UFL: Global overpowers Stallion, revitalizes title hopes
Recaps from Tuesday night's Division One games in Emperador Stadium.
Global 2, Stallion Sta, Lucia 1.
Looks like the defending UFL League champs refuse to give up their crown easily.
Down 1-0 at the half to the league-leaders, Global turned up the heat in the second forty five minutes with goals from Ben Starosta and Izo Elhabbib.
Global has now swept Stallion in their season series and pulls to within two points, 42 against 40, in the league table. But just as importantly, Global has one more game to play than Stallion.
The match between the best two teams in the league was played in front of an overflow crowd at the Empy, with many fans forced to watch from the areas in front of the side entrances since the bleachers were full.
Brian Reid, Global's coach, didn't start Carlie De Murga, instead opting for Yu Hoshide and Marwin Angeles in the center of the midfield. Stallion coach Ernie Nierras put Lee Joo Young at right back and had just one Pinoy, Bervic Italia, in his starting eleven.
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Stallion's keeper, Guilherme Hasegawa, started well, blanking Misagh Bahadoran in the thirteenth minute. The rebound fell to Elhabbib but he shot wide from close range.
A minute later Rufo Sanchez almost put Stallion in front but his effort hit the post.
In the eighteenth Hasegawa came up large again, stoning Jeffrey Christiaens from the right flank.
Six minutes later Stallion went ahead with a well-taken strike from Hector Zaghi. The Brazilian picked up a loose ball after some confusion in the Global defense and beat Roland Dely Sadia.
Global sprung to life in the second half and nine minutes after the restart they were level when Starosta picked up a headed pass from Elhabbib and brilliantly volleyed past Hasegawa with his left foot from an acute angle. The move started with a long ball from Hoshide that was poorly dealt with by the Stallion defense.
For the next fifteen minutes Global had most of the chances with Christiaens, Marwin, and Elhabbib all unable to find the net with chances.
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In the 70th Stallion almost restored their lead when substitute Diego Barrera danced around the Global defenders only to fire wide.
Two minutes later after Stallion sub Nathan Alquiros dispossessed Jerry Barbaso then offloaded to Rufo, whose chip over a poorly-positioned Sadia sailed over the crossbar.
But twelve minutes from time Global completed their comeback. A diagonal pass from Hoshide found Christiaens in the left and the Azkal threaded a glorious ground ball to Elhabbib. The Sudanese took a few touches to escape the defense before banging the ball past the keeper.
Alquiros was taken out in favor of Balot Doctora but he had little influence, scuffing his one attempt at goal.
In the 87th Rufo might have struck again but his volley, off a lovely pass in the box from Joaco Canas, ballooned high.
Once referee Ariel Montana blew his whistle the Global players whooped it up and en masse ran over to their fans to thank them for their support.
“It should have been 2-0 to us in the first half” said Reid afterwards. “We blew too many good chances. They (Stallion) got a goal out of nothing. I demanded a reaction from the team at the half and Ben got a cracking goal. Then Izo scored for us at a good time.”
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Reid's decision to start Hoshide paid off as the Japanese veteran was involved with both goals.
Global has three games to play, against Loyola, Kaya, and Army. If Global wins all those games, they lift the trophy for the second year running no matter what Stallion does. Stallion has two games left, against Nomads and Loyola.
Kaya 1, Pasargad 1.
Will the real Kaya FC please stand up?
Once again Kaya, a club that has beaten both Global and Meralco this season draws with a club below it in the standings.
For Pasargad, it's a welcome point after a desultory 3-0 loss to Green Archers over the weekend.
PSG went ahead in the 41st minute with a goal from Reza Amirkhizan. The Iranian gathered the leather inside the box off a corner kick. As the Kaya defense gave him time, Amirkhizan noticed that Kaya keeper Saba Sadeghi was ever so slightly off his line, allowing him to loft it over his hands for the score.
Substitute Masanari Omura pulled one back in the 70th for Kaya. The Japanese veteran picked up the ball as it pinballed in the six yard box and speared it in past PSG keeper Ricardo Padilla.
Deep in second-half stoppage time Kaya's OJ Porteria was given a straight red by Michael Barajas after consulting with his assistant referee.
The assistant thought Porteria had verbally abused him. OJ said after the game that he had said “f_____g s__t” to no one in particular and not “f_____g ref” as the official had thought.
After the final whistle Kaya defender Fabien Lewis was shown his second yellow and thus a red, presumably for complaining. There was also some nastiness between the two benches.
Justin Tolentino, Kaya manager, said he and Kaya coach David Perkovic were not amused by the Pasargad coaching staff. They said that when Kaya fair-played the ball back to PSG after Kaya had taken the ball out on PSG injuries, PSG would then press the Kaya players once they got the ball.
“Their African players were coming up to us after and apologizing, they knew it was so wrong but they had to follow coach's (Essie Sedigh) orders” recounted Tolentino.
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
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