Semifinals
Preview: Pasargad vs. Green Archers United
by rick olivares
When Green Archers United and Pasargad
met during the 2012 UFL season, both clubs figured in a pair of 1-1 draws.
That was then. Both teams are vastly
different sides now.
Green Archers is no longer the wholly
La Sallian club. It is now a homogenous mix just the way pro clubs are
nowadays. They have brought more firepower to bear with the transfer of Ayi
Aryee from Global, Jon Melliza, Ronnie Aguisanda, and Sean Lee from FEU,
Jovanie Simpron from Stallion (who is also a FEU alum), and local football icon
Chieffy Caligdong from Air Force. They also shored up their defense by grabbing
Lawrence Ikegwuruka from Loyola and Dominic Mensah from Nomads to shore up the
back four that has had only one consistent fixture in the last two years in
Reynald Villareal. With a more complete lineup, they looked to build on the
promise of the 2012 UFL Cup where they finished fourth.
Even if Caligdong has played only two
official matches with GAU, he seems to have blended well with his new
teammates. It helps that he played with Tating Pasilan and Arnie Pasinabo Jr.
before in the national squad.
Two years ago, GAU made its name as a
defensive-oriented squad. They could score but not much. The additions have
certainly augmented the defense but have significantly improved their offense.
Caligdong is probably the last piece to their puzzle (although they might need
one or two more backups on defense) as the bench isn’t that deep. When Jon
Melliza returns from UAAP duty as does starting keeper Patrick Deyto then they
will have depth.
Pasargad is no longer a wholly Iranian
club. If you look closely, they only have only four Iranians. But they do have
five Africans and a new bunch of homegrown talent and Fil-foreigners. And the
players who carried them from the second half of the last league play to the
cup are now gone. They, like GAU, are a team in transition having lost its two
leading scorers from the past year in Shayan Dastjafarjerdi and Masood
Shahdideh. They look good with Emmanuel MBata and Promise Jolomi in front with
Hamed Hajimehdi running the middle.
Yet for all the talent, PSG, as the
club wants to be known now, they have yet to be a real team and make sure the
different parts or ethnic groups come together for a common goal.
During Pasargad’s quarterfinals match
with General Trias International, midfielder Charles Ujam began the game with a
lot of talking and complaining to the referee. After a stern warning from the official
that he would be cautioned if he persisted with his yakking, Ujam clammed up
and concentrated on the game. From that point, he played well as he disrupted the
opposing midfielders.
PSG began to mount some serious
attacks on GTIFC’s goal with Angelo Marasigan’s screamer of a winner coming
late in the extra period that prevent the match from going into a penalty
shootout.
The loss of Shayan and Masood is huge
because with them in the lineup PSG cannot be considered as pushovers. Mbata is
good but needs help in getting that final pass. Hajimehdi is terrific in the
middle but is not yet in sync with his other teammates.
GAU seems to have the edge in this
match up more so now because they are more cohesive than PSG. They now have
consistent wing play with Caligdong on the left and Pasinabo on the right. The
twin threats with Aryee in the middle will allow Pasilan easier runs from the
flanks or from the center. They can also exploit Reza Ataei’s penchant for
leaving his line when he shouldn’t. If PSG’s keeper doesn’t watch it, Pasilan
or even Aryee will make him pay from long distance.
While the game will hinge on the
breaking down one team’s midfield but it also boil down to maintaining one’s
verve. More so with PSG that plays with a lot of emotion.
If Pasargad plays under control they
will be tough to beat. Both clubs have shown a capacity for holding teams
scoreless for stretches before scoring late goals. It’s easy to say that it
will come down to the midfield play but right now, I’d say, it’s all about
composure.
The Road to the PFF Smart National
Club Championship semifinals for both clubs:
Pasargad
Round of 16: Pasargad vs. Army 2-1
Quarterfinals: Pasargad vs. General
Trias International 1-0
Green Archers United
Round of 16: Green Archers United vs.
Romgarjal 6-1
Quarterfinals: Green Archers United
vs. Pachanga 1-0
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