UFL: Gritty Nomads eke out 1-0 win over Pachanga-Diliman
TAGUIG CITY- It's only fitting that the country's oldest existing Football club won last Saturday the old-fashioned way: by hard work and determination.
Jason Arroyo's 23rd minute volley was the only score as Nomads won their second match of the league and improved to seven points from four games. PD, with two wins and two losses, remains at six points.
“It's a huge win. It keeps us at the coattails of the top three” enthused the winning coach, John Jofre. “Everyone tips us to get relegated but when you see the effort you know we're not gonna get relegated.”
Nomads started brightly when their precocious 17-year old winger James Woldring hit the upright with a bicycle kick in the fourth minute.
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But the PD midfield of Boyet Cañedo, Jay Eusebio, and Anto Gonzales asserted themselves, setting up two chances for Jovin Bedic that went straight to Nomads keeper Jeff Blake.
The American, a longtime goalie for the Merville team, was starting in place of first-choice custodian Friso Klok, who was away on business.
PD was without Guamanian internationals Jason Cunliffe and Ian Mariano, who started in The Matao's 5-0 loss to Myanmar in Saturday action at the AFC Challenge Cup qualifying stage in Yangon.
Somewhat against the run of play, Arroyo grabbed a defensive header near the edge of the box and volleyed the ball with a touch of outside-the-boot spin to take it past PD keeper Kim Versales.
“The spin took it in off the post. I'm so happy” said the Filipino raised in the UK, who was a part of the Philippine Dolphins Beach Soccer team that went to World Cup qualifying last month.
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PD's Senegalese midfielder Ousseynou Diop was on target with two long-range efforts but both were easily saved by Blake.
In the 36th Pachanga-Diliman thought they had squared things when Boyet Cañedo's gloriously taken free kick crested the Nomads wall and beat Blake. But referee Rey Ritaga waved the score off because an indirect free kick, not a direct one, had been awarded.
Assistant referee Virgilio Quiambao, who was the linesman on the play, said that the foul was given for a no-contact dangerous play, which is punished with an indirect kick, not a direct one. He said the referee raised his hand in the air, signaling the indirect. Direct kicks are signaled with an arm extended towards the goal being targeted.
Woldring ended the half as he started, with a superb piece of skill. The young Australian controlled a ball in the air, swerved around, then delivered a piledriver of a shot that sadly went over the frame of the goal.
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The International School Manila senior left fans at the Emperador Stadium slack-jawed with a magnificent solo effort five minutes into the second half. He reeled off a sensational run down the right flank from the defensive third, beating the PD defense and forcing Versales to make a close-range save from a narrow angle.
In the very next minute Versales came up big again with a point-blank block on Fidelis Nnabuife.
At around the hour mark Cañedo shot from range at Blake, and two minutes later Jose Andoni Santos did the same.
Bob Salvacion sent in fresh legs in the form of Ernest Appiah, Ariel Zerrudo and Prince Alhassan as PD surged forward.
With 8 minutes to play Nomads defender Bafio Magassa made a potentially-goal saving tackle on Appiah that snuffed out a great chance for Pachanga.
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With PD chasing the game Nomads almost made it 2-0 but a piece of great help defense from Jed Rances smothered Nnabuife to kill the threat.
Nomads defended heroically as late attempts by Yves Ashime and Allen Serna went begging.
Jofre said afterwards that his men of the match were Magassa and fellow defender Danny Williams.
Pachanga got another superb performance from Cañedo who was especially effective with his passing and control in the first half.
Jovin Bedic also showed promise in place of Mariano, with a flicked overhead pass to Santos before the half that was dealt with by the Nomads defense.
Said a relieved Jeff Blake after the game “Our team does what it does best. We held firm.”
OTHER NOTES: The result was the same as when the clubs last met, during the 2012 UFL Cup in Marikina, when an own goal spelled the difference..... Pachanga-Diliman were in their dark maroon shirts and twice in the first half their players seemed to try to pass the ball to the referee, who was wearing a dark purple shirt. At the start of the second half Rey Ritaga switched to a dark grey shirt.... A rambunctious crowd of a few dozen Nomads supporters added some color to the occasion, frequently cheering 'John Jofre's Green and White Army' in an attempt to encourage their club. But their best cheer was reserved for Danny Williams and it went 'Danny Williams! He's Fat! He's Round! His ___ is on the ground!”.... PD's offense will get a boost next Tuesday against Global when they will enjoy the services of Jinggoy Valmayor, whom they picked up in the transfer window. The UP forward's finishing, which netted him fourteen goals in UAAP Season 75, will be welcome. The San Carlos City native watched the game as did Maroon Booter team mate Deo Segunial.
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333. Follow the league @uflphilippines.
