Football matches aren’t won on possession, but goals.
The Loyola Meralco Sparks Football Club ended with 55% possession after ninety minutes, but still lost 1-2 at the hands of JP Voltes Football Club last July 10, 2016, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. It was a poor loss for Meralco, as they had numerous chances to win the game. For JP Voltes, though, the result meant their seventh win in the 2016 United Football League season.
Takumi Uesato (12′) and John Celiz (40′) scored the goals for JP Voltes before Phil Younghusband (48′ penalty) pulled one back for Meralco. This win was JP Voltes’ second victory in eight days against the so-called big teams of the UFL. Just days ago, they had defeated Kaya FC in a 3-1 comeback win.
JP Voltes’ plan was evident early in the game. They sat deep and waited for the chance to spring a counterattack. Despite being called offside multiple times, they maintained their composure and stuck to their game plan. On the other hand, Meralco reveled in possession of the ball and constantly tried to pick out spots from the JP Voltes’ defense.
Meralco had the ball in the JP Voltes’ half for most of the first half. Unluckily for Meralco, however, JP Voltes were disciplined. One quick counterattack allowed the JP Voltes players to move into a dangerous position deep in Meralco’s half. Two slick passes afterwards, Uesato found himself through on goal and calmly finished the move in the 12th minute to give JP Voltes the lead.
Uesato’s goal seemed to be the catalyst for Meralco’s newfound intensity. The Sparks won a free kick outside JP Voltes’ box, which was taken by Phil Younghusband. Unfortunately, his fantastic delivery was all for naught after none of his teammates attacked the ball. Carlos Cañas and Taj Minniecon then had their sniffs at goal, but both attempts should have been taken better.
By this time, JP Voltes had played the counterattack perfectly. One such instance was a long ball sent to Uesato whose resulting attempt went narrowly wide. At the other end, Phil Younghusband was visibly having an off day. He had two successive attempts on goal, one of which was blocked by the JP Voltes defense and the other squandered when he found himself with space to shoot.
It had already been a long day for Phil Younghusband and the rest of Meralco, and it was going to get worse. A rare foray into Meralco’s half proved fruitful for JP Voltes after another good passing move. Similar to Uesato’s goal, Celiz found himself in a good scoring position after smooth passing unlocked Meralco’s defense yet again. Celiz calmly doubled JP Voltes’ advantage in the 40th minute.
Just before the break, Meralco should have equalized after a dramatic scramble in the JP Voltes box. If that event had been miraculous, then the first half was perfect for JP Voltes, as they carried with them a 0-2 scoreline at the break.
What Meralco needed once play resumed was an early goal to change the game’s dynamics. They immediately won a golden chance to score after Curt-Jordan Dizon was fouled inside the JP Voltes box. Phil Younghusband stepped up and made no mistake in the 48th minute to give the Sparks a lifeline.
Meralco had multiple chances to level the score. However, JP Voltes goalie Nelson Gasic produced fine saves to deny Dizon and James Younghusband. Chances then came aplenty for the Sparks and it seemed inevitable that they would find an equalizer. Phil Younghusband and substitute Alvaro Castiella watched their shots go wide with JP Voltes surviving each bombardment. While Meralco attacked, JP Voltes defended superbly.
With ten minutes left, Meralco brought on former University of the Philippines striker Jinggoy Valmayor. The UP standout made an immediate impact when he unleashed a powerful shot destined for the back of the net, but it was cruelly denied by the crossbar. James Younghusband then had a glorious chance late in the game only for his header to go off target. JP Voltes held on to win 1-2, fitting reward for how well they had defended throughout the ninety minutes.
JP Voltes manager Kyo Nagami said after the game, “We played well in the first half and the second half. Maybe 65% to 70% Loyola possessed (the ball) but our defense (is) not bad. Luckily, our team can be patient. I’m very happy.“
The result left JP Voltes in 4th place with 22 points, while Meralco are in 3rd place with 24 points. Both teams’ next games will be at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. JP Voltes will play Laos at 1:45PM on July 16, 2016 (Saturday) while Meralco face Kaya exactly a day later.
