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Global overtakes Loyola atop UFL, and why kids should watch Kaya

Global disposed of Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr last Thursday night 3-0 in Emperador. It should've been a joyous occasion for the club, since they now leapfrog Loyola for top spot in the UFL. But you couldn't tell from coach Leigh Manson's demeanor in the press conference after.

“If you go into the locker room you probably can't tell we won” said the Scot. “I'm disappointed, I don't think we worked hard enough” he added later.

Global may have taken the game with three goals in the first half, but as so often happens in football, the score simply refuses to tell the entire story of the game.

The first goal was a header by Jeff Christiaens aided by hesitant keeping from Pachanga's Steve Yambou. The second was off another PLDT Home Fibr mistake, a giveaway in front of goal by center back Reza Amirkhizan that was converted by Izo Elhabbib. The third was a magnificent chest-trap and volley from Elhabbib.

But Global did allow Pachanga to threaten with a few daring counterattacks in the first half that nearly bore fruit. Global played a very high defensive line and did leak a few chances. Then in the second half PLDT Home Fibr battled Global to a stalemate, with Mark Hartmann spurning a gilt-edged chance by hitting the post.

Once Jed Rances came on for Amirkhizan, Pachanga played an all-UP (current or alumni) backline, with Nathan Octavio at left back, Rances in the middle with Andrew Santiago, and Santos on the right.

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Take a look at who this Diliman backline were arrayed against, and where they learned to play football.

Left wing: Daisuke Sato, former youth player from Japanese J-League team Urawa Red Diamonds.

Forward: Mark Hartmann, Portsmouth and Swindon Town youth programs. Both clubs are in the top three tiers of the English pyramid.

Forward: Izo Elhabbib: I'm told a former Saudi Arabia youth national team player. (The Sudanese striker grew up in the Kingdom.)

Right wing: Curt Dizon, ex-Queens Park Rangers youth player.

Some excellent CVs there. And yet a quartet of dudes who developed in UP's Sunken Garden and UP track oval pitches held them scoreless for 45 minutes. That, in my mind, is an achievement. And from the viewpoint of Global, an opportunity missed.

Santos, the younger brother of Jose Andoni Santos, a former Pachanga striker, did especially well in neutralizing the threat of Sato, Manson's new Filipino-Japanese winger. It was the UP sophomore's first UFL start.

“Pachanga are a team that can give a lot of clubs problems” said Manson, who rued a subpar performance by Dizon.

But number one is still number one. Global have now won four in a row, and they will likely add to their total of 34 points (two clear of the Sparks) when they tangle with bottom-feeder Pasargad on Saturday. And they've added yet another player to their team, Azkal Angel Guirado. The Filipino-Spaniard has supposedly been in the Global roster since the beginning of the season but only took the field during the transfer window.

* * *

Kaya demolished Pasargad 9-0 in Thursday's first game. And all throughout, I couldn't help but think that a lot of youth clubs can learn from Kaya for the following reasons:

They talk to each other. All the time. No other team in the UFL Division 1 comes close to Kaya when it comes to communication. (Division 2's Nomads are also a talkative bunch.) Talking is a part of football that many Filipino kids miss out, largely because you can't learn this from watching on TV.

In good football teams, the players are constantly giving each other information, offering themselves for passes, telling teammates with the ball that there are defenders behind them, etc. The talking never stops, and nobody does it better than Kaya. Goalie Nick O'Donnell talks a lot, as does centerback Masa Omura, whose hornlike voice fills the air. Chris Greatwich, like most experienced English players, is a fount of information, as is Anton Del Rosario.

It helps that Kaya is mostly populated by players from native English-speaking countries like England, the USA, Australia, the Philippines, and Ghana. There is no language barrier. Omura is Japanese, but his English is good. Ditto for Dutchman Drew Liauw.

And what about their opponents? The Pasargad players made about as much noise as goldfish in an aquarium. They didn't talk, and they didn't perform either.

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They encourage each other. I distinctly remember one play from Thursday: Kaya's Drew Liauw offloads to Kenshiro Daniels and the youngster makes a nice move downfield.

“Excellent, Kenny!” Shouts Liauw.

When players pump each other up with kind and helpful words, it's the beginning of an unbreakable team.

They are composed finishers. Kaya had eight different goal scorers in this game. I loved Kenshiro Daniels' goal. He picked up the ball in the box and faces Jeffrey Albon, PSG's keeper in a 1v1. Instead of panicking and trying to blast the ball home, Daniels ever so gently pokes it to Albon's left. It was bloodless, lethal and simple. Taken like a true sniper.

Too many strikers, when faced with a scoring opportunity, get flustered and soil their pants in front of goal, resulting in either shots that go way off-target, or attempts that go straight at the keeper. But not Daniels.

No superstars, especially on defense. I recall the score at 5-0. Pasargad are definitely toast in this game. And yet in a rare Pasargad attack, who can be found breaking up a play in the defensive end? None other than OJ Porteria, a striker.

In this game, just about everyone has to play defense one time or another. Even the leading scorers.

They say sorry. Porteria and Christian Ayew both committed reckless fouls that got them yellow cards. Both immediately apologized to the players they fouled. Very classy, and a good example for the kids.

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.