UFL: Stallion Denied Title-clinching Points by Resolute Loyola
Recaps from Tuesday's Division One action at Emperador Stadium.
Stallion Sta. Lucia 1, Loyola Meralco Sparks 1.
Stallion's coronation as league champs will have to wait another day.
In an absorbing encounter under heavy rain, Loyola's homegrown second and third stringers were equal to Stallion's foreign stars, holding them to a draw.
The Sparks denied Stallion a win that would have given them the league title. Instead, Global has been thrown an unlikely lifeline in the championship race. The defending champs can win via goal difference if they defeat Kaya then Army by enough goals.
Lee Joo Young's eighteenth minute score was negated by James Younghusband's 48th minute first half header.
Loyola keeper Ref Cuaresma earned Man Of The Match honors with a career performance comprised of several magnificent saves, most on Stallion dangerman Rufo Sanchez.
While Stallion started with ten foreigners and just one Filipino in Matthew Nierras, Loyola's starting XI featured only two foreigners, Jang Jo Won and Jeong Byeong-yeol.
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Due to injuries, suspensions, and U23 national team duties, the Sparks were without regular starters Chad Gould, Mark Hartmann, Simon Greatwich, Rodrigue Nembot, Park Min Ho and Freddy Gonzalez.
Instead all three of their players from Bacong, Negros Oriental began the game; Jake Morallo at right wing, Alexandro Elnar at right back, and Jayson Cutamora at center mid. PJ Fadrigalan of Laguna was at left back while Armand Del Rosario and Jeong manned the middle. That back four did just enough against a fierce Stallion attack.
In the second half Sparks head coach Vince Santos brought on four FEU Tamaraws from Mindanao, Eric Giganto, Arnel Amita, Chy Villaseñor, and Val Jurao. The undersized youngsters injected a dose of energy into the Sparks squad that more than made up for their lack of experience.
Lee began the scoring with a powerful strike from the right flank that whizzed past Cuaresma.
When Rufo came close twice soon after, one might have thought that a rout was in order.
Eight minutes before the half referee Roel Emnas suspended the match as the rain refused to let up, rendering much of the Emperador field submerged in water.
After forty five minutes the game resumed, with Stallion switching from pink jerseys to green, presumably because the pink kits were deemed to similar to Loyola's tangerine tops.
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Three minutes later, just before the halftime whistle, James Younghusband, playing in the unfamiliar role of target man, soared into the air inside the box and expertly headed a long Matt Hartmann free kick past Stallion goalie Guilherme Hasegawa for an equalizer.
In the second half Stallion continued pouring on the pressure, with Rufo twice failing to add to his league-leading tally of eighteen league goals.
In the 64th minute Morallo bizarrely passed to an opponent from just outside the Stallion box. That error resulted in a counterattack which saw Rufo Sanchez try his luck against Cuaresma again. The Spaniard's shot deflected off Jeong but Cuaresma reacted brilliantly, palming the ball away acrobatically.
Four minutes from time Rufo was again foiled, shooting tamely at Cuaresma. Three minutes later Cuaresma was at it again, stuffing a Joaco Cañas header with yet another sensational diving save.
Just one minute later it was substitute Matthias Bonvehi who got a taste of Cuaresma's brilliance, as he saw his powerful volley batted away.
In the 94th Cuaresma concluded his masterclass with yet another stop, a stretch-out save against a weak but angled Sanchez effort.
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As the final whistle blew Sanchez crumpled to the ground in despair, knowing that his profligacy in front of goal could cost his team the league.
Stallion have finished the season and compiled 46 points. Amazingly, the game against Loyola was their only draw.
Global plays Kaya on Thursday and Army on June 19. If Global (40 points) wins both matches and in the process outscores its opponents by six goals total or more, they meet Stallion at 46 points and win the league on goal difference. Any other result and Stallion are the champs.
Green Archers United Globe 4, Nomads 1.
Green Archers finished the season on a winning note with a handsome 4-1 victory over eighth place Nomads.
Goals by Dodong Villareal, Ayi Nii, Sean Lee and Shag Shapay Johnson gave United a season sweep against Nomads.
Archers were without Chieffy Caligdong, who was suspended on three yellows, but it didn't matter, as they controlled the midfield with a crisp short passing game and made the most of their opportunities in front of goal. GAU finishes sixth on the league table with 24 points.
Nomads wind up a hellish second round where they were only able to amass two points off draws against Kaya and Loyola.
Villareal kicked off the scoring in the fifth minute when the defender, from outside the box, was given far too much time in receiving a corner kick, He used the time well, curling a right footer past Nomads keeper Friso Klok.
In the 32nd minute GAU went a further goal ahead when Ayi blasted in a gorgeous volley from five yards out of the box. It was technically one of the finest goals of the season.
Nomads pulled one back in the 69th minute with a Steven Borill free kick that skirted the wall and drove hard just beyond Patrick Deyto's grasp.
But GAU restored the advantage in the ten minutes later with a goal from Sean Lee. The Korean chipped elegantly over Klok from the right wing after a buildup involving Diego Garcia and Shag Shapay Johnson.
Johnson got on the scoresheet a minute from time after collecting a loose ball outside the box after some good work by Arvin Gaspe. The substitute then beat Klok for 4-1.
“I'm happy to see the fruits of our efforts to play a team-first, attractive, short passing game” said GAU manager Monch Garcia. “As you can see it's a different scorer every time.”
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
