Well, the PFL had quite a week, eh?
Goal-fests, scrappy performances and generally exciting play characterized the past 7 days, and allow this roundup to get you up to speed on what happened in the PFL!
CERES-NEGROS FC
The Busmen were idle this week as their AFC Cup zonal semifinal with Vietnamese side FC Hanoi took precedence, their tie finely poised after a 1-1 draw at Panaad Park on Tuesday. Spanish hitman Bienvenido Marañon put the 2-time PFL Champions on top in the 57th minute but Hanoi’s Senegalese striker Pape Omar Faye knotted things up 10 minutes later with what could be a telling goal, as Hanoi have an away goal in their back pocket. The 2nd leg is on Tuesday night at the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi.
KAYA-ILOILO FC
The Mighty played twice this week, keeping their erstwhile flawless record intact after a 1-0 win against Global-Cebu FC on Saturday the 15th via an Alfred Osei goal. They then followed it up with a 6-3 goalfest on Wednesday the 19th against Mendiola 1991 FC, Jordan Mintah notching another hat-trick alongsise a second-half brace from Eric Giganto and a goal from Shirmar Felongco.
GREEN ARCHERS UNITED
The Green and White were the week’s curtain-closers, ending the gameweek with a 3-0 win over Philippine Air Force FC, full details which you may also read about here on Pinoyfootball.com
Their week started on the Wednesday with a heroic performance by Cameroonian shotstopper Henri Fong Bandeken as they kept a rampaging Stallion Laguna attack out all night long for a creditable goal-less draw.
STALLION LAGUNA FC
The week started auspiciously for Stallion Laguna as they steamed past Mendiola 1991 FC on Saturday the 15th, with a screaming free-kick from Nate Alquiros 77 seconds in setting off the fireworks in a 6-1 drubbing. Fitch Arboleda netted a brace and Chima Uzoka banged home a second-half hat-trick for the Pink and Black.
The Wednesday match against Green Archers United would end up a different story, as mentioned earlier. Stallion had several plum chances as they dominated possession, but a masterful performance by Henri Bandeken kept them at bay.
PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE FC
The Airmen played twice this week, and surely deserved at least a point after a pair of creditable performances even in defeat.
Their week started on Wednesday as they faced off with Global-Cebu FC, in a match they were looking good in after forcing an own goal from Global defender James Dorego, though a spirited fight-back from the Blue and Yellow saw the tables turn into a 3-1 defeat.
Their second game was earlier against Green Archers United, where as mentioned earlier, you may read a more indepth look at here. Credit to the Airmen for keeping it knotted for over an hour before being overwhelmed in a 3-0 defeat.
MENDIOLA FC 1991
It was a mixed bag of a week for Mendiola FC, as they played twice and were supposedly in line for one more game.
Their week started with a 6-1 drubbing in Biñan against Stallion Laguna, in-form striker Ashley Flores netting a seemingly precious goal in the 19th minute to draw the score at 2-1, and drive the impetus of the first half towards a fired-up Valientes squad. Sadly, they could not hold on as Franco de la Torre was sent to the showers for consecutive yellows and the match got away from them in the second half.
However, they seemed to have taken the positives from Saturday to heart as they faced Kaya-Iloilo on the Wednesday, as they became the first club this season to put goals past the Kaya keepers. Mendiola captain Aron Altiche started the party in the 3rd minute, though Kaya quickly put their own stamp on the game to go to halftime 2-1 up. After going 3-1 up, Mendiola pulled another goal back via the now en fuego Ashley Flores to put a scare in the Copa Alcantara holders, though Kaya put 6 past them. Alen Angeles netted on a break-away in the 88th minute to put a respectable sheen on the 9-goal shootout.
Now, to Saturday, and what was supposedly their fixture with an upstart Global-Cebu FC was eventually abandoned after organizational issues with the host club prevented the match from kicking off at a reasonable time.
GLOBAL-CEBU FC
The Blue and Yellow also were supposed to have a 3-match week, but for brevity’s sake, the organizational matters that caused their match with Mendiola to be abandoned is under assesment by League officials as of presstime.
Their week started promisingly, Nelson Gasic standing on his head to keep Kaya-Iloilo out for most of the match on the Saturday despite the Mighty eventually breaching the walls.
Wednesday proved to be a different story, however, as a second-half fightback against Philippine Air Force FC saw them climb off the foot of the table. 3 goals in the last 17 minutes, from Kennedy Uzoka, Marvin Bricenio and Matthew Custodio saw them notch their first win of the season.
WHAT’S NEXT
Apart from the above-mentioned AFC Cup semifinal between Ceres-Negros and FC Hanoi, the League chugs on. Keep it locked on the PFL social media feed and here on pinoyfootball.com for schedule announcements and a weekend preview.
See y’all in the stands!
