BY NOLI CORTEZ


HAVING given Red Bull a neat spanking last Sunday, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio should be brimming with confidence.

But he’s not, and Gregorio and his wards will be wary anew when they take on the Bulls in Game 2 of their Smart PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series today at the Astrodome.

Alaska also tries to post a 2-0 lead over Sta. Lucia Realty in their own best-of-seven series later in the evening, but it is the match-up between two teams with a colorful history together that should hog the lion’s share of the limelight.

Purefoods handily took the series opener 103-84 as the Giants finally beat the Bulls this season. But this offered little comfort for Gregorio.

"The only advantage that I can see right now is that we only need to win three games and they need to win four," Gregorio said after the win that came after an 11-day hiatus.

The respite between Games 1 and 2 should be enough for Red Bull, playing its third game in five nights, to recuperate, added Gregorio.

"The two-day break would give their legs enough rest. The key to Red Bull is their ability to run. The challenge for us is to stop them from running," he stated.

His team, which saw action last Jan. 16 prior to Game 1, does not have that problem, said Gregorio.

"We have had enough rest. We’re ready to go," he claimed.

Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao admitted his team will deal with the fatigue factor, but refused to use that in their defeat against the team they beat for the 2005 Fiesta Cup crown. The two teams met anew for the 2006 Philippine Cup finals, with Purefoods winning.

"We should go into the game bringing our defense," maintained Guiao. "In the first game hindi namin dala ang defense, kaya nga very disappointed ako."

Their main enemy in Game 1 actually came from within his staff, said Guiao, since they hardly changed their tactics they successfully used against Magnolia in the quarterfinals, where they swept the Beverage Masters in two games.

"Purefoods is a different type of team from Magnolia. Ang mind-set namin then was still geared towards playing Magnolia. In other words, we haven’t made the mental adjustment," he admitted.

The resolve and confidence in the Bulls haven’t diminished one bit, however.

"My feeling is that it was no fluke we beat them twice in the eliminations," said Guiao. "It means we know how to play them, match up with them."

Purefoods’ Jondan Salvador will return to action after a one-game suspension incurred after a fight with Red Bull’s Carlo Sharma at the end of the eliminations. But the return of the beefy forward doesn’t concern Guiao one bit.