GLOBAL extended its unbeaten start to nine matches as it whipped Green Archers United, 4-0, on Saturday to regain top spot in the United Football League at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Goals from Amani Aguinaldo, Misagh Bahadoran, Serge Kaole and Juan Ortiz secured all three points for the reigning UFL Cup champions whose win was marred by a red card on goalkeeper Patrick Deyto.
“This game was a very good result because they (Green Archers) always give us a very difficult game,” said Global coach Leigh Manson. “Last year, it was 1-1 in our opening fixture and that set the trend of the season.”
Global failed to win a trophy last season, but the club quickly made amends by capturing the UFL Cup last May.
Stallion and Forza picked up their second straight wins earlier with Forza turning back Pasargad, 2-0, and Stallion drubbing Agila, 5-1.
Korean midfielder Park Kyul and Japanese striker Aoki Hayato found the back of the net for Forza, which increased its tally to seven points from nine matches for eighth spot.
Two goals each from Balot Doctora and Nathan Alquiros and a late penalty from Simone Rota gave Stallion its fifth win of the season, increasing its output to 16 points for fifth spot.
Deyto was sent off late in the second half for complaining to a match official.
Ivan Petrovic was sacrificed to make way for Nick O’Donnel but it hardly mattered as Global kept its dominance, capping the win with Ortiz’s low strike three minutes from time.
Aguinaldo opened the scoring in the ninth minute, heading home a corner from Petrovic, before Bahadoran doubled the advantage with a free kick from a tight angle three minutes later.
Bahadoran was also denied by the crossbar early in the second half before he was substituted by Ortiz.
Global grabbed its third goal in the 57th minute thanks to substitute Kaole who tapped the ball home after a deflected cross from Marco Casambre was mishandled by Archers keeper Henry Fong.
Ortiz wrapped up the scoring with a well-taken strike, beating Dodong Villareal off the dribble before firing into the bottom corner past Fong.