Global meltdown hands UFL crown to Stallion
MANILA, Philippines – The small window of opportunity to keep their crown shut down hard on Global as the gate to the throne opened up for Stallion-Sta. Lucia.
Kaya delivered this season’s United Football League crown to Stallion-Sta. Lucia on a silver platter with a repeat comeback win to dethrone last season champion Global, 3-2, on Thursday night at the Emperador Stadium in McKinley Hill, Taguig.
The Stallions led by the league’s most prolific striker Rufo Sanchez whooped it up in the gallery as soon as the final whistle was blown to celebrate Global’s monumental collapse that signaled their rise as the new league champions.
Their coronation night derailed last Tuesday by a disappointing 1-1 draw with the spoiler Loyola Meralco Sparks, the Stallions watched Global fell by the wayside in an anti-climactic finish to the title race that what was expected to go down-to-the-wire.
The Stallions finished on top of the league table with a 15-1-2 win-draw-loss card for 46 points. Global could only end up with 43 points even if they win their last match against Phil. Army.
The night started right for Global, who needed a victory to keep their title defense alive, when the club’s top striker Izzo Elhabib gave them a commanding 2-0 lead with a brace in the first 32 minutes of play.
For a while, it appeared that the coronation night for the Stallions have to wait again for another day. But their date with destiny was not to be denied this time as they watched Global squandered that huge lead.
Kaya found ways with the help of luck to repeat their similar 3-2 comeback victory against Global in the first round.
The LBC-backed club got a golden chance to chop the lead when Global’s Carli de Murga was tagged with a foul for tripping Eric Dagroh inside the box at 39th minute mark.
Chris Greatwich easily converted the penalty kick that fuelled Kaya’s comeback. And things started to turn sour for Global, who saw their Scottish coach Brian Reid getting tossed out with a red card for verbal altercation with Greatwich.
In the second half, Kaya’s Junior Munoz evened the match with a header in the 57th minute.
And with the crown hanging in the balance, Global shot themselves on the foot with a big blunder that caused their downfall.
De Murga scored on an own goal in the 81st minute to yield the lead, the match and the crown.
The league title completed Stallions’ domination this season which also also saw them winning the UFL Cup, curiously, at the expense of Global again earlier this year.
Kaya, meanwhile, finished at fourth spot with 28 points on an 8-7-3 card in a roller-coaster season.
Earlier in the night, PSG sent former champion Phil. Air Force to the second division with a 6-0 rout.
PSG is on their way to finish seventh in the league with a match on hand.
The Airmen came crashing down to earth with their 16th loss against two victories to end up at the bottom of the standings, which will automatically relegate them to the second division next season.
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