Ahamd Azzawi and Misagh Bahadoran scored two second half goals as Global beat Singaporean side Tampines Rovers, 2-0, Tuesday night to reach the second preliminary round of the AFC Champions League at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Azzawi, a Japanese-Iranian midfielder, broke the scoreless tie past the hour mark with a shot past Tampines goalkeeper Izwan Mahmud before Bahadoran doubled the lead with a low shot from about 15 yards in the 75th to propel Global to the next phase of Asia’s biggest club competition.
Global keeper Patrick Deyto preserved a clean sheet after the former La Salle custodian deflected the penalty shot of Khairul Amri seconds before the end of normal time.
Global won despite enduring problems in the weeks leading up to the match. It had to settle with a different lineup compared to the roster that gave the side the league and cup double in last year’s United Football League, while newly-appointed Japanese coach Toshiaki Imai arrived just four days before the match.
“We’ve had so many problems in terms of player registration and getting the coaches who want to come here,” said Bahadoran, without elaborating on those concerns. “It was kind of difficult for us, but it doesn’t matter who’s in the starting 11 as long as we play 100 percent.”
The victory sent Global to the next round of the preliminaries, but will have to be at its best form against Australian club Brisbane Roar in Tuesday’s match in Australia.
The winner of that match will go through the playoff stage against Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League for a berth in the main stage of the Champions League.
But a loss in either round relegates Global to the AFC Cup, the region’s second-tier competition, joining archrival Ceres-Negros as the country’s representatives.
Should Global win both games and advance to the Champions League, the Loyola Meralco Sparks will gain the other AFC Cup slot for placing third in the UFL league tourney.
