MANILA, Philippines – Spanish striker Rufo Sanchez was on fire on Thursday night as Stallion-Sta. Lucia shot down Phil. Air Force, 7-2, in the United Football League at the Emperador Stadium in McKinley Hill, Taguig.
Sanchez scored four goals in Stallion’s fifth straight win to keep the solo second spot trailing league-leader Global, who also sport a 5-0-0 win-draw-loss card, only on goal difference.
Stallion thoroughly dominated the Airmen from kick-off as Sanchez netted two quick goals in the span of nine minutes.
The Spanish striker fired his first goal off a header in the 10th minute before doubling Stallion’s lead nine minutes later. Sanchez received a long ball, which he controlled off his chest before calmly firing to the right side of the net.
Stallion’s Korean import Lee Joo Young made it a commanding 3-0 lead in the 27th minute. The Airmen, however, did not go down without a fight as Ian Araneta pulled one goal back in the 34th minute. Young completed a brace three minutes before halftime to put more pressure on Phil. Air Force as Stallion sat on a 4-1 cushion.
Then came the Rufo Sanchez show in the second half.
The Spanish import scored two more goals (56’ and 64’) in a span of eight minutes sandwiching that with an assist to Reuben “Balut†Doctora, Jr. in the 60th minute to complete his phenomenal performance. His four-goal explosion put Sanchez on top of the league’s goal scorers with six overall, one goal ahead of Global’s Sudanese scoring machine Izzo ElHabib.
Araneta pegged the final score with his second goal in the 72nd minute but was not enough to overcome Stallion’s huge lead.
In the first match, Nomads battled PSG to a scoreless draw as they kept the fourth spot with 11 points behind the third running Loyola Meralco Sparks (13 points).
The Airmen remained at the cellar after absorbing their fourth straight loss while PSG earned their first point of the season with the draw.