UFL: Stallions run riot as Air Force implode

Stallions trampled a hapless Air Force side into the ground via a 7-2 scoreline, Thursday at the Emperador Stadium, in what was probably one of the more lopsided matches this season so far.

The Stallions never looked threatened as Rufo Sanchez opened the scoring early as he rose well above his marker to head his side in front at the 10th minute. Ten minutes later he doubled the Stallions’ lead, firing in a Marjo Allado through ball with his left foot, before Lee Joo Young drilled in from distance to give the Stallions a 3-0 lead in the opening thirty minutes.

Ian Araneta scored from a penalty to give the Air Force a lifeline but it proved to be false hope as Lee scored his second soon after, flicking the ball over a defender’s leg and blasting past Kenneth Dolloso just before halftime.

After the break, Sanchez completed his hat-trick, bursting onto the ball, past his man, and smashing into the bottom corner with his right foot. Things only got worse as Joebel Bermejo was sent off for a professional foul on Rufo Sanchez, as the last man with thirty minutes still to play. The Spanish striker then nodded in his fourth in the 65th minute to make it 7-1.

Araneta scored another consolation from a defensive error shortly afterwards, as the game ended as the highest-scoring affair of the 2013 UFL season so far.

First half

The Stallions started the game strongly, making their intentions clear. After Ian Araneta had a goal disallowed for a clear offside, Sanchez poked wide in the ninth minute before opening the scoring festivities a minute later, towering above his marker to confidently nod the Stallions ahead from a well-delivered cross from Korean Lee Won Hyung on the left.

Ian Araneta forced a save out of Wilson Munoz, turning Spanish center back Joaquin Garcia before lashing at goal with his left foot. It was a fairly comfortable save, before the Stallions went down the other end. Marjo Allado chipped an accurate through pass to Sanchez, who took his tally to four for the season, drilling into the bottom corner with his left foot to double his side's lead in the 20th minute.

It was all too easy for the Stallions, and all too familiar for the Air Force, who never looked like threatening the Stallions’ 100 percent start to the season or changing their own 100 percent losing record so far, as they looked a team bereft of confidence.

Sanchez almost wrapped up a complete hat-trick, a hat-trick scored with the left foot, right foot, and a header, when Lee Joo Young sent the striker through on the right, but pile-driver was tipped wide of goal.

Lee Joo Young then hit a scorcher from distance, driving in with his left foot from 25 yards out, the bounce beating the goalkeeper, as the Stallions took a commanding 3-0 lead in the 28th minute.

Sanchez then had another chance to complete his hat-trick, picking up a mishit from Balut Doctora inside the area and hitting it first time, but Kenneth Dolloso tipped it wide with his left hand to prevent the game turning into a massacre, at least, at that point anyway.

The Air Force grabbed a lifeline in the 33rd minute as Balut Doctora was penalized for a tackle on behind, but replays showed he touched the ball and it was the Airman’s kick which imbalanced him. The soft penalty was awarded nonetheless and Ian Araneta stepped up to send Munoz the wrong way and score his first goal of the season.

Then the Air Force imploded as a passback to Dolloso totally ignored the presence of Rufo Sanchez and the Spanish striker stole in, turned the keeper but crashed the ball against the bar. Lee followed up and took the ball away from the Air Force defender as if he wasn’t there, but hit wide of the goal with the keeper well out of position.

It should have been four, and the Air Force deserved to be punished for the number of defensive mistakes on that play, but it was 4-1 soon anyway,  as Lee burst down the right wing to fire beyond Dolloso with a rocket of a shot to join Sanchez on a brace in the 43rd minute.


Second half

After the break, the Stallions continued to dominate, as Lee Joo Young pushed to the floor just outside the area, before Lee Won Hyung was confusingly booked for wasting time, despite having no reason to waste time in what was more likely a misunderstanding. Rufo Sanchez then fired into the net for his complete hat-trick, heading his first, scoring the second with his left foot, and driving this one with his right foot. On this one, Sanchez had turned quickly to give himself space to smash the ball into the bottom left corner, good for his third at the 56th minute of the game.

It was the twentieth shot the Stallions had sent Dolloso’s way, underlining their dominance of the game, a dominance which only increased as Balut Doctora got on the scoresheet in the 61st minute, Sanchez turning provider to cross for Doctora who tapped in.

Immediately at the restart, the Stallions regained possession and Joebel Bermejo hauled Rufo Sanchez down and was sent off as the last man. Doctora fired against the crossbar but the whistle had blown for the foul as the Air Force’s implosion was almost complete.

Sanchez headed in his fourth goal of the game, stooping to flick in and ensure whatever was left of the Air Force’s confidence was completely shattered, taking his own tally to six for the season and leaping ahead of Izzo El Habbib to be the top scorer of the league so far. Dolloso stopped the eighth goal, saving with his legs, before Lee Won Hyung made way for Daniel Matsunaga in the 67th minute.

Sanchez was almost provider again, crossing in from the right and presenting the new substitute with the perfect chance to score, but he clipped the ball over the bar from only a few yards out and facing an empty net.  

Araneta scored his brace in the 72nd minute, knocking the ball over Munoz after poor defensive work, and the goal was only consolation with the Air Force still five goals behind. Dolloso saved well again from Doctora in the 80th minute, hurting himself in the process. As he was down in the field, Lee Joo Young came off for Hector Zaghi, and the Air Force keeper recovered.

The Stallions continued to batter a beleaguered Air Force, who at that point had conceded the most goals of any team in the UFL after this demolition, but Rufo Sanchez headed over from a few yards out on a Kim Hyo Il cross before he did put the ball in the back of the net anew, firing in from the left, but offside when the ball was played. Matsunaga was brought down in the area, though the referee didn’t see the foul, and the full-time whistle sounded soon after to the relief of the broken Air Force players.

What’s next for the teams

The Stallions will be going into their next game against Pachanga, on March 14, full of confidence. The second top scorers in the league have played good football throughout and will be looking for their sixth straight win, as they try to keep up with Global at the top.

The Air Force meanwhile, are second from bottom in the league and will have to improve quickly to avoid relegation. But they’ll be up against Global on March 14 and things only look as if they’re going to get worse for the team which used to dominate Philippine football but have fallen faster than a downed aircraft. - AMD, GMA News