UFL: Global, Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr win, erring refs suspended
Match reports of UFL Division 1 matches from Tuesday night in Emperador Stadium.
Global 3, Pasargad 1.
Leigh Manson's squad overcame a rough start to pick up their second straight win thanks to goals by Ben Starosta, Milad Beghandom and Marvin Angeles. But the game was also noteworthy thanks to a wonderstrike from Pasargad and a somewhat bizarre incident involving the officiating in the end.
The goal of the night belonged to Jahanbahksh Taher of Pasargad, who struck first at the half-hour mark.
The Iranian was allowed space in the center of the park and upon seeing Global keeper Paolo Pascual slightly off his line, unleashed a right-footed heat-seeker from over forty yards out that blazed into the top right-hand corner of the keeper's frame.
A diving Pascual got the slightest touch on the ball but not nearly enough to impede its progress. The strike is a candidate for goal of the year as early as now.
But eight minutes later Starosta leveled for Global. The Englishman pounced on a deflection off a Pasaragad defender's head and from near the six yard box produced a volleyed one-hopper shot that eluded Pasargad keeper Russel Pierson.
ALSO READ: Checking in on NCAA Football.
Early in the second half Global starter Mojtaba Miromohammadi skied a free header and sent another chance straight to the keeper. Manson had seen enough, and sacrificed him for fellow Iranian Beghandom.
The move paid dividends in the 67th minute when Beghandom poked home off a rebound after close-range attempts from Jeff Christiaens and Mark Hartmann were blocked.
Then thirteen minutes later Global went 3-1 up in the most curious of fashions.
First, Marvin Angeles's header into the goal was handballed away by Taher on the line. At first it seemed the goal had not stood and Taher was furnished with red card.
Starosta was about to take the ensuing penalty but as he ran up to the ball the referee's whistle blew. Main referee Joel Lamboson conferred with his crew and ultimately decided that the Angeles goal stood, apparently because one of the assistant refs had determined that the ball, before Taher's interference, had already crossed the goal line in its entirety.
Thus the red card was rescinded, the penalty no longer taken, and Global went up 3-1.
“Wish I could say I have seen it all, but every week there's something new here (in the Philippines)” said Starosta of the snafu.
OTHER NOTES: Global's Izo Elhabbib and Jason DeJong both watched the game in crutches, Elhabbib is recovering from a bone spur operation and DeJong has an injured ankle.... Pierson exited the game in the 67th minute after a fine evening featuring several top saves. He says he took a knock on his left knee. His substitute, Korean Seo Seung Seok, also sparkled, denying Beghandom three times in the end of the second half. Quote of the night: Global's Starosta, who played a second game in a row at right wing: “I used to play right wing when I was younger. I may not have the legs anymore but I still have the brain.”
Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr 1, Stallion 0.
Thanks to a goalkeeping howler and a dreadful non-call on an obvious penalty, Pachanga get their second win of the season.
PLDT Home Fiber had most of the chances leading up to Nate Burkey's goal, with Reza Amirkhizan, Dingdong Fornea, and Burkey himself missing the mark several times.
But the game turned on the 77th minute when Burkey cut into the center of the box and badly scuffed a left-footed attempt towards Stallion's Spanish keeper, Pedro Marenco.
“I had actually turned away (assuming the keeper would save it)” said PLDT coach Noel Marcaida of the tame effort from the former Azkal.
But the weak shot worked like a Baseball off-speed pitch on Marenco, who mistimed his dive and allowed the ball to ghost in meekly beside his torso for 1-0.
ALSO READ: Messi: I'm going to have a great 2014.
The match had one more twist: with the clock winding down in stoppage time, Stallion OJ Clarino burst into the box with the ball and seemed headed for a score when PLDT Home Fibr's Reza Amirkhizan dragged him down.
Astonishingly, main referee Jimmy Liman failed to call a foul on the play and was immediately swamped by livid Stallion players. In the ruckus, Stallion's Rafael Gomez was booked.
Minutes later the final whistle blew, and Pachanga moved to six points on the table, level with idle Loyola and Global. Stallion remain winless on one point.
OTHER NOTES: Stallion's Ousseynou Diop played against his old club but failed to make an impact. The Senegalese mid parted ways with Pachanga after a disagreement with Marcaida.... Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr wore new jerseys with the logo of their second sponsor, Petron on it. Yes, that's right, the team is sponsored by an MVP company and an SMC company, the two biggest conglomerates known for their fierce rivalry in the PBA... The non-call in the end was so obvious that even a few Pachanga staff and players admitted it was an error and that a penalty should have been given.
Refs in Kaya-Global game suspended.
UFL Head of Football Operations Ritchie Gannaban revealed on Tuesday that main referee Christian Deck Pacaña and assistant referee Chris Bautista have been slapped with a 50-match ban after working the Kaya-Global match last Saturday.
In that match Pacaña erroneously presented OJ Porteria a red card after the Kaya midfielder nudged the ball into the net with his hand. Under FIFA laws that should have just been a yellow card. Red cards are given when a player prevents a goal with his hand.
Bautista intervened first on the decision (Pacaña appeared to miss the play) and is also banned for 50 games.
Global eventually prevailed 2-1 against 10-man Kaya.
The ban includes both Division One and Two matches so the pair could be back at work by next month, according to Gannaban. The suspension is only for UFL matches. The NCRFA could still use them for ongoing UAAP and NCAA games unless they also suspend them for those.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
