UFL 2013 in summary: Looking back at preseason predictions

The 2013 season of the United Football League has come to an end after some fantastic football, with both the title race and relegation battle going down to the wire. With the awarding ceremony set for June 30th, the Emperador Stadium has seen a huge leap in the quality of Philippine football this season.

At the start of the year we took a shot at predicting the table, meaning it's time we take a look at how accurate our predictions were.

[Check out the original article and predictions here]

Champions: Stallion FC (15 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 3rd

From Second Division runners-up in 2011, to now just the second promoted side to win the UFL, Stallion won their first title with a league-record amount of points, and the highest number of goals from a champion, holding off their more storied opposition with aplomb.

Great seasons from Joaco Canas and Rufo Sanchez led the team, with support from their Korean contingent, in an unusual but effective 3-6-1 formation. March additions improved the side further as Hector Zaghi, Diego Barrera, and Matthias Bonhevi, among others, allowed the team to cope comfortably with the loss of Jason De Jong. The team was so well organized that their three non-wins were losses versus Global and a draw against Loyola.

If the Stallions can keep the core of their team together, which may be difficult given the rumored pull-out of sponsors, then they will certainly be contenders to defend their 2012 UFL Cup crown, as well as the potential UFL Supercup.

Key Man: Rufo Sanchez will take most of the plaudits finishing the season with an average of more than one goal per game.


Runners-up: Global (14 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 1st

With several quality players joining the now-former UFL Champions and coach Brian Reid coming from Scotland to coach the side, there was plenty of progress from Global. They even managed one more point than last season’s title win on goal difference (43 vs 42). However, it wasn’t enough, as they lacked firepower up front, scoring the fewest points among the top three.

Global can still boast of the best defensive record in the league, with only 12 goals conceded and half of those coming in the two losses to Kaya. However, people remember goals and trophies, and Global hasn’t managed enough of those lately.

A quality forward could certainly take the pressure off Izzo Elhabib ,who finished with 13 goals. At times, it was clear the pressure was getting to the Sudanese striker. With Jeffrey Christiaens the next highest scorer for Global, despite playing at left back for the first half of the season, the team simply lacked enough options up front.

Key Man: Jeffrey Christiaens had a fine season and is a frontrunner for the MVP award. With a good ratio of goals per games while playing in defense or midfield, he was often the creative outlet for the side and provided plenty of assists. Had there been more composure in front of goal from his teammates, the number could have been higher.


Third Place: Loyola Meralco Sparks (11 wins, 5 draws, 2 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 4th

Loyola was in the title race for most of the season, but once again fell apart in the final few weeks. A loss to Kaya was followed-up with lackluster draws against the Archers and Nomads, forcing them to settle for third again. For the first time since signing the Hartmann and Younghusband brothers, the Sparks weren’t even the top scorers of the UFL, and Phil Younghusband was outdone for the first time in the individual scoring charts, despite a respectable 17 goals.

With the Singapore Cup ahead, Loyola has another shot at a trophy, especially with last year’s finalists already knocked out of the competition. After that, the question will be how many players are willing to remain at the club given another trophy-less season? The money and talent involved could be challenging with rumors already surrounding the future of talisman Mark Hartmann, while the Younghusband brothers could also be looking for greener pastures in a bid to win titles.

Key Man: Mark Hartmann was the joint-third top scorer in the league and may well have assisted more goals than anyone else. For the first half of the campaign, he looked the best player in the UFL, though he came back down to Earth. If they can keep the Hartmann and Younghusband brothers, and make a couple of quality signings, Loyola will have the squad to challenge for the Cup competitions later in the year.



Fourth Place: Kaya (8 wins, 7 draws, 3 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 2nd

Kaya was the biggest disappointment in the league and the only club finishing two places below their prediction. It was a Jekyll and Hyde season, as they looked brilliant sometimes, beating Global twice while two goals down, but against weaker opposition they were lackluster and finished an incredible 15 points off the pace.

Coach David Perkovic steadied the ship somewhat, and ensured a fourth-placed finish in the end, but they will need some extra talent up front to take some of the pressure off the young OJ Porteria, as a decent defensive record was offset by the fact that Kaya were only the sixth-best scorers in the league.

Key Man: Chris Greatwich was a rock in midfield and the team was built around him. With added quality, and there are rumors of several Azkals headed in Kaya’s direction, they can bounce back in the Cup competitions. Greatwich’s leadership qualities will then be tested to the full, as he rallied his team in some big games, but Kaya will need to perform consistently to become challengers again.


Fifth Place: Pachanga Diliman (9 wins, 1 draw, 8 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 5th

Pachanga made fifth their own, and at times threatened, to break into the top four. A great first season in the First Division, it was a real team effort with OJ Clarino and Ousseynou Diop top-scorers on five goals each, while Jason Cunliffe chipped in with four in the Guamanian captain’s first season in the Philippines.

With another proven goalscorer and a tighter defense, they will close the gap on the top four, but they may well be looking over their shoulders with the arrival of Second Division champs Team Socceroo and their perfect record.

