With its attack clicking from start to finish, JP Voltes and Global came away with convincing victories Saturday to gain a share of top spot in the 2016 United Football League at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Voltes got a brace from Takumi Uesato and substitute Alen Angeles in a 5-0 beating of Manila Nomads for its second straight victory, while Global, flashing the depth of its squad, coasted to an 8-0 victory over Laos. With the wins, Voltes and Global now have six points with the Japanese-flavored side just ahead of the reigning UFL Cup champions on goal difference, having beaten Pasargad, 6-0, last Saturday. “We scored five goals but we still missed a lot of chances,” said JP Voltes skipper Yu Hoshide. “It’s difficult for us since we are still growing as a team, but we want to challenge the bigger clubs in this league.” The team that Voltes will be facing on Thursday also delivered a comprehensive victory as Global got another brace from in-form striker Misagh Bahadoran, while OJ Clarino, Hikaru Minegishi, Paolo Bugas, Mark Winhoffer and Omid Nazari also found the back of the net for coach Leigh Manson’s side. An own goal from Laos defender Michael Atienza, under pressure from Bahadoran, set the tone for the rout. Carrying its fine form from the UFL Cup, Global followed up its 4-2 drubbing of Stallion with a stellar performance against an out-of-sorts Laos side, which only had one substitute on the bench. Global started brightly with Bahadoran forcing an own goal from Atienza in the fifth minute before the skipper found the back of the net two minutes later with another stylish finish. The best of Global’s goals came two minutes before the break when Bahadoran took Matthew Hartmann’s curling ball from midfield first time with a controlled volley past Felipe Tripulca. Bugas scored just seconds after coming on with a tap-in from close range in the 69th minute and Winhoffer bagged his first goal for the club with a composed finish in the 75th minute. Nazari got his goal from the penalty spot in the first minute of second-half stoppage time after Minegishi, who created most of Global’s chances also joined the scoresheet in the 71st minute. Manson was delighted at the way his team responded in the second half. “We were quite disjointed in the first half,” Manson said. “We were holding ball to long, we played slowly, but in the second half, the tempo sped up. With Dennis (Villanueva)playing at centerback, the balls came out quicker out of the back.” Manson also hailed the contributions of youngsters like Andreas Esweinn and Winhoffer who made an impact in the second half. “We got a clean sheet, but what I was really pleased about was giving a chance to our younger players and seeing them play better than expected,” said Manson. http://j.mp/1s4kV7S

UFL photo Loyola Meralco opened its campaign in style, stunning defending champion Ceres-La Salle, 3-2, while Kaya and JP Voltes came away with convincing victories at the start of the 2016 UFL League Competition on Saturday night at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Loyola captain James Younghusband, Curt Dizon and Alvaro Castiella found the back of the net for the Sparks who built enough cushion to survive a late Ceres fightback that saw Stephan Schrock give the Bacolod side a lifeline with an 84th minute goal. “We knew that if we worked hard, if we made them work hard and with a little bit of luck we’ll have a chance,” said Loyola coach Simon McMenemy who is looking to give the Sparks their first league title. “This is just a strong team performance today. We won this game by working together. We were battling for each other, covering for each other, having each other’s back and that’s what this club is all about.” Kaya ran roughshod on Laos, 10-2, with OJ Porteria, Robert Lopez Mendy and Louis Clark scoring two goals each, while JP Voltes leaned on a hat trick from J Baguioro to repulse Pasargad, 6-0. Joven Bedic, Kenshiro Daniels, Janrick Soriano and Julian Matthews were also on the scoresheet for Kaya. Laos averted a shutout thanks to Hamed Hajimehdi’s first-half free kick that was followed by Patrick Frankson’s second half strike. Baguioro got his hat trick in just 37 minutes as Voltes heralded its top-flight entry with a strong performance that saw Lendon Marcojos, Takashi Odawara and Alen Angeles also find the back of the net for the Japanese-flavored side. But it was the Sparks’ victory that grabbed the limelight as it ended Loyola’s four-match losing skid against Ceres, which ruled the league in runaway fashion last season. Ceres was coming off a midweek AFC Cup match in Malaysia, where it battled Selangor to a scoreless to become the first Filipino side to reach the knockout stage of the second-tier continental tournament. But the Bacolod side did not have almost half of its regular starting eleven with Sang Min Kim, Juani Guirado, Adrian Gallardo and Bienvenido Maranon sidelined by injuries. The Sparks took the game to the reigning champs, pressing them high and winning the ball in dangerous areas early on, despite the continued absence of Phil Younghusband and the suspension to Jason de Jong. Younghusband opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a low shot to the bottom corner, finishing off a quick counterattack started by Kouichi Belgira who found Castiella in space only for the Spanish striker to feed the Sparks skipper. Lee Jeong Woo equalized for Ceres five minutes before the break, making a late run into the area to pick up Orman Okuinaya’s pass before coolly planting the ball to the bottom corner. Dizon capitalized on a defensive mixup in first half stoppage time, slotting the ball home after pouncing on Jeff Christiaens’ weak back pass. After Schrock hit the bar and Manny Ott fired a close-range shot just wide, Castiella looked to have wrapped up the points for the Sparks with an instinctive strike inside the area after Simon Greatwich’s ball created havoc inside the Ceres box. But the defending champions made a game out of it with Schrock’s free kick rattling the underside of the bar before crossing the line to make it 2-3, setting the stage for a nervy finish. “I feel a little bit for Ceres because they played a lot of games recently and they have a lot of players out because of injuries, but this win is a testament to the players’ handwork,” said McMenemy. http://j.mp/1rJhAL6