Global FC’s 7-0 victory over Laos FC in their penultimate United Football League game yesterday afternoon completed a year of redemption for The People’s Club. In doing so, Global sealed a double by winning the league to go along with their cup conquest earlier in the season.
The redemption is ingrained in the minds of Global’s players, who willed their way back to the top of the Philippine football scene by taking home two of the biggest prizes up for the taking. Last year was one to forget for Global because they had missed out on taking any Cup and League honours. They were pipped to the title by a nearly-impeccable Ceres-La Salle team, while a technicality eliminated them from competing for the Cup. Now, Global can look back on a season in which they reminded everyone of their winning calibre.
Global didn’t really need more than a minute to take the initiative against Laos FC. Hikaru Minegishi headed them in front to get the ball rolling. The Filipino-Japanese midfielder doubled his account in the 10th minute, nine minutes before Mark Hartmann’s left-footed hit. Halftime came with Global holding a commanding 3-0 lead.
The scoring spree continued in the second half, officially resuming in the 49th minute when Minegishi bagged his third to make sure he finished the game with a hat trick. Ivan Petrovic claimed his team’s fifth just before the hour mark. Laos partially contained the Global goal scoring haul, and it looked like it would stay at five towards the end, but Hartmann had other ideas as he scored two in the last 11 minutes of the game to match Minegishi’s hat-trick heroics. His third goal, coming in the 90th minute, only ignited celebrations from the Global camp, who celebrated not only a win but a victorious campaign come full time.
Photo by Mark Cristino/UFL Images
