JAPANESE winger Shu Sasaki scored a brace as Global Cebu shut out Ilocos United, 3-0, while Davao Aguilas and Stallion Laguna battled to a goalless draw in the Philippines Football League over the weekend.
Sasaki scored two goals in a five-minute span at the Quirino Stadium in Vigan after Paul Mulders opened scoring from the penalty box to allow Global moved up to third place with 10 points in five matches.
It was Global’s third victory and it came at a time when the club was going through a rough patch after defeats to Home United of Singapore in the Asian Football Confederation Cup and Ceres-Negros two weeks ago. Coach Marjo Allado got the response he needed from his wards with Mulders sneaking a penalty past Ilocos goalkeeper Baba Sampana in the 23rd minute. Sasaki found the back of the net in the 25th and 30th minutes.
“It’s a good result for us,” said Allado, whose side claimed only its first clean sheet of the season.
“We played well in the first half, but credit to Ilocos because they also made it difficult for us in the second half. We needed this win.”
At the Biñan Football Stadium, Stallion and Davao remained winless after both sides failed to find the back of the net in hot conditions.
The best chance of the match fell to Davao’s Serbian target man Nikiola Grubjesic, who fired a penalty straight at the crossbar in the 79th minute. The result meant Davao remained in sixth spot with a point, while Stallion is still languishing in last place in the eight-team competition.