UFL Cup: Global and Stallions in final showdown

The 2012 UFL Cup Final will see the old guard face the new as reigning UFL champions Global will face off against Stallions, who just finished their first season in the top flight of Philippine football this year.

Global are looking to complete a dominant 2012 by capturing the league and cup double, something achieved only by the Philippine Air Force in the inaugural season back in 2009-10, while the Stallions are looking to cement their place among the top teams, after a strong fourth place finish in the league, by grabbing their first major trophy.

Global did it the hard way

There’s no doubt that Global’s route to the Finals was the hardest. Fairly even group brackets found Global up against Kaya in the quarterfinals as the league runners-up finished second in their group on goal difference.

It took Global extra-time to find the winner against Kaya, after Eddie Mallari’s stunning strike had canceled out Demit Omphroy’s opener, though Misagh Bahadoran’s mazy run and finish at the start of extra-time was enough for his side to progress to meet Loyola in the semifinals.

Loyola finished third in the league this year, as well as reaching the semifinals of the Singapore Cup, and as always they were a threat going forward. But their weak spot has always been on defense and they conceded twice before James Younghusband pulled back an 86th minute consolation goal.

Global therefore reached the Finals after taking out the second and third seeds in the competition, and will now face the fourth seed in the final. They’ll have played the hardest knockout rounds possible, but their deep squad, which includes a first eleven of current and former Azkals, has coped well with expectations so far.

Global are also on a 20-game win streak in the UFL League and Cup, stretching back to when Loyola beat them 4-3 in a controversial game back in February.

The dark horses

Stallion FC got off to a slow start to the 2012 UFL Cup, losing 2-0 to the Army. As expected, they recovered to win their next games against Sta. Lucia Mustangs and Agila 6-0 and 8-0 respectively, before hammering the reigning UFL Cup champions Air Force 5-1 in their last group game.

After a goalless draw with General Trias in the quarterfinals, the Stallions needed to be clinical in the penalty shootout, before being taken to extra-time against the Green Archers. In extra-time, they made their brief one man advantage count as the Korean Joo Young Lee put the Stallions in front before Reuben ‘Balut’ Doctora added his second of the game to give them a 3-1 victory.

The Stallions may have been taken to extra-time in both their knockout games, but they have some quality players strengthening the squad. Jason De Jong’s performances in the group stage of the Suzuki Cup were vital for the National team, while Rufo Sanchez’s seven goals in the competition so far have made him third joint top scorer.
 
Global have yet to face the revamped Stallions who are boosted by the new backbone of the side: Joaquin Garcia in defense, De Jong in midfield, and Rufo Sanchez up front. Likewise Global have added several players, included Azkals trio Demit Omphroy, Matthew Uy, and Denis Wolf since the last time the two clubs faced each other in a competitive match.

The Stallions, though, have nothing to lose and everything to gain from the match, heaving all the pressure onto the Global players to rebound and affirm their dominance in Philippine football.

A long break

With scheduling conflicts due to the Azkals’ preparation and run in the Suzuki Cup, there has been more than a month between the semifinals and the Final. November 13 saw Global and Stallions progress, but with pitch problems, some of the scheduling of the Cup fell behind, which fed into the preparation of the Azkals overlapping with the UFL Cup.

So finally Global and the Stallions will face off for the chance to win the 2012 trophy, with Global looking to draw level with the Air Force on two UFL Cup wins, while the Stallions are looking for their first major trophy in Philippine football.

On paper, a newly promoted side against the reigning league champions would normally be a David and Goliath affair, but the progress of the Stallions has been so rapid that they are only slight underdogs for the Final – and they were the heavy favorites to reach the Final after the quarterfinals were known.

Can the Azkals pick themselves up?

Both teams have had a long time off and with most of the Azkals playing their club football with Global, they would be expected to be the fittest. However after a long year and lots of traveling and training camps for the 24 games of the National side, 18 games in the League and six games in the Cup so far, it could well be a double-edged sword.

The Azkals did look tired against Singapore and that fitness, and the disappointment of the semis exit, could play a big factor. How well the Global players can pick themselves up and recover for the UFL Cup final may have a big say on the outcome of the game, with only Jason De Jong among the team for the Stallions.

Third-place playoff

Perennial top scorers Loyola Meralco Sparks will face the Green Archers in the third place playoff as the warm-up event. The tournament’s top scorer Phil Younghusband will be looking to add to his tally of nine and become the only player to reach double figures, though the consistency of his top scorer awards will do little to comfort the fact that the Sparks have failed to win a major trophy since his arrival.

The Finals will be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Monday, December 17, with the Green Archers and Loyola Meralco Sparks contesting the third spot, before Global and Stallions battle. - AMD, GMA News