PFF Club Championship: Pasargad beat Green Archers on penalties 

PSG FC, formerly known as Pasargad, made it through to the Final of the 2013 PFF National Club Championships in an epic game against the Green Archers at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, winning 2-1 in the penalty shootout. It was a match that saw four goals scored in the space of seven minutes and one of the most bizarre endings to a Philippine football match ever.

 

Chieffy Caligdong opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a shot that bounced off a bad piece of grass to wrong-foot the keeper. In the 20th, Jovanie Simpron tapped in the Archers’ second before Charles Ujam replied for PSG only a minute later. 

 

To wrap up the early madness Reza Amirkhizan fired at goal from a corner but hit the post, yet as the ball rebounded it struck the Archers’ goalkeeper and rebounded into the back of the net.

 

After those four goals in seven minutes neither team scored again for another hundred minutes as the clash went through extra-time and into penalties. 

 

Only Chieffy scored his penalty for the Archers and when Escoltero missed his penalty for the Archers, PSG already began celebrating knowing if they converted one more of their remaining two penalties they would qualify for the final. 

 

Reza and Taher took off their shirts in celebration and in the letter of the law that meant they had to get booked. As it was both their second bookings, they were sent off, during a penalty shootout.

 

First half

 

The Green Archers were the favorites to win the match and they started the brightest. Pasaragad took to very physical tactics to stop the quicker Archers and making two cynical fouls in quick succession Reza Amirkhizan was booked after the second. 

 

Before the free-kick Tating Pasilan and Charles Ujam were also booked by the referee gave three yellow cards in the space of three minutes.

 

Yet they couldn’t keep them out for much longer as Jovanie Simpron fired into the side netting before Chieffy Caligdong somewhat fortuitously put the Archers in front. Picking the ball up from just outside the area he shot at goal, but the ball took an awful bounce off the patchy ground, wrong-footing the goalkeeper.

 

Two minutes later the Archers doubled their lead as Jovanie Simpron slotted in from six yards out. The Archers had broken quickly and an early shot rebounded kindly into Simpron’s path. He neatly turned the ball away from his defender and slotted in for an Archers quickfire double.

 

Yet only a minute later PSG pulled a goal back as Charles Ujam got on the end of a cross. PSG had stolen the ball in the Archers’ box and crossed quickly leaving the unmarked Ujam the simple task of tapping the ball into the empty net at the far post.

 

It was an explosive start to the game and it didn’t let up as PSG equalized in the 25th minute. From a corner Reza Amirkhizan found space and fired at goal. He was unfortunate to hit the post but the ball rebounded off the Green Archers’ keeper, Martin Villaflor in place of Patrick Deyto, and into the net.

 

Tating Pasilan then went down the other end and almost put the Archers back in front, free on the left and waited for the ball to drop before blasting the ball onto the bar.

 

It was a fantastic start to a game overshadowed by the Kaya v Ceres fixture before it, and a real clash of styles as the Archers’ speed was matched against a physical PSG.

 

The Archers had the next chance as Chieffy’s work on the left turning his markers gave Simpron the space on the right to latch onto Chieffy’s simple pass. With the goal gaping Simpron mishit the ball wide and the miss proved costly in the end.

 

Second half

 

The Second Half began with Arnie Pasinabo firing wide after bursting into the area in the 49th minute, before Dominic Mensah replaced Reynald Villarel for the Archers. 

 

Yet while the first half will be remembered for the goals and the style of play, the second may be remembered for the number of cards and doubtful decisions from the officials.

 

Soon after the substitution, the Archers were denied a clear penalty as Chieffy Caligdong took the ball past his defender but was brought down. The Archers played on but the cross was too high and the chance was wasted and no penalty was called as the officials missed the foul.

 

Gerald Orcullo replaced Paul Concepcion in the 66th minute as the teams settled down into the game. PSG started to play some good football, skillful on the ball, but the Archers’ pace and quick counter attacks continued to pose a problem.

