This appears in the Monday, June 11, 2012 edition of the Business Mirror.
Seeing red and singing the blues
Pachanga and Union are
headed separate directions. It isn’t easy given the ties that bind.
by rick olivares
Union Internacional Manila prepared for its match with Pachanga without two of
its longtime stalwarts – midfielder Peter Amores and coach-manager-owner Rafa
Rodriguez. The team arrived at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium 20 minutes
before kickoff and immediately began changing into their match kits. Amores was
in Boracay with the Futkaleros while Rodriguez was unavailable.
Pachanga on the other hand arrived
around 130pm, two hours and thirty minutes before kickoff.
That the two teams are heading in
opposite directions will go unnoticed to this new generation of football fans. Heading
into the match against Union, the Red Phoenix was a minimum of six points away
from promotion to Division One. Union on the other hand, were at fifth place in
the UFL’s Division Two standings.
While technically, Union International Manila is a new club, one can't help but feel that with some familiar faces in the current lineup from Amores, Rodriguez, Mo Ibrahim, and Jorge Muller, it resembles the old Union FC or "The Blue Machine" as they were nicknamed in the days when they along with Pasargad were the kings of local club football. The old Union were the first ever
winner of the Terry Razon Cup in 2006. They made it a double that year when
they won the UFL. And back-to-back UFL titles the following year. They were the
first ever club to have their own website, their own booster club who wore scarves
on match day, and the club’s motto is “sobretodo, lealtad a Union” (Loyalty,
above all to Union) appeared on their every mode of communication.
Unfortunately, this squad is nothing like its former self. The lack of financial support doomed the old Union squad. In one
tournament, the team wasn’t even able to finish its stint when its players
stopped showing up. It was thought that their troubles would end when they
bought out by Negros Occidental Football Association President Charlie
Cojuancgo. There was no such luck. The team disbanded and yet somehow
resurfaced once more under Rodriguez. And much like former champion Pasargad
when it returned to the UFL, they floundered (although the former has done well in the league competition with some high profile transfers during the March window).
Although Amores will not suit up for
the now-Jorge Muller coached squad, he is the longest tenured player for the
team that once boasted of stalwarts like Chieffy Caligdong (now with Air
Force), Alvin Ocampo (now an assistant coach with Pachanga), Jeff Blake (now
minding the nets for Nomads), Masih Rezai (now with Kaya), Taku Yoshioka (who
would later play for Loyola), Alex Obiang (now scoring goals for Global), Neco
Lambey (on and off coaching Team Socceroo), Ayi Aryee (the former team
captain/playing coach who now suits up for Global), and Marco Nieto. They were
an international team very much like how many division one clubs look now.
“Those were the glory days,” reflects Amores who feels pangs of pain as teams
rain goals on his longtime club.
Across the field, there’s Yves Felix
Ashime who used to anchor the defense for Union but is now the captain for
Pachanga. Ashime smiles that sleepy disarming smile of his. His time with Union
was good, thinks Ashime, but life moves on.
For the Red Phoenix, they refuse to
talk about moving up the UFL’s Division One where they feel unwanted by the
powers that be. Just as there are ties to Union through Ashime the umbilical
cord with Kaya and Global cannot be denied.
Pachanga was born when some players
left Kaya due to personal disputes. That it was a club owned by their longtime
striker Freddy Gonzalez is no coincidence. Although some of these players have
since returned to Kaya there is still some resentment from the latter.
However, the burgeoning rivalry is
Global and Pachanga. Twice they have faced each other in the Smart Club
Championships and the UFL Cup and twice Global has come away winners. Each of
the games were of the elimination variety. Pachanga hopes to face them soon and
they say there will not be a third win by Global.
Ironically, four of Red Phoenix
stalwarts have played with Global. Goalkepeer Kenneth Dolloso and midfielder
Boyet Cañedo joined Pachanga during the UFL Cup. Left wingback Janrick Soriano
and midfielder William Guerridon followed during league play. It got to a point
where one Global executive texted the Red Phoenix’ manager Jojo Rodriguez to
stop poaching their players. Rodriguez smiled, “I didn’t speak with them. They
came to us.”
For the match against Union, the Red
Phoenix refuse to talk about any promotion to Division One or anything else.
They are focused on only one thing – beating Union.
Pachanga quickly dominates possession
and dictates the tempo. Soon enough, they pick apart Union’s defense with their
passing but are unable to finish. From the sidelines, Red Phoenix head coach
Norman Fegidero thunders at some of his players for lacking a sense of urgency.
When Fegidero played no matter if his team wasn’t on par with the opponent, he
always played hard, hence, his goals.
Eventually the goals come. Unfortunately,
Union is a man down when it comes. The fourth official momentarily recalls
defender Friday Uche outside when it is noticed that he is not wearing his
registered number. Furthermore, he is wearing a slightly different uniform.
The first goal is a three-pass
masterpiece when midfielder Shirmar Felongco fires a free kick to striker Joven
Bedic who is lurking just outside the left side of the Union box. Bedic pushes
the ball a bit and draws the defense before laying the ball to Cañedo who fires
from some five feet beyond the box. The ball dips just under the outstretched
arms of Union keeper Albert Llevares. One-nil Pachanga.
Uche rejoins his beleaguered squad on
the field and that isn’t enough to stem the red tide.
Minutes later, another three-pass set
where Gonzalez finds Cañedo with a head flick. The midfielder passes back to
left back Camelo Tacusalme who has joined the attack. From nearly the same area
where Cañedo volleyed earlier, Tacusalme, fires and the shot finds the back of
the net.
Union musters enough offense to send
Pachanga backpedalling but their attack lacks support. Ashime, Soriano,
Tacusalme, and midfielder Ousseynou Diop have no trouble stealing the ball
away.
There’s a moment when Elcid Garcia
almost gets inside the box but the shot is blundered away.
Pachanga pours it on and Muller
surveys his bench. There’s not much but nevertheless, he sends in Shaheen Ahmad
who may be half Diop’s size but is not lacking in heart. Ahmad, races up and
down the left wing trying to find his strikers, but Pachanga’s defense is just
too good. Mercifully, the carnage ends but not before Red Phoenix reserve Paolo
Misa is set up beautifully by Joshua Fegidero. Misa obliges and scores his
first goal for Pachanga since his March transfer from Diliman. The match ends
with an 8-0 win for Pachanga.
The mother of Ahmad is relieved the
carnage is over, “Thank God, it is over. I feel bad for them (Union). The loss
leaves Union with an 8-5-7 record, still good for fifth place, slightly ahead
of Forza on goal differential and a game ahead of dismal Laos and inconsistent
Team Socceroo. Pachanga on the other hand are now at 19-1-0 with two matches
left to play. They now tote a 112-plus goal differential and have kept 14
consecutive clean sheets. They still refuse to think about Division One and
have only one thing in mind – the next game.
As the players of Union left the Rizal
Memorial Football Stadium while the Pachanga players hung around a bit, Elcid
Garcia walked over and smiled, “Well, there’s next game and next season to look
forward to.”
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