UFL weekend: Green Archers draw Global, Pasargad chalk up first win

(Updated 1:34pm) In a battle of two of the teams at the lower end of the table, Pasargad picked up a win against last-place Pachanga, 2-1, while Global was held by the Green Archers United 0-0, in last weekend’s UFL action at the Emperador Stadium.

Pasargad FC win at the expense of Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr FC

Pachanga’s unlucky streak did not end last Saturday, as they fell to an undermanned Pasargad squad, 2-1, the latter’s first win this season. The game results did not affect both team’s standings though, with Pachanga still at seventh with six points and Pasargad stuck at last place with four.

The two sides did not start with their regular keepers, as Pachanga’s Steve Yambou is still injured and Pasargad started field player Charles Ujam as keeper in place of Russel Pierson, who did not show up at the Emperador Stadium. Ujam, who usually plays on the right wing or right back, had a decent showing as keeper, stopping attempts by Pachanga throughout the game.

Pachanga, who looked out of sorts even with the return of Reza Amirkhizan after a suspension, conceded a goal at the 20th minute. A free kick from Belinga Blanchard found the back of the net even if Pachanga keeper Kim Versales got a hand on it.

Nate Burkey pulled one back for Pachanga at the 42nd minute, as he chipped the ball over Ujam, but Pasargad quickly went for the go-ahead goal. Just a minute later, substitute Hamed Fateh went well into the box, beating Pachanga’s defenders and sending the ball past Versales, for a 2-1 halftime lead for Pasargad.

At the 60th minute, a free kick from Reza seemed destined for the goal, only to hit the crossbar. That was probably Pachanga’s best chance at equalizing the game, as Pasargad began to waste as much time as possible, stretching out their limited manpower.

Perhaps a highlight — or lowlight — during the game was the referee getting into a shouting match with a pretty knowledgable spectator, who was questioning some of the referee’s decisions. The referee replied by telling the spectator to shut up and then proceeded to shush the spectator by signaling to him with a finger to the lips. The spectator then called out the referee for lack of professionalism.

But that was it for Pachanga, as they fell to Pasargad, 1-2, a sad turnout for the team that battled the Loyola Meralco Sparks for the 2013 UFL Cup Championship late last year.


Green Archers United wrestle Global FC into a scoreless draw

There was some confusion before the start of the Archers - Global game, as a uniform problem with Chieffy Caligdong produced a short delay.

Global made Archers keeper Patrick Deyto work very hard early in the game, forcing the former La Salle player into several great saves. The action seemed to be pretty one-sided early on, with the ball rarely crossing over to Global’s side. However, none of Global’s attempts found their mark.

At the 42nd minute, Global Coach Leigh Manson replaced Marwin and Marvin Angeles with Jason de Jong and Misagh Bahadoran, perhaps in an attempt to jumpstart some sort of spark for his side.  Three minutes later, a Bahadoran shot that found the back of the net was disallowed because of a hand ball call. Oddly enough, none of the Archers on the field had so much as complained about a hand ball. Bahadoran, in his usually adamant manner, insisted until the end of the game that there was no hand ball. However, the call was made and so the score stood at 0-0 at the half.

The second half started with chances for Global again, but the Archers’ luck and awesome defense held. Jesse Martindale had a particularly good defensive game.

As the game progressed, frustration seemed to boil over on the pitch, with Global defenders Amani Aguinaldo and Valentine Kama getting into scrapes with the Archers’ Gabriel Olowoyeye and Tating Pasilan.

At the 57th minute, Izo Elhabib replaced Milad Benghadom for the Global side. The Archers needed to replace Caligdong, who seemed to have been injured on the pitch.

Three minutes later, the referee pointed to the spot, as he called a foul on Aguinaldo inside the box. The penalty kick was taken by Martindale but Global keeper Roland Sadia had a brilliant knee save, sending the ball up and out.

The game got even testier in the later minutes, with Bahadoran being shown a yellow for taking down Reynald Villareal. At the 75th minute, Olowoyeye, already sporting a bandage on his face after an earlier scuffle with the taller Aguinaldo, got on Sadia’s nerves a little, causing a short stoppage when he tried to block Sadia who had saved the ball. Olowoyeye was shown a yellow moments later.

Three minutes of added time was announced, although it felt that it should have been longer, given the shenanigans on the pitch. In the end, Aguinaldo saved Global, when Sadia unaccountably left his box to chase after the ball, which was sent back into his box. Aguinaldo was able kick the ball out, right before the final whistle was blown.

“Our goal in the first half was to hold them,” said Archers coach Dolfo Alicante. “Against Global? I’m satisfied [with our performance].”

“I think they’re happier than we are,” said Coach Manson after the game. “We were frightened to challenged for the second ball.”

Manson admitted that he had shifted some of his players around, and that some responsibility for the scoreless draw was on him. Manson also credited the Archers’ Deyto, saying that he made three brilliant saves, but questioned the hand ball call on the Bahadoran goal, adding that he’ll have to see the video to see for himself.

Although the draw was upsetting, Manson said that at least they had not conceded any goals, hence keeping their goal difference at the same level. “It’s not the end of the world,” he added.


Read up on UFL Second Division action next:

On Saturday’s first Second Division game, Ceres-La Salle FC went up against Manila All-Japan FC. The Bacolod powerhouse was coming from a mighty 9-2 win versus Dolphins FC, while Manila All-Japan beat Cimarron FC last weekend. In Saturday’s match, Ceres struck twice in the second half to beat their opponents, 2-0. Ceres is now third in the rankings, just two points behind Agila FC and 5 behind Manila Jeepney FC.

In the second game, Philippine Navy FC faced Dolphins United FC. The halftime score stood at 2-1 for the Dolphins. At the 70th minute, Navy equalized, but the Dolphins were able to get one more just five minutes before the end of regulation. The physical game ended at 3-2 for the Dolphins.

Sunday’s first match saw Agila FC against Cimarron FC. Cimarron started former UP keeper Tyrone Caballes instead of regular Jerome Leung, who had also not started in their game last weekend. Agila FC scored twice, finding the back of the net in the 34th minute and then again at the 50th. Cimarron FC, who has had the same streak of bad luck as sister team Pachanga PLDT Home Fibr FC, continues to be at the bottom of the Second Division. Agila is now second.

The second match featured Union Internacional Manila FC versus Laos FC. It was 1-0 for Union at the end of the first half via a Shayan Jafari goal. Laos FC equalized in the second half, but Union’s Jeremy Theuer put his team back up on top. Less than 10 minutes after that, Theuer’s former Global FC teammate Carlos Ange Tresor Guisso made it 2-2, followed moments later by a goal from Mohammad Ghasemi. But Shayan did not quit, putting Union on even terms again, before going for the winner in additional time. At the final whistle, it was 4-3 for Union.

The third match had Manila Jeepney FC face Philippine Air Force FC. Jeepney scored via Sean Illif goal just minutes before the end of the first half. Illif followed that goal up with another one in the 76th minute. The Division-leading Jeepney won the expectedly physical game, 2-nil.

The last match of the weekend matched Nomads FC with Forza FC. The first goal of the match was for Nomads, who scored a minute into the second half. Forza equalized 20 minutes later and went ahead at the 80th minute. The testy match ended at 2-1 for Forza FC. - AMD, GMA News