UFL: Tired Global score 3-0 victory over Pachanga

In their first game after finishing third in their group for the AFC President’s Cup qualifiers, Global went up against Pachanga Diliman at the Emperador Stadium, Tuesday, and came away with a 3-0 win for three more points in defense of their league title.

Looking tired in the first half, Pachanga sat back and defended for most of the opening 45 minutes, resilient in their defense as the teams went into the break goal-less.

After the break Misagh Bahadoran won a penalty after a terribly late and wild challenge from Yves Ashime. Izzo El-Habib stepped up and converted, before substitute Marwin Angeles’ shot in the 83rd minute rebounded off the post and onto the back of Pachanga keeper Kim Versales, to bounce back into the net.

Another stroke of fortune gave Global their third, in the 93rd minute, as another substitute, Koray Gundozuglu, tricked his way beyond his marker in style before smashing the ball across goal. The pace of the cross took John Rances by surprise and the defender, trying to shield his man away from the ball, had it flicked off his leg and into the net to wrap up the win.

First half

Global controlled possession early on but it wasn’t one-way traffic as Jason Cunliffe in particularly was looking dangerous for Pachanga.

In the 14th minute, Global had a fantastic chance to open the scoring as Patrick Yao crossed in for Izzo El-Habib, unmarked at the backpost, but his glancing header went wide. He was marginally offside so it wouldn’t have counted anyway.

Global had another chance as they broke and forced Pachanga keeper Kim Versales to parry a cross. The ball went as far as Jeffrey Christiaens, who was robbed of the ball at the last minute, as Pachanga continued to defend stoutly.

After El-Habib was called back for offside again, Global continued to look tired from their international matches, not surprising as it was their fourth game in seven days, after beating Bhutan’s Yeedzin and losing to Pakistan’s KRL and Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoi Bishkek in Cebu.

Pachanga had a great penalty shot as Valentine Kama brought down Robert Canedo in the box. The players didn’t appeal for anything, oddly, as replays suggested the Global defender got nothing on the penalty.

Global could have gone ahead soon after, in the 34th minute, as Izzo El-Habib headed wide again, this time from a corner, as the defending champions continued to struggle to find the breakthrough against a resilient Pachanga defense. Good goalkeeping from Versales, dealing with cross after cross, kept Pachanga level, though Ernest Appiah of Pachanga got booked for a high foot before El-Habib’s frustration got the better of him, as he bundled over Yves Ashime for the second yellow of the game.

This feeling began spreading to the rest of the team, as tired legs and minds, unused to the 6-1 thrashing Dordoi Bishkek had handed out to them two days earlier, showed that frustration.


Second half

At halftime, Jerry Barbaso and Misagh Bahadoran replaced Aaron Altiche and Nino Ochoterena, as Global looked to change things around. It almost worked as a cross to the backpost found Jeffrey Christiaens with the space to head at goal, his shot beating Versales in goal, but Ashime got himself in the perfect position to head away and save his side.

Anto Gonzales came on in the 50th minute, replacing Ian Mariano, as Pachangao looked to solidify the center of midfield. But shortly after, Ashime canceled out all his good before, as he picked up a yellow card for jumping in on Misagh Bahadoran wildly inside the box, carelessly giving away a penalty.

El-Habib stepped up to take the spot kick in the 54th minute and he confidently stroked it beyond Versales and into the very bottom of the right corner of the goal to put Global in front and reach double-figures for himself this season.

Five minutes later and Bahadoran himself should have made it two. Jeffrey Christiaens found some space on the left wing and spotted the Fil-Iranian winger at the backpost. Christiaens put in a low cross, but Bahadoran skied the effort with his left foot as the ball bounced up, with the goal gaping and open from only six yards out.

Soon after Marvin Angeles came on for Carli De Murga, Pachanga had a rare opportunity. Gonzales picked out Jason Cunlifee up top, and he turned well to shoot on goal, but the shot took a deflection and went out for a corner. Yu Hoshide then made way for Marwin Angeles and OJ Clarino took to the pitch to replace Ernest Appiah, as both sides made changes in hopes of grabbing the next goal.

Jerry Barbaso was then booked for bringing down Ariel Zerrudo in the 72nd minute as Jinggoy Balmayor replaced Zerrudo. Valmayor almost made an instant impactm as the former UP striker shot just wide of goal from outside the area, as the ball bounced up and the Global defense was slow in closing down.

In the 83rd minute Marwin Angeles picked up a loose ball and clipped it over Versales, the ball curling wickedly from the center of the goal to the post, but it bounced back off the post, against the keeper, and into the goal. The keeper’s unfortunate own goal doubled Global’s lead and so Pachanga threw caution to the wind, bringing on another striker in the form of Marcus Lopez for Robert Canedo, while Global brought on Koray Gunduzoglu for Jeffrey Christiaens.

Gunduzoglu’s first major contribution to the game was a fantastic assist, flicking the ball beyond Andrew Santiago and drilling the ball across the area. The shot hit John Rances in the leg and rebounded into the net, as Global recorded a deserved victory and a flattering scoreline.

What’s next for the teams

Despite the loss, Pachanga Diliman remain comfortably in fourth place in the league, four points ahead of Kaya in fifth, though having played a game more. Performing better than preseason expectations, Pachanga may well need that lead if they want to remain in fourth as they’ll be in action next against league leaders Stallion FC on May 23.

Global, meanwhile, will be relieved to have gotten the three points after a nervy first half. The victory is their fourth win in a row and is also their fourth clean sheet in a row as they look to regain the kind of form which saw them dominate the last couple of seasons.

They will be hoping for a more convincing win against the Air Force on May 23, but the most important thing will be the nine-day break until their next game. Expect the team to regroup and recover physically to come back as their usual dominant selves next Thursday. - CLP/AMD, GMA News