Missed
opportunities and a meltdown in composure.
Green Archers let slip away
a magnificent opportunity to grab the second finals slot so Pasargad took it.
But at what cost?
story and pics by rick olivares
Composure.
It’s just as important as having
skilled and talented players or even having the benefit of superior coaching.
Pasargad, perhaps, a walking, talking
roller-coaster-of-emotions-ride of a football club, is as talented as any other
club in the land. Yet their constant complaints, barbs, and theatrics sometimes
get the better of them.
Reigning in their emotions, Pasargad
took their lumps early on against a slick passing Green Archers United side.
Chieffy Caligdong and Jovanie Simpron scored within a minute of each other.
Caligdong, who has become the club’s leader
in no time at all, showed the way to the PFF Smart National Club Championship
Finals with an incredible goal in the 19th minute. Taking a cross
from Tating Pasilan who was on the left wing, Caligdong controlled the ball
then from 30 yards out blasted a screamer towards the PSG goal. The ball darted
towards keeper Reza Ataei who looked to make an easy grab of the ball. Only it
bounced a foot in front of him and bounced over his head for a goal.
A minute later, Jovanie Simpron
reminded everyone of his once feared goal scoring prowess when he was with FEU
and the national team by doubling the lead. Sporting a 2-nil lead, Green
Archers United looked not only in control but 70 minutes away from joining
fellow La Salle-based club, Ceres in the PFF Smart National Championship game.
Prior to the semifinals of the PFF
Smart National Club Championship, Green Archers United consultant Hans Smit
joked about his side meeting Ceres, their Bacolod-based La Sallian counterparts
in the finals. “It’s an opportunity to show how good the La Salle football
program is,” said Smit during the press conference that preceded the final four
matches.
Ceres kept its part of the bargain
with a masterful and stunning 3-1 conquest of Kaya but for GAU, up 2-0, that
was the beginning of the end.
PSG, instead of bowing their heads
down got right back into the match with a goal barely a minute after Simpron’s
goal. Midfielder Charles Ujam, not the skillful at the position but a
determined player nonetheless, corralled a cross from the left side. With no
defender in sight, Ujam booted the ball in as GAU’s Martin Villaflor vainly
tried to get to the undefended right side.
Four minutes later, Reza Amirkhizan
equalized by scoring inside the box after winning the scrum in front of the
goal.
In a thrilling six-minute span, four
goals were scored by both GAU and PSG that had the crowd of several thousand at
the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium roaring.
It was Green Archers who were now
reeling as Pasargad pressed their attack. The Esmail Sedigh-coached side lost
its momentum when Emmanuel MBata was booked a second yellow card by referee
Wilfredo Bermejo (a horribly wrong call if you ask me). That meant that PSG
would have to play the rest of the game with 10 men.
Only then did Green Archers find their
second wind with the opposition a man down. But Pasargad’s defense held.
At times, it looked like PSG defenders
Francis Sumudivilla and Angelo Marasigan would give way to the pressure from
GAU especially their wingers Arnie Pasinabo or even Pasilan but they held. But
perhaps the most inspiration of PSG was the strong play of midfielder Hamed
Hajimehdi. With his futsal background, Hajimehdi danced around defenders and
broke tackles. He found teammates with through balls when there should have
been none. In short, he kept GAU from completely loading up on offense and
forced them back some.
The match went into extra periods and
PSG, besieged much of the time, kept their composure.
It was Green Archers United’s second
consecutive match in extra periods. They previously ditched Pachanga late in
the second period of extra time with a Caligdong goal that should be celebrated
for its extreme level of difficulty. This time, however, they were unable to
score.
Thus the match went into a penalty shootout,
the first of the tournament.
Caligdong was the first penalty taker
and he sent Ataei diving right but placed the ball to the opposite side.
Hajimehdi sent Villaflor in the opposite direction to equalize. And this is
where the game entered the twilight zone.
Pasilan took the spot kick but Ataei
blocked the shot eliciting a massive celebration on the PSG side. But linesman
Grant Rojas called for a retake as Ataei left his line. Gifted with another
chance, Pasilan still missed as he hit the post while a collective groan of
disbelief emanated from his side.
