UFL: PSG hammer Air Force to relegate the former champions

Knowing only a win would give them a realistic chance of staying in Division I, the Air Force rolled over in their biggest game of the season against PSG at the Emperador Stadium on Thursday night. Facing a do-or-die situation, the Air Force accomplished the latter, succumbing to a blowout 6-0 loss.

The opener came in the 20th minute after poor marking allowed Kalilou Toure to volley in from a corner. A series of deliberate fouls by the Air Force followed, but Toure and PSG doubled the lead when he beat the offside trap to latch onto a neat through pass and calmly curl round the keeper on his first touch in the 40th minute.

In the 44th minute, it was 3-0 when PSG walked the ball into the net, as simple passes split the Air Force defense and presented Promise Jolomi with the space to fake a shot, turn, and pass into the open goal.

With Ian Araneta brought off at halftime, any hope of a comeback was shattered when Jolomi got his second with a powerful shot from outside the area, before Randy Bela-ong was slapped with the Air Force’s customary red card, for his second bookable offense, when he brought down Jaham Taher from behind.

Then Louie Sobravega allowed a Michael Nelson shot to curl into the net, watching it the whole way but thinking it was heading outside in the 69th minute as PSG went 5-0 up. And to go one better than the 5-0 win the last time the two sides met, Hamed Hajimhedi got through and poked in the sixth to condemn the Air Force to relegation.  

First half

The game began at a slow pace despite the Air Force knowing they needed a victory to stay up. With PSG guaranteed seventh place even before the game began, it was somewhat of a dead rubber for them but still they were by far the better side early on.

PSG had the best of the early chances and after Promise Jolomi dragged his shot wide in the ninth minute, Charles Ujam was free on the edge of the area after a defensive error in the 14th minute. He chose to blast the ball, and put too much power into it, as it flew well over, wasting the chance.

A long-range effort from Surgeant Montillano came close as he tried to catch the Air Force stand-in keeper Louie Sobravega off his line, and though it swerved in the air, the shot went over.

PSG however got their reward in the 20th minute from a Jalsor Soriano corner, as the ball was sent into the danger area, and with little challenge in the box, three PSG players went for the ball. It dropped for Kalilou Toure, who emphatically volleyed into the back of the net.

Toure took a hit later on as Neckson Leonora took him out when the ball had already gone, but the referee didn’t see it. Then, when challenging for the ball, Ian Araneta threw an elbow into the chest of Vasseba Toure, but the referee missed another deliberate foul.

And to put another exclamation on it, Randy Bela-ong lunged late and dangerously with his studs showing on Emil Muncada to earn a yellow card, dragging down the PSG midfielder after the ball had gone. But on the scoresheet, PSG walked away with the game afterwards as they added their second when Kalilou Toure was slipped inside, adjusted his body, and coolly slotted the ball beyond Sobravega with his first touch.

Only four minutes later it was three as Jolomi was free in the area following a series of simple, short passes, the ball worked from the left to drag the Air Force back line out of position. With Sobravega left in front of him, Jolomi feigned the shot and simply passed the ball into the back of the net as they took a commanding 3-0 lead into the break.

Second half

At the break the Air Force made a substitution as they took off top scorer Ian Araneta for Winie Subere, while three goals down. Araneta is the only Air Force player with more than one goal to his name, and it took only until the 51st minute for PSG to add their fourth, Kalilou Toure cutting inside his defender and powering the ball into the top corner from 20-yards out.

The Air Force made a change, bringing Joebel Bermejo off for Mark Fernandez but four goals down they then lost a man as Randy Bela-ong got his second yellow card for a foul from behind on Jaham Taher.

The Air Force had a penalty shout soon afterwards, in the 60th minute, with a substitute sent through and brought down from behind, but the first view was inconclusive, and Martin Doctora replaced Antonio Albor afterwards.

It was then five in the 69th minute in a bizarre moment, as Nelson shot at goal from the right corner of the box, hitting the ball with the outside of his boot. Sobravega thought it was heading out and let it roll on and into the goal. It was his last moment in the game though, as Miguel David replaced him shortly afterwards.

Two substitutions later, Joshua Cruz came on for Ricardo Padilla before Younousse Yaogo made way for Ibrahim Diab, PSG made it 6-0 in the 84th minute when Martin Doctora was dispossessed. That allowed Hamed Hajimhedi to get through on goal and he poked it in to wrap up the commanding victory.

What’s next for the teams

Even before this game PSG were guaranteed seventh place, the only question was how close they could get to the Archers in sixth.

It’s been a relatively comfortable season for PSG as they were never really threatened by relegation, but also never really threatened the teams above them. Still, there’s a good platform to build on for next season, but they will need to improve with Team Socceroo in Division II still on track for a 100 percent record; they'll be no pushovers next year.
 
The Air Force, meanwhile, become the second consecutive Armed Forces side to be relegated and join the Navy in the Second Division. Doubt remains, however, over whether they will field a side next year, but either way it’s a sorry end for the back-to-back league champions of two years ago, as the only team to win the league and cup double managed just six points this year.

That said, few neutral fans will be disappointed given the team’s playing style all season. That they have had at least as many red cards as goals probably sums up why. - CLP, GMA News