UFL: Global’s comeback win vs Sparks a big step to league title

FT: Global 2, Loyola 1

Is the 2014 League over after Global's stunning comeback win over Loyola on Tuesday? We'll get to that later. Meanwhile lets dissect an enthralling victory by league-leading Global.

Global's subs delivered. Several new acquisitions have brought a new face to Global. But it was two old stalwarts who turned the match around.

Misagh Bahadoran and Izo Elhabbib trotted onto the field as second-half subs with their team down 1-0. Their entrance lit a fire under the team.

Moments after Loyola goalie Baba Sampana stopped a Mark Hartmann penalty, there was Bahadoran spearing in an equalizer. Then less than two minutes later Bahadoran supplied Elhabbib with a gorgeous through-ball that he converted between Sampana and the near post.

But the heroics from Global's old guard are only part of the story. Tuesday just might be the day that Global gets one hand on the trophy, but the groundwork was laid in the off-season and in the transfer window.

A look at Global's roster and one word comes to mind: “overkill.” Leigh Manson, Global's coach, said after the match that he wanted to have at least two quality players at every position. He isn't joking.

Why doesn't a ridiculously talented striker like Elhabbib have to come off the bench? Because the terrific Milad Behgandom usually starts. Even with Jeffrey Christiaens hurt, the insanely gifted Patrick Delon Yao didn't get into the match because Daisuke Sato has been bossing the left flank of the defense.

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Jerry Barbaso, the lightning-quick Dipolog Express, can't beat out Charles Pettys at right back. Bahadoran is frozen out at left wing because Angel Guirado is there.

Global have assembled a team that is unmatched by any other in the league in terms of depth. Its bench is littered with players who would start anywhere else.

In contrast, Loyola (understandably) had difficulty filling the void left by the injured Phil Younghusband. Coach Vince Santos did the right thing by installing James Younghusband up top. In a sense James is a better target man than Phil because he is a fine header of the ball and is perhaps a wee bit faster. Phil prefers to stay more in the center of the pitch, rather than operate from atop the formation. James proved his worth with a goal in the first half.

But after Global's twin strikes in the second half, Manson's men retreated into a compact defense that clogged Loyola's supply lines to James and Freddy Gonzalez. Game over.

Thankfully, referee Ariel Montaña had a solid evening. Montaña has had his share of ragged outings but on Tuesday he brought out his A-Game in one of the biggest games of the year.

There was plenty of diving and simulating early on and Montaña saw through all of it. Behgandom was booked for shoving Sam Bonney, and although it might have looked nasty, Bonney did embellish it as best as he could by falling down theatrically.

Later on Loyola's Boyet Cañedo lashed out at Raul Martinez, who also got horizontal in a hurry. Despite some protests, Montaña only gave Cañedo a yellow.

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I thought both actions were correct. A referee hates to show a red card. They should only be dished out unless the action is so obviously violent. Maybe other referees would have given Boyet a red but Montaña showed restraint, common sense, and most importantly, consistency in just giving a yellow that matched the yellow shown to Behgandom.

For sure Montaña may have gotten a few calls wrong but in general he was great, with no massive missed calls. He got this game and the UFL Cup final last year and now we know why.

Is Global already out of the woods? Can we bust out the champagne? Lets look at the numbers. Global has played eighteen and is at 44 points. Loyola is at 39 and have played NINETEEN matches, one more than Global.

Global has six games to go. They have Army GTI next. I can't see Global slipping up in that game. Global has already beaten Ricky Cain's troops 9-1 once this year. Assume then that Manson's charges get to 47 points on nineteen matches.

That will put them eight clear of Loyola. Kaya is at 36 on seventeen points but faces two tricky matches coming up against Stallion and Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr. Getting to 42 at nineteen matches is doable but not automatic.

Global needs to lose at least twice in the next five matches after Army to allow anyone to catch them. Those remaining games are against PLDT Home Fibr, Stallion, Socceroo, Pasargad, and Kaya.

Kaya must win in order to make it a fight, and the remaining four teams have to shock Global as well.

Manson isn't in the clear yet, but they are getting darned close. Global may not have clinched a title on Tuesday, but this picture of the team in their dressing room tells a different story. The league is pretty much Global's to lose.

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.