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| Boyet Cañedo unloads at the Dolphins goal. |
A textbook
classic on why teams should never be overconfident
Pachanga 3 vs. Dolphins 2
by rick olivares
February 5, 2012
University of Makati
The match between Pachanga and
Dolphins is a Textbook classic on why teams should never be overconfident.
Every team needs a gut check. And
Dolphins United were just the right one for Pachanga that has been pacing the
UFL’s Division II with three wins in three matches. The Red Phoenix’ coaching
staff and team owner/striker Freddie Gonzalez have been warning about how an
opponent can easily pip them. So far they have marked Diliman and Laos as clubs
that will contend for promotion.
Prior to their match against Dolphins,
the Red Phoenix saw Laos waylaid by the vastly improved Cebu Queen City United,
2-0. The previous evening, erstwhile Division I leaders Stallion figured in a
scoreless draw with Pasargad. The UMak pitch has become a graveyard for title
favorites and a springboard for the upset-minded. Pachanga hoped they wouldn’t
fall prey.
Do
not leave one central back on defense.
From the opening whistle, Pachanga
went on the attack while Dolphins opted to stay back while looking very much
like a team that wasn’t fit. But one through ball by Dolphins and the central
back duo of Yves Ashime and Camelo Tacusalme were caught napping. The one
player from Dolphins who seemed fit enough, midfielder Jerome Cuyos, split the
two Red Phoenix defenders and forced Pachanga goal keeper Kenneth Dolloso to
foolishly come out a little earlier than one would like. Cuyos effortlessly
slotted it into an empty net and in only the sixth minute!
Clear
the ball properly or focus, Ken. Focus.
After Pachanga took the lead 2-1, Dolloso’s
clearance of a passback lacked purpose and conviction. A Dolphins midfielder
intercepted it and sent the ball to the right wing Tim Clemente who raced
forward. Clemente’s cross inside the box was sent back out. Clemente, standing
very close to the touchline from some 30 yards out fired once more toward the
goal. Dolloso was still not back on his line and that prompted Pachanga right
back Aldwin Riedler to cover for him. Incredibly the ball dipped towards the
goal and Riedler kicked it back out. But the linesman ruled that the goal had
gone in despite the vociferous protestations of Dolloso. That made it 2-2. That
wouldn’t have happened if he had gone back to his position and cleared the ball
properly.
The
problems of being a goal down
The problem with conceding a goal
early is that it changes one’s game plan. More so when you are held scoreless,
such as Pachanga was, after 45 minutes of play. The Red Phoenix dominated
possession and unleashed a barrage of shots that the Dolphins keeper, Bernard Lelis, steadfastly turned back. In their eagerness to pull back the one goal deficit
at the half, Pachanga was rushing their shots. Dolphins on the other hand was
content to leave striker Greg Calawod on top for those long balls while
maintaining a holding pattern.
The danger for Pachanga in playing
squads like this is that they can park the bus and try to hold on to that one
goal lead. Luckily for Pachanga, this was the big field at UMak and not the
smaller Turf at BGC. Or else…
There are a couple of tactics when
trying to get a team to loosen up its defense. One is to move the ball around
to look for openings. The other is to give the opponent an opening to think
they can go on the counter where they will commit players to the attack.
Going
for the kill
Pachanga did both and Boyet Cañedo who
had three excellent chances to score in the first half finally saw his side
draw level with a header in the 58th minute after he was targeted by
Freddie Gonzalez’s free kick from 20 yards out. Gonzalez has been most
impressive in his amazing comeback to competitive football. And this while
playing with a slight injury!
The pressure lifted and Dolphins
finally pressured Pachanga’s midfield. And once that happened, Pachanga found
even more room to operate. Jalsor Soriano booted in Pachanga’s second goal off
a nice turn and volley in the 68th minute.
Two minutes later, Clemente’s lucky
shot saw his side draw level and the bus was parked again.
You could see how upset Gonzalez was
as Pachanga got ready for the reset. Seven minutes later, midfielder Ousseynou Diop
set up Cañedo for a fantastic strike from 25 yards out that punctured the bus
and settled into the back of the net to make it 3-2.
It is a luxury for Pachanga to have
depth in every position. They know they have a damn good football team and this
match against Dolphins will serve them a lesson about taking teams lightly.
I do not know how the UFL management
works but I would like to venture forth that there should be a program on how
the other clubs can be sustainable. While not every club has money, the
distribution of national players is not equitable. Some clubs have a monopoly
on these players and it is not good for the league. There should be a way to
help the other clubs become more competitive.
I thought that this was incredible. There were about 20 fans in the UMak stands rooting for Pachanga. Three had "I love Pachanga" t-shirts. Woah! Not bad for the new club.
Rick,
ReplyDeleteThis is not new. Most leagues in the world have clubs that dominate because they have the finances to get the best players. The only way you can even the odds is to institute a salary cap system and a single entity system, like in MLS. They were able to do this because other leagues in the US have this precedent already. This concept will not work anywhere else where a promotion/relegation system exists like ours. So unless we take that away, which I don't think is a good idea, we will have to get used to seeing a few teams getting the best players.
Thanks for the game breakdown, very eye opening with relevant observation on skill distribution in the UFL. I am afraid it will just be like every other league. Some got money some down. Its a shame really.
ReplyDeleteOn a brighter note, more on Freddy!!
FYI - Dolphins United FC is no pushover team. Dolphins Utd was no.4 last season in the 2nd Division and has beaten no.3 Pasargad FC twice last year.
ReplyDeleteNo disrespect meant but they finished last in their group in the UFL Cup. And right now prior to the Pachanga match, they had two points from three matches. They knew what they were up against and they parked the bus. As for Pasargad.... they have all sorts of problems.
ReplyDeleteWatched the game. Pachanga is really strong team, their bench is also strong as their 1st 11. They are paid high salaries just to play so no excuses for them not to win. It will be a big blow for them if they didnt win that match, a major upset was prevented. Freddy Gonzales was frustrated with his players in that particular game. He put a big investment on his team. Diliman will spoil their party, even Laos will give them a big headache.
ReplyDeleteEach club should take it upon themselves to find ways to increase their fan base. Relatives and friends aren't just enough these days. Each club should actively market their team to put warm bodies in seats during UFL games. If they do this getting sponsors won't be that hard and that opens up new opportunities for the club.
ReplyDelete"they parked the bus". That is how the Azkals won over Vietnam. Dolphins United gave Pachanga a hard win, 2-3. Dolphins United shall overcome.
ReplyDelete