THE BEEFED-UP roster of reigning league champion Global gets an early test against dangerous Pasargad today at the start of the United Football League Cup at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff is at 5 p.m. with Global parading new players who made their mark for the national side only last week in the Paulino Alcantara Peace Cup.
Denis Wolf, Demitrius Omphroy and Matthew Uy, who impressed for the Azkals in their matches last week, are expected to make their debut for Global in the season opener.
Wolf, the Golden Boot winner in the Peace Cup, is expected to start up front with Izo El-Habbib while Omphroy will take the place of Angel Guirado on the right wing. Guirado left Global in favor of a team in the Indian League.
Global, which is in Group A with Navy, General Trias FC and Socceroo, retained its strong core of league MVP Carli de Murga, Japanese midfielder Yu Hoshide, Misagh Bahadoran and defenders Jerry Barbaso, Ange Tressor Guiso and Valentine Kama.
Pasargad has 14 new players as it looks to continue its strong performance from the cellar to sixth place.
Among the interesting prospects the squad signed up was Josh Boone, who trained with the Azkals during their camp in Chicago.
Kaya, second in the league and a semifinalist in the Cup last season, tackles Green Archers United in the 7 p.m. Group B duel.
Kaya acquired OJ Porteria to provide firepower up front.
The 18-year-old, who scored his first goal for the Azkals last Saturday against Chinese-Taipei, is one of four attackers signed by Kaya, which also acquired Sean Iliff, Antonio Ugarte and Dario Dakic.
Green Archers appears to be the most well-prepared squad heading into the Cup, having played several tuneup matches since August.