Five things we learned from Air Force’s UFL Cup victory

Ryan Fenix,

After 58 games of football, the UFL Cup has a winner. Philippine Air Force Phoenix deservedly lifted the winner’s trophy by defeating an upstart but ultimately unlucky Loyola Meralco Sparks by a score of 2-0. Here are five things we learned from the Airmen’s victory:
1. Experience trumps hastily-assembled talent — at least in the finals

Much has been said about Air Force’s advancing age, with the team’s best years supposedly behind them. Not much has been said, however, about the fact that this championship winning team has been together for a good many years now, through the highs of winning the league twice and the lows of being defeated in last year’s UFL Cup. Truth be told, it was this experience together that really proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Trust in each other was evident in Air Force’s play, and on more than one occasion, players would give the extra pass to anyone who was in a better position, giving him the confidence to push forward.

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37-year-old Mercado anchors Air Force D

Tats Mercado, a former goalkeeper of the Philippine national team, proved that he still has it.

The efforts of the 37-year-old Mercado were the biggest difference for the Philippine Air Force Phoenix FC as it defeated the star-studded Loyola Meralco Sparks, 2-0, Saturday in the UFL Cup finals at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Once upon a time, Mercado was the best goalkeeper in the country playing for the national team from 1995 to 2008.

But Mercado’s time came to pass when Neil Etheridge became the Azkals’ goalkeeper in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers.

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PAF-Phoenix bags UFL Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Air Force-Phoenix showed it’s truly a dominant force in the United Football League, shutting out high-scoring Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, 2-0, last night to cop the UFL Cup at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Homegrown Ian Araneta (40th) and ageless Yanti Barsales (90th) delivered the goals while the Airmen’s defense-line, led by custodian Edmundo Mercado, played solid as they thwarted the Sparks en route to their third title in the league.

“The boys deserved this. They played hard on defense and offense, basic football,” said PAF coach Edzel Bracamonte, whose side previously won two League Cups.
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Air Force blanks Loyola to win UFL Cup

By Jaemark Tordecilla

Offense won Philippine Air Force Phoenix games, but it was defense that won the Airmen the championship.

Air Force relied on a huge defensive effort anchored by goalkeeper Tats Mercado — and more than a little luck — to keep the sheets clean against the most dangerous offensive team in the tournament, en route to a 2-nil win over the Loyola Meralco Sparks in the championship match of the 2011 UFL Cup Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.Read More

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Air Force regains football crown

By JONAS TERRADO
December 10, 2011, 10:11pm

MANILA, Philippines — Behind a gritty effort, Air Force Phoenix regained the United Football League Cup crown Sunday with a 2-0 victory over fancied Loyola Meralco last night in front of 6,000 fans at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Azkals striker Ian Araneta set the tone for the Airmen with a 39th minute goal then former National team member Edmundo Mercado Jr. displayed superb goalkeeping skills to secure their second title since the league was launched in 2009.

The victory was also aided by a 20-yard strike by ageless wonder Yanti Barsales in the 90th minute as Air Force rebounded from last year's title loss to Global FC
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2011 UFL Cup Finals: The old guard are champs!

by rick olivares

They are the old guard. Fighting not just for homegrown pride but also to stem back the tide of change. The men of Air Force after lifting the 2011 UFL Cup might say that they are a team of destiny.

Denied at full time’s door last year by Global, they got their revenge by ousting the same team in the semifinals of this year’s cup. Global, after all, is the vanguard of change in Philippine football – a team stacked with national players of foreign lineage, the best home grown talent, and the best African players around.

And there’s that saying that cropped up during the most recent Pacquiao-Marquez fight – to be the champion, you have to defeat the champion.

Scratch Global from that list.

And finally, there was Loyola in their way. Or maybe, they were in the way of Loyola.

Using military parlance, Air Force, after seizing an early goal, withstood a relentless barrage of shots from a team that has the league’s most potent attack. And in true military fashion, it was as if Air Force’s defenders were throwing themselves on top of grenades, howitzers, lasers, and point blank shots. As great as the defense was, Air Force goalkeeper Edmundo Mercado Jr. was superb at goal turning back one of the most fearsome strikers in the game today in Phil Younghusband. Mercado, a former national player himself, stopped shot after shot and jawed some with the Younghusband and Mark Hartmann.
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Azkals teammates clash for 2011 UFL Cup

By Renee Fopalan

It's the Younghusband brothers of the Loyola Meralco Sparks versus Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta of the Air Force Phoenix for the UFL Cup on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Philippine Azkals striker Phil Younghusband will team up with Mark Hartmann when they try to lead the Sparks to victory. The two combined for 37 goals in the six games they played to finish 1-3 in the UFL’s top goal scorers.Air Force is not to be outdone in terms of firepower as Araneta and Caligdong are ranked second and fifth in scoring with a combined 25 goals.

The two teams faced little challenge in their road to the finals. Loyola Meralco opened its campaign with a 15-0 demolition of Team Socceroo FC and continued dominating teams in Group B. The Sparks routed Internacionale FC, 7-1, and Agila FC, 5-1, respectively.

They crushed Sunken Garden United, 14-0, in the knockout stage then squeezed out a 2-1 decision against Stallions FC in a game where three red and seven yellow cards were issued.

In the semifinals round, the Sparks overhauled a 3-0 halftime deficit before the Younghusband brothers and Mark Hartman scored five goals in the second half to book Loyola’s first finals appearance.

Similarly, Air Force steamrolled its elimination round opponents starting with a 4-1 win over Laos FC. The Phoenix never let up and overwhelmed Philippine Navy Redjuice FC, 6-2, and thrashed Manila-All Japan FC, 13-0.

Araneta then held a scoring clinic for the Airmen in the knockout stage where he finished with seven goals in Air Force’s 15-3 pummeling of Manhur FC. The Phoenix defeated Green Archers United, 3-1, in the quarterfinals.

Air Force faced Global FC in the semifinals, a rematch of last year’s 2010 UFL Cup Championship. This time, the Airmen avenged their loss scoring two late goals to unseat the champions.

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Homegrown Air Force squad faces Younghusbands-led Loyola Meralco

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Source : Inquirer.net
MANILA, Philippines — Air Force Phoenix looks to extend its reign against a Loyola Meralco side seeking to establish itself as a force in the United Football League.
Unbeaten in their run to the finals, the Airmen and Sparks collide for the UFL Cup at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Global and Kaya-Cignal meet in the battle for third place—the first of two matches that will be aired live by AKTV on IBC 13.
The Airmen are in familiar territory, having won the league early this year after finishing second in the Cup competition to Global FC.
Air Force has actually won two of the three titles dangled in the UFL since the league started in 2009.
Aside from winning the Cup, the Airmen are looking to once again prove that their squad built around homegrown talents has what it takes to fend off all challengers, especially those with foreign reinforcements.

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