JP VOLTES and Global sustained their strong starts to the season with convincing victories on Saturday in the United Football League at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
With its attack clicking from start to finish, JP Voltes overwhelmed Manila Nomads, 5-0, to take top spot on goal difference ahead of Global, which coasted to an 8-0 rout of Laos.
With the victories, both Voltes and Global stayed perfect with six points each, but the deadlock at the top will be broken on Thursday when the two squads clash, also at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Japanese striker Takumi Uesato and substitute Alen Angeles scored twice for Voltes, after John Celiz broke the deadlock five minutes into the match with a low strike off a set piece.
“We scored five goals but we still missed a lot of chances,” said JP Voltes skipper Yu Hoshide. “It’s difficult for us since we are still growing as a team, but we want to challenge the bigger clubs in this league.”
In-form striker Misagh Bahadoran sparkled for Global anew with two goals, and OJ Clariño, Hikaru Minegishi, Paolo Bugas, Mark Winhoffer and Omid Nazari also found the back of the net for coach Leigh Manson’s side.
An own goal from Laos defender Michael Atienza, under pressure from Bahadoran, set the tone for the rout in the fifth minute.
“We were quite disjointed in the first half,” said Global coach Leigh Manson. “We were holding ball too long, we played slowly, but in the second half, the tempo sped up. With Dennis (Villanueva) playing at centerback, the balls came out quicker out of the back.”
The best of Global’s goals came two minutes before the break when Bahadoran took Matthew Hartmann’s curling ball from midfield first time with a controlled volley past Felipe Tripulca.
Bugas scored just seconds after coming on with a tap-in from close range in the 69th minute and Winhoffer bagged his first goal for the club with a composed finish in the 75th minute.