Football
UFL Cup: Navy battles Air Force; Stallions, Cebu clash
Reigning league champion Air Force Phoenix clashes with Philippine Navy Saturday in a duel that could determine the topnotcher in Group E in the United Football League Cup at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff is at 4 p.m. with the Airmen expecting an intense duel against a Navy side that underwent a roster overhaul in a bid to improve on its quarterfinal finish last season.
Bracketed in the tournament’s group of death, Stallions and Cebu Queen City collide in the first game at 2 p.m.
Both matches will be aired live by AKTV on IBC13.
The winner of the Air Force-Navy match will move into the round of 16, where Kaya FC already booked its place with a 5-0 demolition of Schwarz Friday night at the University of Makati pitch.
Kaya striker Nate Burkey scored four goals in the match to jack up his tally to seven for the tournament, tying Loyola Meralco’s Phil Younghuband on top of the scoring charts.
Air Force is coming off a 4-1 victory over Laos last Sunday in a match where national team striker Ian Araneta struck a hat-trick and Yanti Barsales adding another to complete the rout.
Navy, a team that failed to win a single match in league play in the first division, showed flashes of brilliance in a 9-0 domination of second division side Manila All-Japan last weekend.
Returning to the squad after missing the entire season last year, Reydric Viliran and Michael Jay Fernandez powered Navy with two goals each, matching the output of veteran Marlon Pinero.
Jimmy Dimzon, Mark Marcaida and Alfie Caminos were also on target for Navy against Manila All-Japan.
Stallions will be looking to bounce back from a 0-2 loss to Pachanga last week against the Cebuanos, who are also reeling from a 0-3 defeat from defending champion Global.
The game will prove crucial to Stallionss’ bid of advancing from the group stage as a win would allow them to finish their bracket assignment with six points.
But their fate will still depend on the result of the Global-Pachanga match at 3 p.m. on Sunday at University of Makati.
Global, which lost to Stallions, 2-3, on opening-day, and Pachanga both have three points, although Pachanga has a game in hand.
Loyola Meralco Sparks, coming off a 15-1 rout of Socceroos, gun for a place in the round of 16 against Internacionale in group B play at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Aside from Phil and James Younghusband, the Sparks also boast of Matthew and Mark Hartmann, who combined for six goals in the win over Socceroos.
Also scheduled on Sunday at UMak is the Army-Manhur showdown at 1 p.m. Army will be looking to build on their 11-0 demolition of Garuda FC as they seek to clinch a spot in the next round.
