Loyola Meralco, Global collide in crucial UFL match

KAYA and Loyola Meralco seek to keep their 1-2 positions as they square off with separate rivals in the United Football League today at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Fresh off a 5-0 drubbing of Team Socceroo last Tuesday, Kaya collides with dangerous Pachanga Diliman in the 5:15 p.m. kickoff.

The Sparks renew their rivalry with defending champion Global in the 8:15 p.m. match to cap a heavy triple-bill that starts with winless Manila Jeepney battling a Philippine Army side also looking for its first victory.

The Sparks are coming off a tough 1-0 win over Green Archers last Sunday and the task doesn’t get any easier for coach Simon McMenemy’s side.

Although half of the Global squad is still recovering from the long journey from Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), where the UFL champions lost to Yadanarbon, 0-2, in the AFC Cup, the likes of of Izzo El-Habbib, Yu Hoshide, Satoshi Otomo, Hikaru Minegishi and Roland Sadia are all raring to play after a two-week break.

Global has dropped five points from six matches so far and another loss to one of its biggest rivals will be a big blow to its title hopes.

With Phil Younghusband still groping for form, the Sparks have turned to James Younghusband to provide the goals and the skipper has delivered with six.

“I owe it to the coach Macca (Simon McMenemy), he’s sort of told me to take off the hand brake and be a bit more adventurous and not be afraid to go forward,” said James Younghusband of his goal scoring exploits.

The Loyola-Global clash will be a rematch of the PFF Smart Club Championship finals won by the Sparks, 2-0, last January.