UFL: Thursday goalfest as Socceroo edges Stallion, Global buries Army-GTI

A total of 17 goals were scored between four teams, as Team Socceroo squeaked past Stallion 4-3, while in the second game, Global thoroughly routed Army-GTI 9-1, in UFL action, Thursday at the Emperador Stadium.

Socceroo pulls off upset of Stallion

Defending League champions Stallion FC was in fourth place entering this match against eighth-ranked Team Socceroo. The former endured a scoreless match against Kaya FC while Socceroo had just suffered a 1-2 loss to Army. With both teams having fairly disappointing campaigns, there was sense that anything could happen in this match.

Stallion started the game off with a relatively early goal. At the 14th minute, Balot Doctora beat the Socceroo defense and misdirected the keeper. Seven minutes later new signee Masood Shadideh made it 2-0 for Stallion. Shadideh, from Second Division’s Manila Jeepney FC, struck with his right foot, leaving Socceroo keeper Rolando Cabaniero rooted to his spot.  

In an unlucky sequence, a free kick for Socceroo right at the edge of the box saw the ball hit the post and bounce out.

In a surprising move, Socceroo coach Franklin Cacacho replaced Jeong Woo Lee with Jude Duruachazie. Lee, usually Socceroo’s top offensive option had thus far proved ineffective.

Just before the halftime whistle, another Socceroo attempt went wanting, with the ball hitting the crossbar and then bouncing out, for a 2-0 Stallion lead at the break.

At the 57th minute, a free kick was awarded to Socceroo after a foul. Diego Barrera, a former Stallion player, took it, and the ball failed to meet any resistance as Munoz stayed glued to his spot.

Minutes later, the referee pointed to the spot after a yellow card was shown to Socceroo captain Enzo Pinga. New signee Junior Gaye stepped up to take the penalty and made it 3-1 for Stallion.

But just a minute later, Barrera struck the ball from from outside the keeper's area, making it 3-2 for Socceroo. And then, at the 66th minute, Socceroo’s Park Yi Young equalized with a marvelous strike from about 25-yards-out.

Stallion coach Ernie Nierras sent in a couple of substitutions, perhaps to stop the bleeding. But at the 85th minute, Barrera struck again. He outsmarted Simone Rota, who had come in as a substitute, and made it 4-3 for Socceroo.

There were three minutes of added time but that was not enough for Socceroo to launch another successful attack.

The remarkable win versus Stallion does not see Socceroo get a bump up in the standings, although the additional points will help them try and stay out of relegation by keeping them just a point away from Green Archers United FC and Pachanga PLDT Home Fibre FC. Both those teams have 10 points and are in the seventh and sixth position, respectively.

The Stallion loss keeps them at fourth place with 15 points, almost halfway through the season, dimming their chances of defending their title.


Read about Global's thrashing of Army-GTI:

 
 

 
 

Global inflicts devastating loss on Army-GTI

Things did not start out very smoothly for Global FC in their game versus Army-GTI FC, as Izo Elhabib’s penalty kick was saved by Army’s keeper at the fourth minute. This was Izo’s first start in the League after recovering from an injury from the UFL Cup competition.

Izo made up for his missed penalty though with the opening goal, a header off a cross from Daisuke Sato at the 11th minute.

Global started with four of their new signees, Curt Dizon, Raul Martinez, German Ramirez, Sato, and with Jason de Jong sporting the captain’s armband. Additionally, keeper Paolo Pascual was starting in his first game since getting injured midway through the first round. It looked like an experimental lineup from Global coach Leigh Manson.

To say that it was a physical game may be an understatement, as even the coaches from the Army side were up in arms over what they perceived were non-calls. For Global, Sato was getting beaten up big time by Army’s Ronel Gener.

As if in testament to the game’s physicality, at the 32nd minute, Izo got a brace, getting the goal even when almost being wrestled to the ground by an Army defender. Four minutes later, Jeffrey Christiaens made it 3-0 via a penalty kick, as a yellow card was shown to Army’s Eduardo Gempisaw inside the box on a hand ball.

Army got a chance at the 42nd minute when John Cain sent an elbow or forearm to Global defender Amani Aguinaldo’s throat. Cain was able to break free from Aguinaldo and set up a pass to Ji Hun inside the box, but the Korean skied it. There was no call on Cain, as the referee seemed not to see his action.

Just after the halftime whistle, Ronel Gener got into a fighting stance with Christiaens and had some words for the referee, but no card was shown.

The second half was when Global turned on the jets.

At the 52nd minute, Global coach Manson sent on another new signee, Napoleon Bustillo from Stallion FC, to replace Milad Behgandom.

Three minutes later, de Jong sent in a screamer from right at the edge of the box, making it 4-0 for Global.

At the 57th minute, in a like for like substitution, Mark Hartmann was sent on for Izo, who already had a brace.

Seven minutes after, Hartmann found Bustillo on the counter, giving the new guy his first Global goal. Two minutes gone by, Charlie Pettys met up with a ball from Dizon, who had charged down the right, and sent it in. Less than a minute later, de Jong made it 7-0 for Global with a header off a high ball from Sato. That was three Global goals in the span of less than five minutes.

But Global was not done yet. At the 74th minute, de Jong passed the ball to Hartmann, who easily sent the ball straight down the middle of the keeper’s area and into the goal.

The Army keeper was able to get a few saves late in the game, but it was literally too late in the game.

At the 87th minute, Hartmann got his brace off an Aaron Altiche assist, after the latter had gone on for Sato.

Two minutes of added time were announced, prolonging Army’s agony. But right at the last minute, Army was able to pull one back as Kang Dae Han denied Global a clean sheet.

Global had also defeated Army-GTI by the same score in their first round encounter.

“I feel we are stronger and getting stronger as we get to know each other better,” said coach Manson after the game. “We want the fans to be excited to watch Global,” he added.

Asked about de Jong as captain, Manson was clear with his answer. “[Global is here to] promote Philippine football, we're depending less on our foreign players. We have to be training our homegrown players at a higher level.”

For his part de Jong says he is comfortable playing just behind the strikers, and that it “always feels good to be captain.” He also cited that he has a good relationship with his coaches, since they have been around helping the national team and the U23 team before that.

Global is not done with their build-up. Angel Guirado, who has never been dropped by the club, is back in town. “Angel is on trial,” clarified coach Manson. He added, however: “Global is a different animal now, we're not going to go on past reputation here. They're going to come in on ability.” Guirado is on a 10-day trial.  

“[There will be] one, possibly two more signings. There's no starting XI right now. We’re not satisfied,” the Scot said.   - AMD, GMA News