UFL: Stallions see out PSG to extend lead at the top

Without top scorer Emmanuel Mbata, PSG lacked bite up-front as the Stallions had their way with them at the Emperador Stadium on Thursday night, unleashing a dominant 5-1 victory. PSG were also without controversial goalkeeper Reza Ataei, while the Stallions missed two influential players of their own, Lee Joo Young and Balut Doctora. Lee Won Hyung however stepped up in the 28th minute to open the scoring for the Stallions, and set them on their way, as he cut inside from the left wing onto his right foot and powered the ball beyond stand-in keeper Joshua Cruz. The Stallions doubled the lead in the 36th minute as Rufo Sanchez volleyed in confidently at the backpost, before Emil Muncada pulled a goal back five minutes later, shooting from 25-yards out to send the ball beyond a flapping Wilson Munoz, giving PSG some hope at the break. After the intermission though, PSG capitulated, as Kim Hyo Il found acres of space at the backpost from a corner to head Stallions two goals in front, before Cruz made a mess of Nathaniel Alquiros’ long range effort, letting it slip through his hands and into the net in the 80th minute. Sanchez then blasted in his second of the evening two minutes later to fire the Stallions to a comfortable victory. First half A slow start to the game saw both the Stallions and PSG try to feel each other out, with both sides looking very different from the teams that played each other in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, which saw the Stallions beating PSG comfortably 4-0. In the 11th minute PSG had a great chance as Vasseba Toure glanced a header wide from six-yards out from a free-kick. With Charles Ujam lurking Toure could have left it but PSG looked on top of the action until Rufo Sanchez shot over in the 16th minute from distance. PSG had another half chance in the 21st minute, curling in a free-kick into Wilson Munoz’s hands, but the Stallion keeper spilled it with Charles Ujam lurking. Diving at his feet, Munoz managed to block the opportunity and clear the ball but it was a dangerous situation for the league leaders.   And after a questionable offside, which would have left PSG through on goal, the Stallions went ahead against the run of play. Bervic Italia played a diagonal ball for Lee Won Hyung who turned inside onto his right foot and drove the ball into the bottom corner in the 28th minute. PSG tried to get back into the game with Belinga Blanchard shooting over from inside the area before the Stallions made a very early change. Jovin Bedic came on for Nathaniel Alquiros in the 33rd minute with no report of an injury. Two minutes later Alquiros, almost made an immediate impact as he got to a Lee Won Hyung cross at the backpost, diving to head the ball against the post and wide in the 35th minute. A minute later, the Stallions did double the lead, Sanchez volleying in from a fabulous assist. PSG made their first substitution at this point, Younousse Yaogo coming off for Jaymile Conmigo as both teams made a first half change. PSG then got back into the game just before the break, Emil Muncada firing in from 25-yards out, the ball swerving left and right to wrongfoot Wilson Munoz in the 41st minute to cut Stallions’ lead to 2-1 at halftime. Second half The second half started much as the first did, with both sides trying to probe each other but failing to create any meaningful chances. Diego Barrera came off for Matthias Bonveri in the 58th minute and instantly Janrick Soriano cleared off the line from Rufo Sanchez’s shot off a corner, to prevent the Stallions from regaining their two-goal lead. A well-worked corner from PSG saw Jaham Taher fire just over in the 62nd minute, before Jay Torres came in for Charles Ujam, with PSG getting closer to an equalizer. Stallions almost put them back in their place as Lee Won Hyung found Rufo Sanchez near the penalty spot, but after controlling the ball he fired over under pressure in the 72nd minute.   The Stallions did find their third in the 74th minute and it was all too easy for Kim Hyo Il, who found way too much space at the backpost to head into the net unmarked. They rested Hector Zaghi for Shimar Felongco moments later, now 3-1 up. Things should have got worse for PSG as Reza Amirkhizan threw an elbow at Rufo Sanchez, and should have been sent off, but only received a yellow card. From the free-kick, Kim almost curled in his second goal, but Joshua Cruz managed to touch it onto the post and clear to keep the scoreline respectable. At the 80th minute though, Nathaniel Alquiros did make it 4-1, profiting from Jay Torres’ poor pass, firing at goal from distance, but Joshua Cruz fumbled the ball into the back of the net to cap a poor evening for PSG. Cruz could do nothing about the Stallions’ next goal though, as Sanchez smashed in a long range effort with power in the 82nd minute for his second goal of the game to join Mark Hartmann on eleven for the season. And to cap a worrying evening for PSG, Reza Amirkhizan was stretchered off in the final seconds of the game as his knee buckled when he was running to try and make a tackle.   What’s next for the teams Now on a four-match win streak, following their loss to Global, their only dropped points of the campaign so far, the Stallions are looking confident as they extend their lead at the top to five points. They will be in action next against the Army on April 30 with the aim of extending that streak to five.   PSG, meanwhile, will have a lot longer to wait before their next game, which will be against Pachanga on May 4. Five points behind Pachanga, PSG lie in sixth on goal difference, needing to pick up points to avoid being sucked towards the bottom places in the league. - CLP/AMD, GMA News