UFL: Second-half goals lift Socceroo over Army

MANILA, Philippines – With the season already in a wrap-up, Team Socceroo improved their tally a bit as they blanked Philippine Army – GTI FC, 2-nil, in the 2014 United Football League, Thursday, May 1, at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig City.

Bouncing back from a 1-3 defeat to Loyola Meralco last week, the reigning Division II champions scored both goals in the second half to render Army’s hard-nosed first half defending to waste and take only their third win this season.

The win, however, could not get Socceroo off the eighth position, but they did widen their cushion from Pasargad – which is stuck in the relegation zone – to seven points. And if things go their way in the last day of the league competition, coach Franklin Cacacho’s boys can overtake Army for a more decent seventh place season finish.

Both squads got off to a tentative start as Diego Barrera, Kennedy Uzoka, and Jeon Shin Seok saw their attempts easily smothered by the opposing side’s defense. 

The first half, however, did not end without a booking as Army’s Ricardo Becite and Roel Gener were issued yellow after being a bit too hard with their tackles.

Team Socceroo continued to knock on the door after the break with Uzoka’s 56^th minute shot just finding the wrong side of the netting but the night’s breakthrough came in the 66^th when Park Yi Young drilled one in from the left side for 1-0. 

Philippine Army tried to answer back late in the second half but Cleopas Beleu-Ebi Timi put them two goals down instead after he pinched in Socceroo’s second goal of the night deep in injury time.

The loss is Army’s 13^th this season but they stay ahead of Socceroo on the table with 17 points to show after 19 games.

Team Socceroo wraps up their season against the dethroned champions Stallion FC on May 4 while Army will try to salvage a good result against league-leading Global FC on the same day. – Rappler.com