Three wins in a row. This is how Green Archers United (GAU) FC began the second round of the United Football League Division I. Seeing his team in their best form so far, Head Coach Rodolfo Alicante is ready to gauge how far they have improved as a unit once they face strong title contenders Ceres-La Salle FC in their next league assignment.
GAU ignited the current run with a colossal 9-5 victory over then-seventh placed Pachanga-Diliman FC when league play resumed last June 20. Three days later, they claimed a valuable win against Kaya FC. Gaining momentum, Alicante’s wards emerged victorious in a five-goal thriller versus Manila Jeepney. Pleased with the team’s enormous display of character, Alicante now hopes to carry the confidence obtained from the magnificent string of results towards the titanic battle of La Salle-affiliated sides. “Sana tuloy-tuloy na,” he remarked. The upcoming fixture poses a bigger challenge for GAU as the team’s leading goal scorer Robert Lopez Mendy will be serving suspension. “It’s a big adjustment right now,” Alicante conceded.
Aside from a necessary change up front, GAU may also have to tighten their hold of the midfield. Identified as the foundation of the team by Alicante, he highlighted the area’s significance by picking out an excerpt from their latest win. “Second half, butas ‘yung midfield and momentum goes to Jeepney. They scored,” he pointed out. The equalizer forced Alicante to shuffle his deck. It paid off in the end as his wards eventually went ahead again to end the match triumphantly. “Talagang under pressure kami so I told the midfield to defend or organize,” he expounded.
When asked about his team’s ability to perform well in big games, Alicante reckons his players have always been equipped against each foe. “I think the team proved na kaya nila. Kaya lang kung paano nila i-sustain yung game sometimes, yun ang problem namin.” Without their star man from Senegal, Green Archers United will certainly have a behemoth task in stopping the runaway leaders. They are bound to cross paths on July 15.
