Trujillo Shines in Airmen Dismantling

Stallion Laguna did themselves a huge favor in staying abreast of the title race in the PFL Saturday night as they dismantled Philippine Air Force FC 8-0.

The Steeds pressed early and started their riot 15 minutes in, Juan Trujillo whipping in a free kick across the box from the right flank right into the path of debutant Stephen Halm, and the Ghanaian center-back nodded it home to make it 1-0 to the Rosanero. Both sides then pressed for the next goal, knowing momentum would go to the side who got it, but to no avail as we went to the half with just the Halm goal as the difference.

The second half, meanwhile, was a different story. A four-goal flurry from Juan Trujillo within 17 minutes effectively sealed the Airmen’s fate to sink second-bottom after Garelli’s win earlier in the day. His first came off a low cross from Theo de Moraes, springing from a quick free kick in the 51st minute. His second came off a driving run by Jose Bezerra Dourado that pulled the Airmen’s goalkeeper horribly out of position a minute later. Trujillo completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute with a quick counter-attack after the boys in white picked off the Airmen’s pass trying to clear it out of the back. He hit his fourth in the 68th minute after being teed up with a dazzling flick by Dourado down the left wing.

There was a slight lull before the Steeds stampeded again. Jose Dourado turned scorer in the 81st minute after running onto a through ball from Theo de Moraes, who opened the stairway to seventh heaven for the boys in white five minutes later with a cheeky chip off a gilt-edged delivery from Cristian Ivanovski. Ivanovski hit the score sheet himself for the eighth goal in stoppage time after being teed up by Trujillo off a counter, as the Steeds started their mission to a miracle in the best way possible.