Global Cebu’s historic run in the RHB Singapore Cup 2017 came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday after the Philippine club bowed to Albirex Niigata in a penalty shootout at Jalan Besar Stadium.
The Filipinos equalized twice to send the game to a shootout only to falter, 1-3, as the Japanese-flavored side playing in the Singapore League wrested the crown for the second straight season.
“You can see we came here to do what we had to do, so credit to the players who never gave up,” said Global Cebu coach Akbar Nawas.
Former National U star Paolo Salenga sent the game to extra time by heading home a free kick from Pika Minegishi in the 109th minute, after Kento Nagasaki put Albirex ahead, 2-1, in the 96th minute.
Global defender Wesley Dos Santos also scored off a Minegishi free kick in the first half to cancel out Tsubasa Sano’s opener.
But it was Albirex which held its nerve in the shootout with Global missing the first two attempts from Dos Santos and Daruy Roberts, while Albirex converted one out of two —with Sano missing after Nagasaki converted.
Albirex scored two more from the spot, before Salenga’s effort was parried away for the final count.
Global is the first Filipino team to reach the final of the event—CEDELF P. TUPAS