Younghusband penalty sees Loyola to a 1-1 draw with Global; PSG massacres Army (with video of Taher's goal)

Younghusband penalty sees Loyola to a 1-1 draw with Global; PSG massacres Army

by rick olivares with pic by mark dimalanta

Phil Younghusband scored on a late penalty kick to give Loyola to a 1-1 draw with erstwhile unbeaten and un-pointed upon Global last Tuesday night at the packed Emperador Stadium.

With over 2,000 fans in attendance at the new turf field in McKinley Hill, the Sparks dominated the first part of the match against the league leaders with staunch defending in the midfield and nearly seamless passing in the final attacking third only to misfire in the end.

With its midfield of Ben Starosta, Carli de Murga, and Jason de Jong harried from the onset, it was up to right winger Patrick Reichelt and left back Jeffrey Christiaens to pressure Loyola on the counter. With Roxy Dorlas often alone on the Sparks’ left back area, Reichelt and Christiaens, would link up to probe and test Loyola’s defense on their right side.

In the 17^th minute, Christiaens let fly a corner shot from the right that found Reichelt rising at the correct possible moment to head the ball in for an early 1-nil lead.

The goal gave confidence to Global as they began to move the ball up a little better. However, minus Japanese captain Yu Hoshide who did not start for the first time in eight matches for Global, the Brian Reed-coached team would only generate offense on the counter.

The conceded goal notwithstanding, Loyola looked better with their build up and coordinated attacks. Previously, the Sparks would have only one player up front (and that was usually Phil Younghusband) but with Matthew and Mark Hartmann, James Younghusband, and Jeong Byeong Yeol attacking in unison, it spread out Global’s defense instead of being more compact.

Yet somehow, Global beat back the attacks until the 74^th minute when late substitute, Niño Ochoterena tripped up James Younghusband inside the box. That set the stage for the younger brother’s heroics as he saw Loyola draw level with well-placed shot.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw that saw Global not claim the full three points for the first time. They are still on top of the table with 22 points while Loyola is just two points behind.

The two clubs, recently selected by the Football Association of Singapore to participate in the 2013 Singapore Cup, will wrap up their first round assignments with two tough foes. Global takes on fifth-placer Kaya while the Sparks take on Stallion.

In the first match of the UFL Tuesday double header, Pasargad crushed a listless Army team, 4-0, for their second win in eight matches (2-2-4). With Army’s usually active midfield duo of Ric Becite and Boogie Margarse seemingly uninspired, PSG’s Hamed Hajimehdi, Younous Yaogo, and Emmanuel Mbata had a field day in moving up the ball and peppering the Ed Sacapaño-less goal that had Victorino Troyo tending to the nets.

PSG unleaded an astounding 33 times on Troyo with four finding the back of the net. Jaham Taher broke the silence with a header off a Reza Amirkhizan corner from the right that was followed a goal from Yaogo and a brace from Mbata.

With the loss, Army remained at seventh with a 1-1-6 record slightly above winless Air Force (0-0-7).