Francis Sumudivilla, who had withstood
the assault from the right flank by GAU, was steadier this time as he made good
on his spot kick; 2-1, Pasargad.
Elle Cagayanan, a late sub for GAU,
took a shot to the left but Ataei saved it. With a massive advantage to them,
PSG’s Mark Anthony Fernandez looked to convert but Villaflor saved his shot to
the left.
Tommy Escoltero, another former
Stallion player now ensconced with GAU, fired right but Ataei saved his third
consecutive shot. Thinking it was all over, Taher, followed by Ataei took of
their shirts and celebrated at the sidelines. However, Green Archers had one
more penalty taker in Ayi Aryee. If he converted and Villaflor saved the next
shot, both teams would be back to zero. Bermejo promptly docked them another
yellow card that saw them both sent off. This time it was Pasargad that stood
and sat aghast at the turn of events. In a prime position to move on, if did
move on, they will now be without MBata, Ujam, Taher, and Ataei on account of
two yellow cards.
Pasargad now had lost MBata, Rezai and
Taher. As they had used up all their substitutes, they were now down to eight
players. Green Archers United contested this as they ascertained that it was
previously agreed in the manager’s meeting that a team needed nine to play.
While tournament officials were checking the tournament rules as well as FIFA’s
Laws of the Game, Bermejo surprisingly allowed the shootout to continue. Aryee,
with Hajimehdi now playing goalkeeper, missed his shot and Pasargad celebrated
a second time.
A stunned and disconsolate Green
Archers United side sat on their bench. Many shook their heads in disbelief.
They had let a game that was theirs to win slip away. Given a second chance,
they still muffed it.
Pasargad’s celebration was somewhat
muted because four key players – MBata, Taher, Ataei, and Ujam will all be out
for the title game against Ceres on account of two yellow cards. For much of
the game, they played with a lot of focus and stayed composed, but with the
game in the balance, they took of their shirts that eventually saw them get
tossed.
“It’s a win,” sighed PSG head coach
Esmail Sedigh who summed up the bizarre match. “But somehow it doesn’t feel
like one.’
 |
| PSG players in varying poses of anxiety during the penalty shootout with Green Archers United. The score was 2-1 in their favor when I took this. |
Referee Bermejo is always involved with controversial calls, I've witnessed more than a couple already. It's high time UFL will get rid of him. UFL should get their own referees and train them so that officiating will improve. Things like these are detrimental to progress of our football league.
ReplyDeleteWaling has not been refereeing UFL games since the 2012 league. This is not a UFL competition so I guess the organizers got him.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe that only Chieffy scored for GAU during the penalty kick. Really disappointed
ReplyDeleteBermejo cannot be faulted for allowing the shootout to continue because his decision was based on the PFF technical regulations and FIFA Laws of the Game. The PFF technical regulations did not cover all the basic rules of the game such as the minimum number of players required to start and CONTINUE a game but there is a provision in the technical regulations which states that all matters not provided for will be dealt with in accordance with FIFA Laws of the Game.
ReplyDeleteFIFA regulations states that a match may not start if either team consists of fewer than 7 players, the minimum number of players in a team required for a match to CONTINUE is normally left to the discretion of the organizers which is stated in their own rules and regulations. However it is the opinion of the IFAB (International F.A. Board) that a match should not continue if there are fewer than 7 players--- a rule that FIFA applies in all FIFA organized competitions.
Although there are claims that during the manager’s meeting it was agreed that 9 was the minimum number of players required to continue a match, such decision for it to be officially recognized and implemented must be incorporated in the PFF Technical Regulations. In this case the referee cannot be faulted for his decision to continue with the shootout. If the appointed officials came prepared there would be no issue as they would have been aware of such basic rules. Looks like in this particular instant Bermejo did his homework.
On the issue of 2 players who were shown a yellow card for removal of jersey the call was justified.
On the second booking of MBata based on the instant replay perhaps the call is questionable but these errors are very common even in the best leagues in Europe and even in the FIFA World Cups who are supposed to have the world’s best referees.
Fun fact ,Francis Sumudivilla the defender of PSG who played as a goalkeeper during the last kick at the penalty shootout , is formerly a youth national team goalkeeper . who used to play with Nickson Leonora , Jovin Bedic .
ReplyDelete