UFL: Kaya grounds Air Force, Stallion edges Nomads
Reports from Thursday's matches at Emperador Stadium.
Stallion Sta. Lucia 1, Nomads 0.
Stallion hacked out a tough win against a pesky opponent to stay within striking distance of the league's top two.
The only goal came thirteen minutes after half time, when Lee Joo Young nodded in a rebound off Nomads keeper Friso Klok's parry of Rufo Sanchez's header.
Stallion were the better side for most of the game, although Nomads came close to equalizing late.
There were new faces for both clubs. Ateneo's Mikko Mabanag made his UFL debut for Nomads and was impressive on the ball and threading passes. Ruffy Llorente also played his first game for the Merville club at left back, while Friday Okoro and Attuquaye Joseph Clottey started as well.
Nomads are traditionally an expatriate club but they actually started four Filipinos (Jason Arroyo, Mabanag, Llorente, and Selu Lozano) while Stallion only had two Pinoys, Bervic Italia and Fil-Italian Mark Rivera in their starting eleven. Captain Ruben Doctora is hurt and Brazilian reserve keeper Guilherme Hasegawa got the start over regular first-choice goalie Wilson Munoz.
ALSO READ: Kaya aims for success in new UFL Youth League.
Stallion's new acquisition Matthias Bonhevi almost opened the scoring three minutes from the halftime whistle when he spied Klok off his line and tried a cheeky chip that just ricocheted off the bar.
In the 51st minute Nomads nearly went ahead but Arroyo's brilliant header was saved well by Hasegawa.
Seven minutes later Lee struck for 1-0.
In the 70th minute Nomads centerback Danny Williams was yellow carded for a vicious challenge on Jeremy Hohn that sent the American out of the game. Afterwards he could be seen with ice all over his shin, and he confessed that he will be undergoing an x-ray.
Nomads striker Fidelis Nnabuife had three late chances to equalize but they all failed. He hoofed over the bar in the 82nd, had a volley sensationally saved by Hasegawa a minute later, then in stoppage time sent an outside-of-the boot attempt straight to the keeper.
OTHER NOTES: Stallion's new player Diego Barrera entered the game in the second half wearing a numberless Stallion shirt. Frankly I think it was a disgrace that he was allowed on the pitch. A televised, top-tier competition like the UFL should not allow this sort of thing. He did almost score late from distance, though. He is listed as having number 87.... Jason Cordova, Stallion's defender on loan from Ceres, was not at the game. Balot Doctora informed me that he does not know if or when he will return.
Kaya 4, Air Force 0.
In what was at times a heated encounter, Kaya inflicted an eighth defeat in as many games for the Airmen.
Christian Ayew struck twice for Kaya while OJ Porteria and Anton Del Rosario also found the back of the net.
The game was marred by several untoward incidents that prompted referee Michael Barajas to make like a Poker dealer and hand out cards with dizzying regularity.
Five yellow cards were meted out to Air Force and another four to Kaya. Airman Bulldog Albor was sent off for a second caution before the half after rashly sending a forearm into Masanari Omura's back.
Midway through the first half Air Force coach Bracky Bracamonte was ejected after verbally abusing the officials with foul language.
ALSO READ: A new set of wheels? Just wait two seconds.
Bracamonte felt that Albor's first yellow was not deserving since according to him it was a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge that did not result in either player going to ground.
He also did not appreciate that Fabien Lewis' crunching tackle that sent Air Force winger Mark Anthony Fernandez out of the game only drew a yellow card and not a red.
Fernandez's substitute, Jez Tonog, was himself knocked out of the match after a clash of heads that did not get a foul, which prompted Bracamonte to reel off a fusillade of colorful language that led to his expulsion.
As their frustration increased, several Air Force players also resorted to extra-curricular hits that some Kaya players certainly did not appreciate.
Fortunately things never did quite boil over, and Kaya won on a canter, pressing Air Force into forking over the ball or resorting to long aimless balls forward.
Porteria started the scoring with a fine finish from an acute angle in the eighth minute.
Two minutes after halftime Air Force keeper Ken Dolloso ventured out of his box to clear a loose ball but was unable to control it. Ayew gathered the ball and chipped it over Dolloso's head for 2-0.
Ten minutes later he made it 3-0 after heading in Antonio Ugarte's corner from close range.
Air Force's Neckson Leonora had a chance to pull one back in the 73rd but his booming 40-yard free kick sailed just high.
Four minutes later Kaya sub Sean Iliff nearly headed in a fourth but Dolloso palmed it away brilliantly.
ALSO READ: NBA's shortest player coming to town.
The Negrense goalie wasn't so lucky in the 90th minute when substitute Anton Del Rosario poked one in from long-range for 4-0.
Kaya debuted a new-look back four featuring American Logan McDaniel at left back, Aussie Daniel Zelleny and Trinidadian Fabien Lewis at centerback, and Eddie Mallari the lone holdover at right back. The reinforcements permitted Omura to move back into central midfielder.
Kaya coach David Perkovic said afterwards that “I was pleased with the team's play in patches. But we need to grow as a Football team. We can't get caught up with how our opponent plays the game. I want my squad to believe they control their destiny.”
The win vaults Kaya into fourth place on 12 points, one more than Nomads.
OTHER NOTES: Kaya started Nick O'Donnell between the pipes and his Ateneo team mate Carlo Liay also got some playing time as a second-half sub. Both are team mates of Mabanag in the UAAP champion Blue Booters team.... Late in the game with their team leading 3-0, the Kaya Ultras very sportingly started singing an Air Force chant. It was a classy move that unfortunately was cut short when Del Rosario scored..... One Kaya Ultra complained to me that the Ultras were receiving verbal abuse from Air Force supporters. This was corroborated by two other neutral fans, one a Stallion supporter and another a Loyola fan.... The Ultras also serenaded Perkovic with a cheer of "David Perkovic, Perkovic, David Perkovic" to the tune of KC and the Sunshine Band's "Baby Give It Up".... Next month Air Force welcomes back several veterans from Air Force training; Joel Ballo-allo, Mark Ferrer, Jalor Soriano, and keeper Erl Tomodos.
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
