Pachanga stuns Loyola, Global routs Navy in UFL Cup
Match reports from UFL Cup action in the University of Makati Football field on Saturday. In the first game, Pasargad demolished Socceroo 8-0 with five goals from Masoud Shadideh.
Pachanga 2, Loyola 1.
Rule No. 1 about playing in the treacherous field at the University of Makati Football Stadium: Never Pass Back To The Goalie.
The Loyola Sparks learned about that rule the hard way as they dropped a crucial Group C matchup to Pachanga.
With the game tied 1-1 and with twenty minutes to play, Pachanga's ageless ex-National Team striker, Freddy Gonzalez, pressured Spark defender Park Min Ho in front of the Loyola penalty box.
Park passed the ball back to keeper Ref Cuaresma, who had left his six yard box to clean up. But as it does far too often in UMak, the ball juked and jinked on the uneven field, probably causing Cuaresma to shank it high and soft.
Pachanga's Ariel Zerrudo was nearby, and he calmly collected the ball and powered it past Cuaresma for the winner.
The result puts Pachanga on six points, level with Nomads, after three games. Nomads has played twice and won both, while Loyola Meralco is stuck at three points after two matches and needs to sweep their remaining games to give them the best chance at making the quarterfinals.
Meralco started the game well, stymieing the Pachanga midfield and shutting out their influential playmaker, Boyet Canedo.
Loyola had chances early from Phil Younghusband and Jeong Byeong Yeol but they went begging even as Pachanga goalkeeper Manuel Saubach looked nervous, fumbling a few balls and positioning himself awkwardly on a few plays.
But just before the half Phil delivered a cross from the right flank that fell to Jeong. The Korean converted for 1-0.
Fourteen minutes into the second half Pachanga leveled when Gonzales laid the ball down for Ernest Appiah 25 meters out. The Ghanaian lasered it into the net past a hapless Cuaresma for one of the better goals in the UFL Cup.
"I saw him from the corner of my eye so I just put the ball down for him. He did the rest" said Gonzalez.
Appiah then proceeded to take off his shirt while celebrating and was shown a yellow card.
Jeong could have restored the Loyola lead but his header eight minutes later, off a terrific ball from James Younghusband, skied over the crossbar.
Three minutes later Pachanga had completed the comeback with Zerrudo's opportunistic strike.
"The ball (Cuaresma's clearance) had pektus (spin) on it so it went backwards and helped set up Ariel for the shot. It (the ball) beat the defender by itself" said Gonzalez.
"In the first half we were playing long balls to me but there was no support. We played more as a unit in the second half. We played the ground balls, a typical Pachanga game" he added.
Loyola substitute Jake Morallo thought he had equalized two minutes from time but his goal after Saubach flapped at a cross was adjudged to be offside.
Ousseynou Diop was a threat all game long, producing a moment of magic with a backheel flick in the first half that allowed him to storm down the right flank and create a chance that almost resulted in an own goal from Chad Gould.
Much credit can go to Pachanga's Allan Serna at right back for some key plays on defense.
Pachanga next plays Laos on October 25. A win by them will put them in a good spot for quarterfinal contention, especially if Nomads and Loyola draw.
OTHER NOTES: Loyola's starting right back, PJ Fadrigalan had to leave at halftime because he had to go to work. His night shift at what I am told is a gaming company starts at 10 p.m. …. Spark midfielder Davide Cortina lacerated his knee landing outside the pitch while trying to go for late, angled shot. He was brought to the hospital and was replaced by Rodrigue Nembot.... Bizarre quote of the game: "Gusto pa ata masahiin ng ref ang Meralco!" - an irate Bob Salvacion, Pachanga coach, during the first half... Zerrudo, who was substituted after his goal, was so nervous during the last few minutes of the match that he hid behind the grandstand, professing that he couldn't bear to watch the endgame.
Global 4, Navy 0.
Global finished their Group A play with a comfortable win over Navy. The league champs accumulated ten points off three wins and a draw against General Trias.
The Azkals-laden squad is likely through to the quarterfinals out of Group A.
With three heavy losses in as many games, Navy is out of the running for a quarters berth.
Global dominated from the beginning but Benito Rosalia, the Navy keeper, made some terrific saves.
But just before the first half whistle Izo Elhabbib, after first being denied by Rosalia, knocked in the rebound to go 1-0 up at the break.
Things fell apart soon after for the sailors as just three minutes into the second half, Bern Calumpang harshly challenged Marvin Angeles in the Navy box. The referee pointed to the spot and also issued Calumpang a yellow card.
Alex Obiang blasted the penalty home into the top left corner for 2-0.
Obiang got his brace three minutes later after slicing through the Navy defense on the right flank and driving the ball into the net.
Just six minutes later, Navy's Adolfo Solatorio handled the ball in his own box, gifting Global with a second penalty.
Global's new Italian recruit, Kevin Capolei, found the low right corner on the spot kick for 4-0.
Global's Nigerian defender Val Kama was sent off after two yellow cards. Kama argued the call, then took his sweet time walking off the field, even fixing his socks and taking off his shirt.
UFL General Coordinator Ritchie Gannaban suggested that Kama may get more than just a one-game ban, since this is the second time he has been less than urgent in getting off the field after getting red-carded. Gannaban also added that players are not allowed to remove their shirts while on the field during a game.
Kama maintains that the first yellow should not have been given and also says that this is his first red card in the UFL.
OTHER NOTES: Global rested many of their Azkals, with Demit Omphroy, Carli De Murga, and Matthew Uy all coming in as second- half subs.... The most unkind remark from the gallery in that game: "(Matthew) Uy, ang laki mo!!".... The grandstand was almost filled for the 6pm Global game. It thinned out a bit for the Meralco match after. After the Global game fans congregated around the Global Azkals so much that Gannaban had to ask the crowd to clear the track area so the next game could start.... De Murga picked up a silly yellow card in second-half injury time for dangerous play/studs near the face on Rosalia.... Pasargad and General Trias square off on October 30 in a game that could well decide who joins Global from group A in the quarters.... Navy started 43-year old former National Team player Loreto Kalalang as the lone striker up top.
You can follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.
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