UFL: Loyola blanks GAU for win #4, Stallion beats Kaya

MANILA, Philippines – The Loyola Meralco Sparks continues their unbeaten run as they mauled Green Archers United, 3-0, in the United Football League, Tuesday, January 28, at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig City.

Phil Younghusband once again flexed his muscle as he opened up the scoring 16 minutes into the game to net in his sixth goal in 2014 and become the league’s top scorer so far in the season.

The Green Archers, who have drawn all of their three games since the league competition started, had no answer to Loyola’s juggernaut as Lee Joo Young issued a brilliant pass to Matthew Hartmann who found the net in the 35^th and doubled Loyola’s lead.

Younghusband came close to scoring his second brace in a row as he drilled one in in the 76^th but the linesman raised his flag and called it off-side to keep the score at 2-0.

GAU played better in the latter part of the second half as they held Loyola scoreless for most of the game but 72^nd minute substitute Jake Morallo wrapped up the night with the Sparks’ third goal in the 90^th minute to seal the deal for the reigning UFL Cup titlists, 3-nil.

The win propels Loyola to 12 points at 4-0-0 as they try to annex their Cup-winning run into the 2014 League competition. 

The Green Archers, meanwhile, absorb only its first loss of the season but they remain winless at 0-3-1 to stay sixth in the table.

GAU will meet Kaya in its next outing on Saturday, February 1, while the Sparks will tangle with defending League champions Stallion FC next Tuesday, February 4.

Kaya own goal earns Stallion first win

MANILA, Philippines – Stallion FC picked up their first win of the season as they went away as 1-0 winners over Kaya FC in the United Football League, Tuesday, January 28, at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig City.

The reigning league champions – currently struggling in the 2014 season – could not produce a goal tonight but still took the full three points as Kaya defender Andrew Liaw cleared the ball into their own goal, 36 minutes into the game. 

With coach Ernie Nierras’ side struggling offensively, Filipino-Italian Simone Rota emerged as the night’s top performer as he anchored Stallion’s defense, thwarting every Kaya attempt especially in end-game. 

The Stallion centerback, who previously saw action in the Italian Serie D, paired up with Pedro Marenco as they shutout Kaya who has already scored 10 goals in their three games so far this year.

OJ Porteria tried to drill in the equalizer in the final 15 minutes as a frantic Kaya side dominated possession in end-game but Stallion’s backline held on and denied him not once but twice – first by Rota who headed out his stab from the edge of the box and by Marenco who performed a brilliant save on Porteria’s open attempt.

Stallion, however, was dealt a blow in stoppage time as Marenco was slapped with a yellow card after appearing to have injured himself in one play that drained the clock by at least three minutes.

Stallion nonetheless moves up to the upper half of the table with five points from a win, two draws and a loss, while Kaya tastes its second loss in four games.

Kaya faces Green Archers United next on Saturday, February 1 as Stallion returns to action against the still unbeaten Loyola Meralco Sparks next Tuesday, February 6. – Rappler.com