MANILA (4 Feb 2013) – With the Philippine football landscape constantly shifting, the United Football League (UFL) is not immune to these changes.
There’s the usual player movement, the coaching carousel, and the emergence of new faces. With all these changes, the question is which team can get their act together early and make a dash for the crown?
Four of the ten Division One clubs made changes to the people manning the side lines. During the recently-concluded PFF Smart National Club Championship, one could see clubs like Global, Kaya, Nomads, and Loyola still adjusting to the coaching changes as well as the new faces in the team. All four coaches will bring different philosophies to their teams.
By Rick Olivares
Global (Champion 13-3-2)
OUT Dan Palami (but he slides back into his familiar role as team manager and owner)
IN Brian Reid as head coach
The Scottish football great is arguably the biggest coaching name in Philippine football to date. Brought in to help the club especially for their AFC President’s Cup campaign later this year, Reid’s biggest task is to keep this juggernaut going. Easily, they are the cream of Philippine club football having garnered the lion’s share of silverware in the last three years.
Reid’s appointment also hopes to bring more stability to the club that has seen four coaches coming in and out from Frank Muescan to Graeme MacKinnon to Edwin Cabalida and then to Dan Palami in the last year and a half.
Global have also made changes to their line-up discarding national player Demetrius Omphroy and super subs Kevin Capolei and Fidelis Nnabuife. Defender Juani Guirado is back in Spain to give other players more playing time although Carli de Murga is expected to be a force.
Kaya (2nd 13-3-2)
OUT Kale Alvarez
IN Maur Rozen
Rozen’s appointment as head coach comes after talks with former Azkals head coach Simon McMenemy fell through.
There have been no big name signings for Kaya other than the inclusion of defensive back Janrick Soriano following the loss of Jason Sabio and Lexton Moy.
Look for this club to build on their huge breakthrough win against Loyola in the PFF Smart National Club Championship. If they can replicate that game and apply it to every fixture, Kaya will be right up to the final bell slugging away.
Loyola (3rd 11-4-3)
OUT Kim Chul So
IN Vincent Santos
For all the firepower and big names on their line-up it is disappointing for their management and fans that this club has not won any major silverware in the last year and a half.
The ascension of former national player Vince Santos as head coach looks to solve the communication problems the club had with former coach Kim Chul So.
They lost Anto Gonzales back to Pachanga but picked up former national striker Freddy Gonzalez. Long-time Kaya icon Armand Del Rosario will provide the team with veteran smarts and leadership.
Nomads (7th 4-7-7)
OUT Michael Denison
IN John Jofre
Being a mostly expat club, training or let alone actual competitive matches make it impossible for Nomads to field a complete roster.
After their inaugural stint in Division One football, they know what the league is all about. Jofre comes in with a football pedigree and makes him another huge Scottish signing in the UFL.
Solid at the back and tough in the middle with Phil Connolly pulling the string to the forward line. But the club cannot entirely depend on one man. Look to Selu Lozano to provide more toughness for this club that is sorely in need of it.
Stallion (4th 8-5-5)
How does this club build on their UFL Cup title? Well, they added a little star power with the addition of Daniel Matsunaga (Pachanga), Fabio Ide (Sta. Lucia), and Andrew Wolff (Sta. Lucia).
Nierras added a few more weapons without sacrificing quality. There’s the speedy Prince Boley from Kaya who will help up front while Jerome Etoundi, the former Global keeper, will backstop stud netminder Wilson Muñoz.
The challenge now for Nierras is to make sure that everyone get their playing time and chemistry down to perfection.
Air Force (5th 7-4-7)
This is a team in transition not to mention in a flux. After the high of winning the 2011-12 UFL Cup, they fell by the wayside in league play and the ensuing 2012 UFL Cup.
Following the move of icon Chieffy Caligdong to Green Archers United, there have rumours of internal strife and dissension but at the end of the day, Air Force is coming to play with key additions. They add former Stallion players Vince Braga, Antonio Albor, and Francis Gustilo who saw their playing time plummet with the arrival of the Koreans and Spaniards. They will want to prove themselves.
The challenge for second year head coach Sgt. Edzel Bracamonte is to instil that confidence and belief that they can still be an elite football club.
Pasargad (Last season 6th 7-3-8)
They came on strong in the league during the second round and their run to the finals of the PFF Smart National Club Championship is testament to their ability.
The club is dependent on the play of brilliant midfielder Hamed Hajimehdi and defenders Reza Amirkhizan and Jaham Taher. If these three can keep their heads in the ball game (as does goal keeper Reza Ataei), they’ll be a top team.
Emmanuel MBata is a good addition up front to replace Shayan but the loss of Masood will hurt too. MBata and Promise Jolomi are not – at least just yet – the scoring machines expected.
Green Archers United (8th 3-5-10)
No team undertook a more serious manpower build-up than GAU. They added former Global stalwart Ayi Aryee, Nomads defender Dominic Mensah, Loyola defender Lawrence Obinna, FEU midfielder Sean Lee, and Chieffy Caligdong (who came on board beginning the PFF Smart National Club Championship).
For head coach Rodolfo Alicante, the challenge is to find consistency in his players. And if they can find a merry solution to their midfield play then this team could win it all.
Army (9th 3-4-11)
Because of the structure of the military clubs, they are in no position to recruit except for military duty. And that hurts them. With an aging club, the challenge for coach Sgt. Ricky Cain is how to get the most out of a club that lost sparkplug Champ Baron while picking up no one of exceptional talent who can help.
It falls then to their pool of national players in Boogie Margarse, Roel Gener, Ric Becite, and Eddie Sacapaño to hold the fort.
Pachanga (Division Two champions)
You will have to do a double take on that – Division Two champions. Because this is not that Pachanga team. It’s Diliman using Pachanga’s name after they purchased the club from previous owner Freddy Gonzalez. The only Pachanga holdovers are defender Yves Ashime and midfielders Ousseneyou Diop and Boyet Cañedo who are all solid contributors on the Bob Salvacion coached team.
There’s talent here without a doubt. Their pick up of Fil-German Manu Saubach was huge for them during the UFL Cup. The industrious OJ Clarino will help while Jinggoy Valmayor is still in the UAAP. Clarino will help the strike force of Ariel Zerrudo Jr. and Andoni Santos. Cañedo is perhaps the best free kick specialist outside Loyola’s Mark Hartmann.
A TWIST IN PROMOTION AND RELEGATION
By the league’s end, the team that finished last will be relegated to the UFL’s second division while the champion from that level will be promoted. However, it doesn’t end there, the ninth placer of Division One will take on the Division Two second placer in a two-game aggregate format. Should the Division One side win, it remains in the top-flight group. Should the Division Two side upset the top tier club, they get promoted at their victim’s expense.
PIX: Team Loyola
