UFL: Socceroo snaps Loyola’s winning streak, Stallion defeats Army

MANILA, Philippines – Many have tried, many have failed but somebody had to do it.

The Loyola Meralco Sparks’ terrific 13-game winning run that extends all the way from the Cup competition was finally ended as they conceded a draw at the hands of Team Socceroo, 3-3, in the United Football League Saturday, February 8, at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig City.

Facing the only unbeaten squad in this year’s league, Team Socceroo came out like a house on fire as they took a 1-goal lead right in the 3^rd minute – and even came close to pulling off an even larger upset, leading 3-1 at one point – but Loyola was able to scrape away with two second half goals to avoid the ignominy of losing to the newly-promoted side.

Min Seung Yeon issued a preview of the things to come as he put Team Socceroo on top just three minutes into the game and made Loyola rue not starting their vital cogs, including Phil Younghusband, against a team that has only won a game in six matches so far.

Finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, the Sparks went into full offensive after Socceroo’s early and unexpected goal and got themselves rewarded with a 23^rd minute goal from Robert Canedo to bring the game to 1-all.  

With Loyola persistently pounding Guilherme Hasegawa’s goal for practically most of the first half, Lee Jeong Woo almost put the Sparks in a deeper hole approaching the break but his 41^st minute attempt, which found the net, was called offside.

But just eight minutes after the break, Lee immediately made amends as he caught Loyola’s defense sleeping and punched in a 53^rd minute goal past Ref Cuaresma – filling in for Baba Sampana who was outstanding for Loyola in their title-winning 2013 UFL Cup campaign – for 2-1.

It only took Lee two minutes to double Team Socceroo’s lead as he scored a 55^th minute stunner to put Loyola in a 3-1 pit and complete his brace with a lot of time left.

Coach Vincent Santos finally pushed the panic button in the 57th as he called in Younghusband into the game – a move that almost instantly paid off with the league’s leading scorer pulling one back just three minutes later to make it a 3-2 affair, still Socceroo. 

Loyola then launched barrage after barrage of attacks but Hasegawa was up to the task in protecting Socceroo’s lead but the Brazilian goalkeeper could only do much as the Sparks finally got what they wanted – albeit a little too late – through Joaco Canas’ 88^th minute goal to finally tie the game at 3-apiece.

Younghusband found himself with a chance to secure the full three points, 90 minutes into the game but Hasegawa made a last-gasp save to cap his night in between the sticks for Team Socceroo and end the game with a 3-all draw.

Stallion drubs Army, 3-nil

In the night’s second game, goals were also aplenty between the defending champs and Philippine Army – GTI but there was no more upsets as Stallion pocketed a 3-0 win that sends them back to the upper half of the table.

Stallion played the kind of football they were known for last year as goals from Naser Doroudian, Ruben Doctora, and Mohammed Camara propelled them over Army, who were reduced to ten men after Ronel Gener was slapped with a straight red in the 63^rd.

It took coach Ernie Nierras’ side more than an hour to score the breakthrough, though, as Stallion’s newly-acquired Iranian Doroudian made it 1-nil, 62 minutes into the game.

They had to wait for a while once more before Doctora and Camara punched in two quick goals in the dying moments – in the 87^th and 91^st respectively – to get past Army in a hotly-contested and physical matchup.

With the win, Stallion climbs to fourth with eight points (2-2-2) as Army drops to sixth (2-1-3). Socceroo, which bounces back from a 1-7 miserable loss to Kaya FC, meanwhile flirts around the relegation zone, and now has a 1-2-4 slate to show for five points.

Loyola, on the other hand, stays on top with 16 points from five wins and a draw. – Rappler.com