GLOBAL FC continued its dominance in the local scene, hammering Philippine Army, 5-0, in the United Football League on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
After getting a harsh reality check with a 6-1 loss to South China in the Asian Football Confederation Cup last Wednesday, the defending league champions returned to domestic competition in style by winning their fourth straight match.
Renato Gonzalez, Hikaru Minegishi, Satoshi Otomo, Rolf Schlettwein, and Mark Hartmann found the back of net for Global, which padded its point total to 13 and tightened its grip on the top spot of the 10-team Division 1 standings.
“It feels good to get back to winning ways,” said Global coach Leigh Manson, whose side kept the Troopers winless in three outings. “We're still not quite firing on all cylinders. Again, it's five-zero, but it could've been ten.”
“We don't want our game to dip when we're playing UFL,” added the Scottish mentor, who turned to a foreign-powered starting XI. “We have to be playing at AFC level at all times."
Stallion FC, on the other hand, leaned on its homegrown stars to deal Loyola Meralco its first loss after four starts.
OJ Clariño and Fitch Arboleda struck in the second half for the Stallions, who rallied after James Younghusband’s first-half opening goal, on the way to registering their ninth point that tied them with their victims.
In the curtain-raiser, Green Archers United and Manila Jeepney fought to a 1-1 draw with Jimuel Ariola and Park Hyu Sun canceling each other’s goals out.
Jeepney thus notched its first point in the tournament after four matches, good for seventh place, while the Archers remained in fifth spot with five points.
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