Defending League champion Global dispatched Pasargad, 3-1, in the opening match of the United Football League Cup Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
African striker Izo Elhabbib started the scoring for Global, sinking a header at the 15th minute to give his team the early lead.
Last season’s Golden Ball awardee Carli De Murga then slotted a goal off a Elhabbib miss at the 39th minute to give Global a commanding 2-0 lead at halftime.
Global continued its rampage after the break, with midfielder Misagh Bahadoran connecting from the top of the box at the 54th minute to add his team’s cushion to 3-0.
Pasargad then looked poised to bounce back after a magnificent goal by Iranian striker Masood Ohadi Shahideh, who buried a goal on a bicycle kick off a dish from his teammate at the 65th minute to trim Pasargad’s deficit, 3-1.
Despite that, Global kept its domination until the game ended to deny any comeback from Pasargad, which parades 15 new acquisitions in its lineup this season.
With the victory, Global now sits on top of the standings of Group A with three points. The top two teams from each bracket after playing in a round-robin format advances to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Source: interaksyon.com
