UFL Sunday

UFL Sunday

Div 2 :

FT-Forza FC 2-6 Ceres-La Salle FC scorers:
Forza- J.Johnson 21' 66'
Ceres- Kyum Son 23sec P.Reichelt 9' 36' 68' J.Panhay 48' De Murga 78'

FT: Union IMFC 2-2 Agila FC Goal Scorers: Fidelis Nnabuife- 10'(Union) Ivan Meilan- 67'(Union) Olayemi Bakare- 16', 50'(Agila)

From friends to foes, Azkals return to mother clubs as Kaya, Stallion duel in rare Sunday match

By Karlo Sacamos

FROM friends to foes, roles are set to be reversed as some Azkals return to mother clubs Kaya FC and Stallion when both teams face off in a rare Sunday playdate in the United Football League at the Emperador Stadium in Mckinley Hill.

After their national duty last week, OJ Porteria, Anton del Rosario, Chris Greatwich, Andrew Liauw, Nick O’Donnell, and Kenshiro Daniels of Kaya and the Stallions Ruben “Balot” Doctora Jr. and Simone Rota take their act back to the domestic league as both clubs collide at 8:30 p.m.

Kaya, running third in the nine-team standings, tries to keep in step with leaders Loyola and Global, while the fourth-running Stallions hope to keep alive whatever’s left of their title-retention bid.

Porteria, the dynamic teenage striker, will be up against a tough Stallion backline that is anchored by Rota, the Filipino-Italian defender who impressed in his Azkals debut.

“He’s got an abundance of talent and he’s starting to convert that talent into performances,” Kaya coach David Perkovic said of Porteria. “There are still a few weaknesses we have to work on him, but he’s got a fantastic attitude, and that’s why he’s come on leaps and bounds.

Doctora, for his part, will face a Kaya defense that has Azkals returnee Anton del Rosario and national team rookie Andrew Liauw.

The Stallions are also expected to field a significant addition from the transfer window in Senegalese holding midfielder Junior Gaye, whom coach Ernie Nierras raved about.

“Everybody has to learn from him. He’s a true holding midfielder,” Nierras said of Gaye, comparing him to compatriot and a Global FC offensive threat Izzo El-Habib. “Imagine Izzo as holding mid.”

spin

Global holds off Loyola Sparks in five-goal thriller as Hartmann haunts former team

By Karlo Sacamos

NO one is pulling away from the rest of the United Football League field.

Global FC made sure the UFL title race remained tight as it held off league-leading Loyola Meralco, 3-2, in a marquee rematch that lived up to its billing on Saturday night at the Emperador Stadium in Mckinley Hill.

The second-running side actually squandered a huge lead, but showed tremendous character down the stretch to pull off the hard-earned victory.

Instead of being seven points behind the Sparks, Global moved within a point of the league leaders with 25 after 11 games.

“We’ve made it possible for us to control our own destiny,” Global coach Leigh Manson said. “We don’t need to rely on other teams, so for us, it was huge.”

Mark Hartmann starred for Global as he fired the go-ahead goal—against his former team no less—and added an assist, while Milad Behgandom and Mexican recruit German Rodriguez completed the scoring party for the winners.

Not only did it avenge its 0-4 loss to the Sparks in the first round, but Global also dealt Loyola its first loss in almost six months or since September 27 when it lost to Kaya, 1-2, in the preseason.

Behgandom, the Iranian striker who has supplanted Izzo El-Habib from the starting lineup, unlocked the Loyola defense two minutes before first-half injury time, before Rodriguez, who just flew in the previous night, made an immediate impact with a header off a Hartmann cross to give Global a commanding lead in the 60th minute.

But the Sparks refused to fold as Lee Joo Young slotted home a nice pass from reigning UAAP MVP Paolo Bugas three minutes later, before Phil Younghusband scored from the penalty area to equalize the count in the 68th.

Hartmann, however, didn’t let Global’s gains go to waste as he scored the marginal goal, a deceivingly tame right-footed strike that Loyola goalkeeper Baba Sampana failed to save nine minutes before stoppage time.

Sparks coach Vince Santos rued his team’s missed chances early in the game as he grew wary of Global catching up in the standings.

“We never discount (Global) from the race, but it’s a three-round league,” Santos said. “I think it was the worst result we could get from the football we played.” 

spin

Locals shine for Korean-reinforced Troopers to nip Socceroo

by Karlo Sacamos

PHILIPPINE Army showed its locals can stand toe-to-toe with the foreign recruits as it turned back Socceroo, 2-1, and continue its rise in the ranks of the United Football League on Saturday at the Emperador Stadium in Mckinley Hill.

