Stallion Laguna survived a testy match on a rainy Saturday afternoon in league action, defeating a determined Manila Digger side 2-1.
The Red and Yellow actually drew first blood 3 minutes in, with Jerome Marzan benefiting from an aggressive early press as Stallion was working the ball early in the game. The Backhoe Brigade attempted to stretch the lead early on, but the Southern Steeds increased their defensive intensity to deny them a second goal. Yuya Kuriyama in the Diggers’ goal proved equal to the task, repelling the Stallion counterattack. However, the game turned on its head within 10 minutes on either side of the halftime whistle, and Manila Digger would rue their failure to get an insurance goal early on. Finn McDaniel scored the equalizer deep in first-half stoppage time after a bouncing ball in midfield went the white shirts’ way, with Theo Moraes thundering down the right flank and cutting back to find Finn in the middle.
The second half proved much the same, with both sides canceling each other out in midfield for the most part, and netminders Kuriyama and Hayeson Pepito stepping up when called upon. Halftime substitute Junior Sam provided the decisive moment, winning a penalty 5 minutes after the restart by powering past the determined Jameson Cristal. Finn McDaniel scored his second of the day and 14th of the season to seal the match. Digger kept pushing for an equalizer until the last moment, but a dogged defensive effort from Stallion ensured they kept a share of the league lead pending other results this weekend.
Psychology graduate that’s been down the football rabbit hole since a kiddie camp in 1996. Once made a tryout for Manila Jeepney and a weekend consists of hand-wringing about Manchester United and Stallion Laguna. Can be found spouting opinions on X @FullyVaxxedJ
