PACHANGA-PLDT Home Fibr scored on an improbable strike to nip defending champion Stallion, 1-0, on Tuesday night in another United Football League match that was marred by a late questionable call at the Emperador Stadium in Mckinley Hill.
Nate Burkey scored the lone goal as Pachanga bounced back from a 1-2 loss to Kaya and notched its second victory of the season.
It was the first loss of the tournament for the Stallions, who only had two defeats in their championship run last year.
Pachanga created more chances and was finally rewarded 13 minutes before second-half stoppage time when Burkey, a former national team striker, received a pass from David Cortina before firing a weak left-footed attempt that surprisingly went past goalkeeper Pedro Marenco Melero.
“It was a lucky goal, pero at the end of the day, a win is a win,” Pachanga coach Noel Marcaida said. “Masaya, pero hindi ako satisified sa performance.”
The match, however, was marred by a questionable non-call down the stretch when the Stallions’ OJ Clariño appeared to have been decked near the box by Pachanga defender Reza Amirkhiazan in a play that wasn’t called for a penalty that could’ve given the defending champions the chance to equalize.
“You pull somebody down like that, it’s a penalty,” Stallions coach Ernie Nierras said. “It was a good game, back and forth, with both teams were playing hard. Unfortunately, here we go again—suffering from the quality of officiating we have.”
“I’m not taking anything away from Pachanga, but I think this should’ve been a zero-zero game,” Nierras was quick to add.
“Bad or good call, the decision of the referee is always final,” Marcaida said.
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