Key Man: Jason Cunliffe was a marquee signing for the newly-promoted side. They have a good platform to build on, given their solid defensive record, and with Anto Gonzales partnering with Cunliffe in midfield, all they need is a proven goalscorer for next year.


Sixth Place: Green Archers (7 wins, 3 draws, 8 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 7th

The Archers began their campaign with just one win in their first eight games. Consistently misfiring and lacking a cohesive style, they were embroiled in the relegation battle with only eight points heading into the last six games. However, they finished with five wins and a draw to finish a respectable sixth, as everything clicked and the Archers began to show their potential.

Key Man: Chieffy Caligdong was the main man for a number of reasons, not least the hype surrounding his transfer to the club. Finishing the season with nine goals is a good effort for a team which won two of their first 12 games, and after some impressive form in the last third of the season, the Archers have a great platform to build on. With money to attract players, they could well prove to be a dark horse in the future if they can pick up a couple of quality signings.


Seventh Place: PSG (6 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 6th

PSG struggled early with four losses, followed by a goalless draw with the Nomads, but a four-match unbeaten run turned their season around. Finishing eight points ahead of Nomads, they were clear of relegation by some distance, but will need improvements to avoid being sucked back in.

Emmanuel Mbata and Kalilou Toure led the lines for PSG in the second half of the season to devastating effect, managing some impressive results, including draws against Kaya in both their matches and an 11-0 aggregate thrashing of the Air Force.  

Of course no season wrap-up could be without mentioning Reza Ataei, the Iranian goalkeeper who for 90 minutes put in one of the most outrageous, comical, and embarrassing performances in football, purposely tripping over players and rolling around the floor for minutes on end from the slightest of contact, and often no contact at all. Several games later, he inexplicably disappeared from the football scene, ending as one of the strangest footnotes of the season.

Key Man: Emmanuel Mbata finished as the fifth top scorer of the UFL with 12 goals. It's an impressive feat for a team that at the beginning of the season mustered one goal in their first five games, with Mbata accounting for a third of his team’s goals. Supported in the second half of the season by Kalilou Toure, Mbata fired six goals in four games, as his team won three and drew against Kaya, but PSG may have lots of rebuilding ahead of them with rumors of a mass exodus ahead.


Eighth Place: Nomads (3 wins, 4 losses, 11 draws)
2013 UFL Prediction: 8th

Simply put the Nomads lacked goals. Fidelis Nnabuife was their top scorer with three, but should have been in double-figures with the number of chances he had throughout the season. In the end, the Nomads were only second to Air Force for the worst attacking record in the league.

Nomads’ early form was fantastic though, as they won three, drew two, and lost only to Global in their opening seven fixtures. However they failed to win another game after that, with only two more draws. Safe from relegation, there was little left to play for and their form suffered as a result. Still, they showed glimpses of good passing play at times and they have some talented youngsters developing for next year.

Key Man: Friso Klok may well have been the goalkeeper of the season with the sheer volume of saves alone, but add to that the quality of many of those saves, and he, at times almost single-handedly ensured the Nomads weren’t in danger of relegation by the season’s end.


Ninth Place: Army (2 wins, 1 draw, 15 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 10th

The Army had an unsavory season with football fans likely to remember Rodrigo Betita’s kick on a linesman as their most memorable moment. Losing their cool on too many occasions, the Army escaped automatic relegation with a 3-0 win over the Nomads late in the season.

Now they will have to rally to defeat Union of the Second Division in the playoff, to remain the only Armed Forces team in the top flight. Should they succeed, they’ll still be in for a hard slog next year, with Second Division champs Team Socceroo likely to challenge for mid-table status.

Key Man: Meliton Pelayo scored the opening goals in both the 3-0 victories against the Air Force and Nomads, which ultimately kept his team in contention of First Division Football.


Tenth Place: Air Force (2 wins, 0 draws, 16 losses)
2013 UFL Prediction: 9th

Losing their opening nine games in the league was always going to make things a struggle, but things looked up for the Air Force when they beat Nomads and the Army in back-to-back games. Then, 2-1 up against the Archers, three goals in the last 10 minutes overturned their advantage and ultimately cost the Air Force their First Division status.

Ill discipline also saw the Air Force average a red card every other game, to the shock of neutral fans. For comparison, Air Force's nine red cards is the same number of sending off's of the top seven teams, and the same number of goals the club scored.

When the Air Force played football they had some good exchanges and showed glimpses of their former selves. But for now they become the first UFL Champion to be relegated. They will be a handful for the Second Division if they can build up a better playing style and hold their tempers.

Everyone involved in football can see a United Armed Forces team is the only viable option for the future, so hopefully the politics can be put aside for once in the interests of the nation as a whole.

Key Man: Ian Araneta scored seven of the Air Force’s nine goals, but was starved for much of the season. The only player for the Air Force to have more goals than yellow cards, he may well have to follow Chieffy Caligdong in leaving the Air Force to keep his hopes of representing the National team alive, ahead of the 2014 Challenge Cup.  - AMD, GMA News