisted of players from the national team and different collegiate teams with its core base of Iranian players.
Pasargad was named after the capital of former Persian emperor Cyrus the Great (that has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site).[2]
The club was originally part of inaugural Filipino Premier League in 2008. They finished fourth in the league table, however the league was discontinued after the first season.
On 16 October 2010, they joined 2010 UFL Cup where they finished third in group A and were eventually eliminated. They lost to Loyola in the plate finals (a ranking match for a spot in the UFL Division 1).[3]
2013–present
The club made a good run in the 2013 PFF National Men's Club Championship and reached the finals. They lost to Ceres in a 1–0 scoreline.[4]
In April 2013, Pasargad FC competed in the qualification round of 2013 AFC Futsal Club Championship[5] as the Philippine Football Federation representative in the tournament.
In January 2014, Ayi Aryee Nii assumed as Pasargad's head coach, which was previously the job of club president Esmaeil Sedigh.
In March 2014, Ayi Aryee Nii was replaced by Mike Agbayani.
In 2016, Agbayani was replaced by former Kaya F.C. assistant coach Joel Villarino.
Notable players
The following were notable players that played for Pasargad and have played for a national team.
Misagh Bahadoran (Philippines)- Yannick Tuason (Philippines)
- Ariel Zerrudo (Philippines)
Arash Ostovari (Iran U17 and U20)
Records
| Season | Division | Tms. | Pos. | PFF NMCC | UFL Cup | AFC PC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not part of the league yet | Group stage | — | ||||
| 2011 | 2 | 8 | 3rd (Prom) | — | Round of 16 | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 10 | 6th | — | Group stage | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 10 | 7th | Runner-up | TBD | DNQ |
- Key
- Tms. = Number of teams
- Pos. = Position in league
- Prom = Promoted
- TBD = To be determined
- DNQ = Did not qualify
Note: Performances of the club indicated here was after the UFL created (as a semi-pro league) in 2009.
International club futsal
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | AFC Futsal Club Championship qualification | ASEAN/East (Zone 2) |  |
Shenzhen Nanling | 2–10 |
 |
Chonburi Blue Wave | 2–10 | |||
 |
Tainan City | 0–4 |
References
- "PSG adds ex-Mendiola defender Orcullo for Smart and UFL League Wars". uflphilippines.com.ph. United Football League Philippines. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- Olivarez, Rick (6 November 2011). "UFL Cup: Nomads FC musters enough to escape Pasargad". interaksyon.com (InterAKTV). Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- Tupas, Cedelf P. (24 January 2011). "Global captures UFL Cup, nips Air Force". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- Sacamos, Karlo (2 February 2013). "Provincial side Ceres puts storybook ending to dream run with 1–0 final win over PSG". SPIN.ph. Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- Karl Decena (16 February 2013). "Pasargad to compete in AFC club futsal". interaksyon.com (InterAKTV). Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2013.