 

PSG goalkeeper Reza Ataei got a yellow card for protesting a decision too much before the referee really stoked things up by booking Emmanuel Mbata a second time, explaining that it was for diving. 

 

After a little tussle between him and Dominic Mensah during a PSG throw-in, Mensah had come into the back of the player and the contact was clear. Yet Mbata was booked for simulation with the referee deciding he’d dived and after checking his notes, the referee confirmed the red card.

 

Moments later Jovanie Simpron burst down the right wing, knocked the ball forward and ran past his man. 

 

Realizing he wouldn’t get there before Simpron, Jahambaksh Taher committed a professional foul, not only obviously blocking Simpron’s path and playing the man not the ball, but he also left an elbow behind too. He received a yellow card, though a red may well have been warranted there.

 

Younousse Yaogo replaced Angelo Marasigan in injury time as Pasargad looked to waste time and stay in the game and get the rest before extra-time.

Extra-time

 

In the first half of extra-time, Charles Ujam almost put ten man PSG in front when he headed a free-kick from the left wing against the bar. Heading it into the ground, it bounced up off the crossbar before taking a touch from Villaflor’s leg. Ujam responded but Villaflor pounced on the loose ball to recover the position.

 

At the start of the second half of extra-time, Tim Tim and Elle Cagayanan came on for the Green Archers while Consthan Harris, who is quite possibly the player with the most amount of hair in the UFL sporting long dreadlocks and an impressively sized beard, came on for PSG.

 

With both teams tiring, though, neither could find the extra burst of energy needed to get the final goal. The Green Archers continued to dominate, with Cheiffy shooting at Reza, before Simpron couldn’t clear his feet and get a shoot off after finding himself well positioned in the PSG box.

 

Incredible penalty shootout

 

Chieffy Caligdong and Hamed Hajimedhi scored their first penalties keeping the scores level at 2-2 in normal and extra-time and 1-1 in penalties. However a difference finally emerged as Tating Pasilan hit the bar before PSG took the lead as Somdevilla tucked the ball into the top corner.

 

Archers’ substitute Cagayanan missed with a poor penalty hit too close to Reza, though everytime he was well off his line, before Villaflor saved from Mark Fernandez to keep the Archers in the tie just 2-1 down in penalties. Reza then saved Tommy Escoltero’s penalty and this is where the madness began.

 

Thinking they’d won the game, Reza and Taher ran off celebrating and they took off their shirts in the process. Despite it not being during open play, the referees booked Reza and Taher and as it was both their second yellow cards, they were both sent off.

 

It was an obscene moment in a generally poorly officiated game, but once the players came back Harris fired straight at Villaflor giving the Archers a lifeline. 

 

The officials continued to review the rules at the side of the pitch, unsure themselves what had just happened, but Ayi Nii Aryee stepped up for the Archers and hit the post meaning that what was clear at the very least was that PSG had won the game on penalties. How many of their players will be available will be under some discussion over the next week.

 

A single player being sent off during a penalty shootout is so unusual that Botswana goalkeeper Modri Marumo made international headlines in 2003 when he punched Malawi’s keeper Philip Nyasulu in the face during a penalty shootout. 

 

Unlike Botswana, PSG went on to win the shooutout and indeed it may be unprecedented in Philippine football, perhaps even wider, that several players were sent off during a shootout – especially for something as petty as taking their shirts off.

 

PSG will be without Mbata, whose red card could still be rescinded, while Reza and Taher will also miss PSG’s first final in a major competition. In short, it was an incredible end to an incredible game.

 

This epic semifinal sets up the Ceres versus PSG final and Kaya versus Green Archers Third Place Playoff, both of which will take place next weekend. Ceres have beaten the best to reach it, while PSG will have to face the now heavy favorites without three key players – none of whom deserved to be sent off.  — ELR, GMA News