The Korean-reinforced Troopers built a two-goal cushion behind their homegrown players as the cushion proved enough to weather a late storm from the newly promoted side and the ejection of a teammate.

Ricardo Becite and John Cain emerged the goalscorers for the military side, which moved two spots ahead to fourth place after improving its point total to 13.

Socceroo suffered its seventh loss in 11 games and remained stuck at eighth spot.

It was an impressive result for the Troopers considering they have been lacking practice sessions the past two weeks. And even if they do get to train, they hardly become complete.

“Minsan pito lang kami nag-e-ensayo. Pero wala kaming magawa kasi part ng trabaho. Hindi lang naman football ang priority sa Army,” Becite said.

“Pero pag dating sa laro, buhos na lang…tsaka puso,” added the 27-year-old Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo native, one of the most promising homegrown Troopers who opened the scoring 31 minutes into the game.

Thrust to the top for the second straight game, the natural defender Cain showed he was comfortable with his new position as he doubled the lead 15 minutes after the restart.

Stanley Ankrah pulled a goal back five minutes before stoppage time for a Socceroo side that started its comeback attempt.

Army further gave Socceroo a chance to equalize when the squad went a man down a minute into stoppage time after Becite was thrown out after picking up his second yellow card of the match for tackling an opponent.

“Hindi ko na napigilin yung momentum ko kaya dumeretso ako dun sa kalaban,” he said.

spin

'Dawn of new era' as manager Dan Palami marvels at Azkals' improved playing style

By Karlo Sacamos

EVEN this early, Philippine men’s football team manager Dan Palami can already see how far the Azkals have come under new coach Thomas Dooley.

Barely a month into his appointment as national coach, the former US World Cup captain has already instilled an attractive system that was evident in two recent friendlies against formidable European side Azerbaijan and full-strength Southeast Asian neighbor Malaysia.

Asked to compare the style of play then and now, Palami saw the difference.

“That’s the word: there’s a style of play,” Palami said. “There must’ve been (before), but it was not as discernable as it is right now.”

“It is clearer now,” he added of the fresh style of the Azkals, who sometimes relied on sheer talent and resiliency alone in the past. “This time, it’s not just fighting hard, but also fighting smart.”

Dooley took over the coaching reins from Michael Weiss.

The Azkals failed to score a single goal in both friendlies -- a draw against Malaysia and a 0-1 loss to Azerbaijan, but the results hardly reflected the marked improvement in the team’s passing game.

Still, the development was not lost on Palami.

“Even with six sessions (including the friendlies), we have been able to achieve good results and what’s important is that we can actually see the players respond to how the coach would want them to play.”

“Credit to the coach, who is able to impart the way he wants the players to play, and as well as the players, who are up to the challenge,” added Palami, who is looking forward to the near future as the Azkals continue to prepare for the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup in May.

“It might sound too poetic, but it’s the dawn of a new era,” beamed the man behind the renaissance of Philippine football. “I think it’s an era that is exciting and I think it will be a successful one for the Azkals in the next few months.”

“The key is to have more sessions together,” the 43-year-old team manager added.

It’s the reason why the Filipino booters press their buildup next month when they embark on their next international training camp in Qatar, where the Azkals face Nepal in a friendly on April 11 and Qatari club team Al-Ahli three days later.

The Azkals will have another Middle East camp in Bahrain in the middle of May, not to mention local training sessions before going to Maldives for the Challenge Cup.

spin.ph

UFL Saturday , results and standings - UPDATED

UFL Saturday at Emperador Stadium

DIV 2

13.45 Cimarron vs Manila Jeepney

FT: Cimarron FC 0-6 Manila Jeepney FC Goal Scorers: J. Taher- 6',90+2' Eric Giganto- 15', 38' Koffi Kouassi- 23' Mamadou Sangare- 84'

16.00 Laos vs Dolphins United


FT: Laos FC 4-1 Dolphins United FC Goal Scorers: Laos FC P. Franksson- 6', 87' R. Lear- 36' R. Buenaflor- 89' Dolphins FC R Corsame- 84'

1	•	Ceres	9	20
2	↑	Laos	10	19
3	↓	Manila Jeepney FC	10	18
4	↓	Manila All-Japan	9	16
5	•	Forza	9	15
6	•	Airforce fc	9	13
7	•	Nomads	9	13
8	•	Agila	8	12
9	•	Union Internacional Manila	8	12
10	•	Navy	9	9
11	•	Dolphins United	9	9
12	•	Cimarron	9	3

DIV 1

18.15 Army Fc GTI vs Team Socceroo

FT: Phil Army GTI FC 2-1 Team Socceroo FC Goal Scorers: Ricardo Becite- 31'(Army) John Cain- 60'(Army) Stanley Ankrah- 85'(Socceroo)

20.30 Loyola Meralco Sparks Fc vs Global Fc

Sparks XI: Sampana, Ashime, Bonney, Dorlas, Elnar, Greatwich, Hartmann, Lee JY, Lee WH, Cañedo, P. Younghusband

Sparks subs: Amita, Bugas, Cañas, Cuaresma, Del Rosario, Gonzalez, Nembot, Villaseñor.

