UFL: Stallions claim top spot with win over Loyola Meralco

Stallions FC moved to the top of the UFL standings with a 4-2 pounding of the Loyola Meralco Sparks, Tuesday at the Emperador Stadium. Loyola opened the scoring when Phil Younghusband beat his defender and curled into the bottom corner in the 31st minute. Then in the 37th, Rufo Sanchez equalized, pouncing on the rebound as Kim Hyo Il curled his free-kick onto the post. Two minutes later, Matthew Hartmann put Loyola back in front, as he was played in by Jeong Byeong Yeol, driving in the ball to make it 2-1 in the 39th minute. After halftime, Lee Joo Young drove at goal from just inside Loyola's half and slipped the ball into the bottom corner with his left foot in the 52nd minute, resulting in Stallions' second equalizer of the game. Sanchez then scored his second of the game and ninth of the season, as his deflected shot from the right put the Stallions ahead from the first time in the game. Composure was not with them however, as they began losing their heads, and got reduced to 10-men because of it, as Bervic Italia received his second yellow card. However, they made the win safe in the seventh minute of injury time, as Nathan Alquiros tapped in a great cross from Lee Joo Young, with the Sparks' James Younghusband also seeing red, just before the full-time whistle. First half The Stallions found the net in the first five minutes as Rufo Sanchez headed in a cross from the right, but the league’s top scorer was denied his eighth goal of the campaign for offside. With the game still goalless, Sanchez  turned provider a minute later, but Hector Zaghi’s shot from inside the area went over, before Bervic Italia got the first yellow card of the game. Undeterred, the Stallions continuined to get the better chances, as Sanchez picked up a good pass and fired at goal with his left foot, Ref Cuaresma needing to get down quickly to his right to palm the ball away. As Loyola cleared a corner, Phil Younghusband picked up the ball and turned Park Bo Bae, only to be held back by the Korean defender. Taking the free-kick quickly, he played in his teammate, but the referee called play back, much to the annoyance of Phil, who was protesting because teams don’t have to wait for the whistle before taking free-kicks. The second time Loyola played the free-kick, Mark Hartmann curled in and sent their forward free on goal, but Guilherme Hasegawa saved smartly before the offside flag was raised anyway. The offside flag was raised again, once more on Rufo Sanchez, who was played through and chipped over Cuaresma neatly, only for his shot to be disallowed in the 23rd minute. Jeong Byeong Yeol was sent through next after a masterful through ball, but his attempt was on the wrong side of the post while one-on-one with the keeper. It didn’t matter too much for the Sparks though, as Joaco Canas’ poor pass was picked up by Mark Hartmann, who played in Phil Younghusband for his sixth goal of the season. Turning Kim Hyo Il with a smart move, the Loyola striker moved within one goal of lead scorer Rufo Sanchez, after slotting into the bottom corner to put his side ahead in the 31st minute. In the 37th minute, the Stallions were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area. Kim Hyo Il curled the ball onto the post, but Rufo Sanchez was the first to react and he swept the ball into the net with his left foot to level the scores. Only two minutes later, Jeong played a reverse ball for Matthew Hartmann who smashed beyond Hasegawa to restore Loyola’s lead. The Stallions almost equalized two minutes after that  however, as forcing a smart stop out of Cuaresma. Things got heated later as Park Bo Bae dived in on Rodrigue Nembot without touching the ball, both teams pushing each other while surrounding the referee who was late making the call. However, the halftime whistle came soon after with Loyola edging Stallions 2-1. Second half In the second half, the Stallions soon equalized as Lee Joo Young picked up the ball inside Loyola’s half and without a proper challenge, kept going forward, slipping the ball into the bottom corner in the 52nd minute. It was a sublime goal and in the 56th minute the Stallions went ahead for the first time, when Rufo Sanchez was played in on the right and the deflection off Chad Gould’s boot took it past Cuaresma. Loyola almost equalized when Jeong cut back for Matthew Hartmann on the edge of the area, but he clipped the ball just over the bar. Then Jeong had a chance in the 65th minute, Mark Hartmann slipping in the Korean winger in acres of space, but he scuffed the effort at goal without even troubling substitute keeper Wilson Munoz. Munoz was at the center of controversy next as he flew out of goal to get to the ball ahead of James Younghusband, his boot so high that it almost hit Younghusband in the face, instead cutting his arm due to the stud. Then after remonstrating with the referee, Munoz fell to the floor, holding his back, and the referee gave the free-kick to the Stallions to the fury of James Younghusband as the keeper went unpunished for what looked like an intentional high boot to his head. Jeong Byeong Yeol was stretchered off with what appeared to be cramps, and Matthew Uy made his first appearance for Loyola after going on loan from Global – an interesting switch as he was rumored to be going to the Stallions. But Stallions had the next chance, as Rufo Sanchez dragged the ball wide, with the goal gaping from ten yards out.   The Stallions continued to pour it on, as Rufo Sanchez turned to shoot at goal, but Ref Cuaresma reacted quickly, diving to his right in the 78th minute. The tone of the gam shifted, when Stallions began to lose their heads. First, Jeremy Hohn booked for bringing down Phil Younghusband and letting the decision get to him. Then Bervic Italia received his second yellow card for shouting at the referee in the 84th minute, which resulted in Stallions going a man down. Loyola failed to take advantage in the remaining minutes of normal time though, and even in an incredible eight minutes of injury time, as their opponents countered late. Smart passing left Lee Joo Young with the chance to clip in a cross to the back post, agonizingly out of the reach of the Ref Cuaresma, and Nathan Alquiros tapped into the empty goal to wrap up the game at 4-2. However, there was still enough time left for James Younghusband to get his second yellow card, as his frustration got the better of him, resulting in a suspension for Loyola's next game. What’s next for the teams Jumping to the top of the league, the Stallions will be in action next on April 18 against the Archers, fresh from their last-minute win over the Nomads. Beating them 3-1 the last time they played each other, the Stallions will be confident of continuing their title challenge. Loyola meanwhile, see their first loss of the season and their goals conceded tally doubled in one match, as the three goals conceded here is the same number of goals they conceded in the previous eight games. They will look to bounce back against the Army on April 16. - AMD, GMA News