Sunday’s penultimate UFL Cup matches saw the teams from groups B and C complete their seeding as Kaya FC outmatched Pachanga Diliman FC, 3-0, Agila FC shocked Team Socceroo FC, 4-3, Stallion FC defeated JP Voltes FC, 4-0; and Loyola Meralco Sparks FC routed UST FC, 7-0.
In the battle for the group B top seed, Kaya FC relied on a blistering start to defeat Pachanga Diliman, 3-0, in the battle of the two first division teams. Tishan Hanley and Louis Clark scored inside the opening ten minutes to put Kaya two goals up. Hanley’s goal came in the sixth minute following a link up play in the box with Miguel Tanton. Clark scored four minutes later with a close range finish.
After the two goals, Kaya had to wait seventy minutes before the third goal. Substitute Diego Barrera netted with his first touch right after replacing Masanari Omura in the 80th minute.
“We wanted to win today to get the best seeding possible,” said Kaya manager Paul Tolentino. “We got the job done. The boys did what they needed to do.”
Agila had to ward off a late comeback from Team Socceroo in the second match to win 4-3. Olayemi Bakare scored a hat-trick for Agila despite Masood Shadideh scoring first for Team Socceroo. Joseph Clottey was the other goal scorer for Agila. Substitute Alexander Rech led the Socceroo comeback with two goals in the second half. Shadideh almost forced a late equalizer but his shot late in the match was denied by the post.
Stallion FC fended off JP Voltes FC, 4-0, in the third match. The Ilonggo team were left frustrated in the first half by a composed JP Voltes back four. Simone Rota scored two goals in the 59th and 90th minute. Christian Nana and Jojo Borromeo also netted for Stallion after the inclusion of Emmanuel Mbata and Jordan Mintah at half-time paid off.
Stallion coach Ernie Nierras said that he “did not want to make any substitutions.” However the 0-0 score forced to him to make the changes and added that they “lacked the movement (in the first half).”
Loyola Meralco Sparks FC needed a surge from the bench to defeat UST FC, 7-0 in the final match. Four out of the five Sparks substitutes scored. However, UST FC had a first half to remember as they forced a scoreless first half against the heavily favored Sparks.
However, with only 50 seconds into the second half, Graham Caygill delivered a shot from the top of the box into the back of the net. The Sparks had to wait until the 76th minute to score the second. Charlie Beaton already had the ball past the goalkeeper and as it was about to creep into the goal, Napo Bustilo provided insurance for the goal. The Spaniard made it 3-0 a minute after with a shot from the right side of the box.
Phil Younghusband came off the bench to add a fourth goal with an ambitious lob from just outside the center circle that caught the goalkeeper off his line. Tahj Minniecon slotted the fifth goal in the 85th minute. Beaton finally got his goal from the penalty spot in the 87th minute. Younghusband completed the rout with another goal in the 88th minute.
“We needed to run up the goals,” said Sparks coach Simon McMenemy. “One thing we’ve been guilty of in the past is not scoring a lot against teams that give us the opportunity.”
McMenemy also noted that “it was also a good opportunity to utilize the whole squad. Anton del Rosario, James Younghusband were unavailable to play due to suspension. Simon Greatwich is still recovering from an injury.”
Kaya, Pachanga Diliman, Agila, and Team Socceroo complete the cast in group B. Kaya has yet to concede a goal in the Cup.
Loyola Meralco Sparks, Stallion, JP Voltes, and Mendiola FC 1991 are group C’s representatives in the next round. Loyola Meralco are tied with Stallion in the standings but hold a better goal differential of +17 over Stallion’s +12. Mendiola and UST are also tied on points, but Mendiola’s goal differential of -11 is better than UST’s -19.
The final playing date of the UFL Cup Group stage is on Tuesday, May 26 at Rizal Memorial. Forza FC faces Nomads FC in the 6:15 PM match. Manila Jeepney FC take on Laos FC in the second match at 8:30 PM. After Tuesday’s match, the UFL will take a three-week break to make way for the Southeast Asian Games and the World Cup Qualifiers and will return on June 20 for the second round of the League. — CAL
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