Global XI : Sadia, Pettys, Aguinaldo, Kama, Yao, Martinez, Dizon, De Jong, Hartmann, Bahadoran, Behgandom

Global subs: Altiche, Elhabib, Hoshide, Pascual, Starosta, Rodriguez, Sato

FT: Global FC 3-2 Loyola FC Goal Scorers: M. Behgandom-43' G. Rodriguez-60' Mark Hartmann-81' J. Young Lee- 63' PYH-68'(penalty)

1	•	Loyola Meralco Sparks FC	11	26
2	•	Global FC	11	25
3	•	Kaya F.C	9	19
4	•	Stallion Fc	9	14
5	•	Army FC GTI	10	13
6	•	Pachanga Diliman FC	9	10
7	•	Green Archers	10	7
8	•	Team Socceroo	11	6
9	•	Pasargad FC	8	4

Global FC parades new boys in top-of-table clash against Loyola Sparks

By Karlo Sacamos

A beefed-up Global FC tries to inch closer to Loyola Meralco when the United Football League heavyweights collide on Saturday at the resumption of Division 1 play at the Emperador Stadium in Mckinley Hill.

With four new players in tow, Global, running second with 22 points in the nine-team standings, hopes to avenge its 0-4 loss in the first round to the Sparks and nudge within a point of the league leaders in the 8:30 p.m. blockbuster.

“If we win the game, it brings the league very, very close,” Global coach Leigh Manson said. “That’s something that will generate excitement as one team is not running away, but several teams are all contesting.”

Global unveiled its acquisitions in former Union Internacionale Manila campaigner Curt Dizon, Mexicans Raul Martinez and German Rodriguez, and 19-year-old Filipino-Japanese defender Daisuke Sato on Friday and are expected to suit up in the weekend match.

“We’re looking to give an opportunity to show that they can step up and play for this club,” Manson said in a press conference where the powerhouse squad also announced local brand Atleta as its new outfitter.

Among the recruits, Martinez, the 26-year-old midfielder who played in his country’s second-tier league and for the Under-23 squad, has impressed Manson the most.

“Raul’s already made a difference, I feel, in training,” the Scottish mentor said. “His tempo fits the way, I believe, football should be played, by keeping the ball. Raul’s brought that and the young players have brought energy and excitement to the team.”

Azkals Misagh Bahadoran, Jeffrey Christiaens, Mark Hartmann Jason de Jong, Marwin Angeles, and Amani Aguinaldo are also expected to be back after their national team duty last week.

“It’s a good mix that we have and I think we’re going on the right track,” Manson said. “We’re in a decent position in the league.”

It’s not only Global that’s shored up its roster as the Sparks welcome newly crowned UAAP MVP Paolo Bugas and Best Midfielder Arnel Amita, who are fresh from their title conquest with Far Eastern University.

Nationals Phil Younghusband and Simon Greatwich are also expected to suit up, although James Younghusband remains sidelined with an injury.

“I’m always looking forward to matches like this. It should be interesting,” Sparks coach Vince Santos said.

Philippine Army takes on Socceroo in the curtain-raiser at 6:15 p.m.

spin.ph

UFL Announces Free Entrance For Students, Young Children, And Seniors

The United Football League is happy to announce that free entrance to UFL matches at the Emperador Stadium will be granted to individuals with a vaild student ID, children below four feet, and senior citizens.

“We want the UFL to be a family thing and not just for football enthusiasts,” said UFL Chairman Santi Araneta.

With the second round of fixtures just getting underway in the three-round First Division, more supporters have the opportunity to follow the competition live at the Emperador Stadium until the season’s end in June.

“The UFL’s decision to allow free entrance to students, young children, and seniors is aimed at accelerating the league’s growing fan base,” said UFL President Randy Roxas. “Grassroots development is a key component of the league’s growth. It is important for the youth to watch live games on a regular basis as it provides a lot of learning opportunities for them. You can only get better by watching the best players play and there is no substitute for seeing your idols play live.”

Those not falling in any of the categories for free entrance will be charged P50 for bleacher seats and P100 for grandstand seats.

UFL.ph