UFL: Kaya and PSG fight to draw following Jekyll and Hyde performances

A relatively quiet game at the Emperador Stadium, Tuesday night, saw Pasargad (PSG) hold Kaya to a 1-1 draw to seal their UFL First Division status for next season.

Despite early Kaya pressure forcing PSG keeper Ricardo Padilla into several saves, PSG took the lead in the 41st minute as Reza Amirkhizan hit a left-footed curler from just outside the area.

After the break Kaya found the equalizer through Masa Omura. Substitute Woody Ugarte supplied the corner, and Omura got two bites of the cherry to first head against a PSG defender, before lashing in the rebound in the 71st minute.

OJ Porteria was then sent off, minutes after a two-footed challenge brought only a free-kick, apparently for saying something towards the match officials as the game ended, though Kaya will now be without Porteria for several games.

First half

Kaya were on top early on and tested Ricardo Padilla, who was still in goal in place of Reza Ataei. Forcing early stops from the defender turned keeper, Padilla spilled one shot but managed to recover, pouncing on the ball as Kaya looked the more likely to take the lead.

However a fairly quiet half was livened up when PSG managed to hit the back of the net first, when Reza Amirkhizan picked up the ball just outside the area and curled a left-footed screamer. The shot beat Saba Sadeghi in Kaya’s goal and flew into the top corner in the 41st minute, as PSG took a 1-0 lead into the break.  

Second half

During halftime, both Jonah Romero and Anton Del Rosario were taken off as coach David Perkovic looked to change things around.

OJ Porteria’s early snapshot went just wide before he again shot wide soon after, from the edge of the area. Kaya continued to control the possession and looked the more likely to grab the game’s second goal as only a last-ditch challenge from Younousse Yaogo prevented them from being clear through on goal, before Woody Ugarte came on for Eric Dagroh in the 65th minute.


The introduction paid dividends quickly on as Ugarte took a corner from the left and curled to the head of center back Masa Omura. Omura first headed into a PSG defender and the ball kindly fell to him to lash beyond the PSG defense and keeper, into the back of the net for the equalizer in the 71st minute.

Chris Greatwich picked up a yellow in the 73rd minute before Nate Burkey made way for Janrick Soriano in the 80th minute. Soon after, Reza Amirkhizan went down again, continuing to play after seemingly struggling throughout much of the game with a knock, but his performance was key for PSG.

Emmanuel Mbata was booked in the 86th minute as he brought down Chris Greatwich about 35-yards from goal, but with little coming from the free-kick, the goal was never threatened. In the 89th minute, OJ Porteria then dived in dangerously on his man, feet raised, studs showing, and two-footed. Oddly, only a free-kick was seemingly given when few arguments could have been made if it was a red.

However, in injury time of the second half, a straight red card was shown to OJ Porteria, apparently for saying something towards the match officials which they took offense at.

Down to ten men, Kaya didn’t have enough manpower or minutes left to find the winner as the clock wound down a largely uneventful game with Kaya and PSG sharing the points. Though coach Perkovic was left shouting towards the PSG bench for supposed time wasting and their tactics during the match, nothing changed a rather lackluster game between the sides.

What’s next for the teams

PSG will be the happier of the teams with the draw, after their 3-0 loss to the Green Archers in their previous game. Now two points behind the Archers, who are sixth, PSG are also two points ahead of Nomads in eighth.

Pasargad will be looking up the table rather than below though, as the points here confirmed the team cannot be mathematically relegated, without a more than improbable 33-goal swing in goal difference.

Kaya, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back against the Air Force. Their performance here was disappointing and has somewhat killed the momentum they gained after a thrilling and deserved victory over Loyola was followed up by a 4-0 demolition of the Army. However that has been their season throughout, a Jekyll and Hyde campaign for last year’s runners-up.

They will be looking for a couple of key signings after the season, and hopefully the return of captain Aly Borromeo, to once again be challengers next time around.  - AMD, GMA News