UFL: Pasilan scores hat trick as Green Archers whip Team Socceroo

MANILA, Philippines – After notching four draws in its first five outings, Green Archers United finally made it to the winning column after venting their ire on Team Socceroo, 7-1, in the United Football League, Tuesday, February 4, at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig City.

Silent so far in the 2014 League competition, Tating Pasilan scored a hat trick, while Chieffy Caligdong had a brace and issued two assists, as they propelled GAU to fourth place in the standings, with a 1-4-1 slate. 

Gunning for their first win this season, Gabe Olowoyeye opened the scoring as he drilled one in in the 20th minute after a neat string of passes by the Green Archers inside the box.

Olowoyeye came close to doubling GAU’s lead as he almost found the ball three minutes later and missed another close one in the 25th but Team Socceroo goalkeeper Rolando Cabaniero was able to hold their foes scoreless for the rest of the first half. 

Coming off the bench, Caligdong immediately made his presence felt as he turned what was a close game into a rout, terrorizing Team Socceroo’s defense all night long and getting himself rewarded in the 51st when he dispossessed a defender off the ball and crossed the ball to a streaking Pasilan for 2-nil. 

Pasilan then doubled his output less than a minute later when he headed in Caligdong’s cross in what was a sloppy defending by Team Socceroo.

Team Socceroo pulled one back when Park Yi Young capitalized on Jesse Martindale’s miscue inside the box to cut their deficit to two, 62 minutes into the game.

Pasilan, however, responded to that in the 64th as he completed his hat trick off a spectacular individual effort, netting in a volley to make it a 4-1 affair.

Martindale made up for his crucial goal-resulting error as he converted the 73rd minute penalty kick after a Team Socceroo defender was called for handball inside the box.

With their frustration piling up, Team Socceroo’s night turned from bad to worse when Mark Daniel Rivera collided with GAU keeper Patrick Deyto and had to be stretchered out of the pitch after a horrible knee injury inside the last ten minutes of the match.

Caligdong then wrapped up the night with two more goals in the 88th and 94th to complete GAU’s 7-1 pounding of the newly-promoted Team Socceroo.

With the win, the Green Archers improves to 7 points to overtake Stallion, Pachanga and Army in the table while Socceroo stays 8th with 4 points from a win, a draw, and four defeats. – Rappler.com