UFL: Kaya obliterates Army-GTI 9-1 plus other Football notes
Kaya routed a poor Army GTI team in Emperador Stadium on Thursday thanks in part to a hat trick from OJ Porteria.
It only took about forty seconds from the kickoff for Kaya to open their account when Masanari Omura headed in a Kenshiro Daniels cross for 1-0.
Goals from Chris Greatwich, two from Porteria, and a header goal from Daniels soon followed in rapid succession as Army defended as if wading through molasses.
The first goal of Porteria, a neat bit of dribbling skill that made the Army players look like training cones, was the pick of the lot. At the half-hour Kaya already led 5-0.
Not even the entry of Ed Sacapaño in goal could prevent the bleeding as Porteria got his hat trick from the penalty spot in the 50th minute. Seven minutes later Porteria fed Daniels for his second goal, and ten minutes after that Emmanuel Mbata got on the scoresheet.
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Kaya's Joven Bedic tapped in a cross for 9-0 in the 80th and in the 90th, Army's Yok Becite got a consolation, sneaking in a looping shot over Kaya GK Nick O'Donnell.
Kaya move to 13 points in the table, two back of second-place Global. Kaya next plays Loyola on February 18. Army is stuck on seven points, in sixth on the table.
Watching the match was Azkals Coach Thomas Dooley and U21 coach Jim Fraser. Fraser has been holding regular tryouts for the U21 team that will participate in the Bolkiah Cup in Brunei later this year. He is being assisted by Leigh Gunn, a former Fil-Aussie Azkal.
No doubt Fraser was impressed by Daniels, who put on a great shift.
In the other match, Stallion beat Pasargad 2-0.
Azkals get favorable draw in AFC Challenge Cup.
On Wednesday night the Philippines drew Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Laos in group B of the Challenge Cup in May. PFF Sec Gen Ed Gastanes told me on Wednesday that he thinks the team has a good chance of progression into the semifinals. However Phil Younghusband told me he wished we had drawn host Maldives, since he prefers playing in front of big crowds.
The Azkals' first outing will be against Afghanistan, who defeated India 1-0 in the final of the South Asian Football Federation championship last year. It is likely that Phil Younghusband will be suspended for that match after accumulating two yellows in the qualifying phase of the competition in Manila last year.
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Maldives, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Palestine round out the other group, group A.
The winner of this event qualifies for the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia. The Asian Cup is the continent's most prestigious event for national teams.
The 2014 Challenge Cup is the last running of the event for developing Football nations in Asia. After 2015 the Asian Cup will be expanded from sixteen to 24 teams.
Futbol Balita newspaper formally launched.
The Philippine's only free Football newspaper was formally launched at Imperial Ice Bar in Fort Strip on Thursday night, with Azkals Coach Thomas Dooley as the guest of honor. The latest issue features a story I did on UAAP Football hotshots. It is available free of charge at UFL games and there are plans to distribute it at UAAP games as well.
The newspaper is issued bi-monthly and has been covering recent Football events for a few months already. Spearheading the publication is veteran publisher April Datuin.
Phil's Valentine.
Phil Younghusband may be one of the country's most eligible bachelors after splitting with Angel Locsin recently, but he will not be alone on Valentine's night.
On Thursday the Azkals' all-time leading scorer revealed that he is taking his younger sister Keri out on Friday night.
“Luckily I have a beautiful kid sister who isn't embarrassed to hang out with me for now” he told me via private message on Twitter.
All together now... “aaaaawwwwwww!!!”
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
