MANILA, Philippines – Somebody stop Mark Hartmann.
Keeping his hot streak going, Hartmann unleashed a four-goal splurge in powering Global FC to a 9-0 demolition of a listless Team Socceroo and closer to a pace-setting Loyola Meralco Sparks in the First Division of the United Football League at the Emperador Stadium Thursday night.
Hartmann, a member of the Phl Azkals team, opened up the scoring with a pair of rockets spanning six minutes starting on the third and then completed his spectacular performance by slotting in two more goals on the 47th and 60th that hiked his total to a league-best 18 ghaols in 13 matches.
Providing the other goals for the prolific Global side were Izzo El Habbib, Jason de Jong, Napoleon Bustillo and Milad Behgandom while its only other goal came on an own-goal by Socceroo's Stanley Ankrah.
It was the second straight match wherein Global has scored at least nine goals after drubbing a hapless Army-General Trias International, 9-1, last March 13.
The lopsided victory pushed Global's total to 31 points, just a point behind league-leading Loyola with 32.
Kaya FC drew strength from goals of Kenshiro Daniels and Janrick Soriano in turning back a stubborn Army-GTI, 2-0, to reclaim solo third place with 24 points, three points ahead of reigning league champion Stallion Gilligan's with 21.
Army had a chance to get back into the thick of things after Nestorio Margarse, Jr. sent the ball straight to the back of the net only to get disallowed for offside.