GLOBAL FC’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League hopes were shattered after being booted out of the second stage of the preliminary round, 6-0, against A-League club Brisbane Roar last Tuesday night at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.
It was a huge night for 21-year-old Aussie striker Brandon Borrello as he scored four goals for the Roar. He hit the opening goal in just the 12th minute from a deflection and scored his second goal in the 26th minute and followed it up with a hat trick four minutes later.
Spanish forward Manuel Arana Rodriguez scored in the 35th to make it a commanding 4-0 lead at halftime.
Rodriguez continued where he left off and scored his second goal in the 65th minute and then Borrello, a player in the Australia Under-23 squad, hit his fourth in the 80th minute.
Global FC, who will be representing Cebu in the upcoming Philippine Football League, became the first Philippine club to win a match in the AFC Champions League. Global FC beat Singapore side Tampines Rovers, 2-0, last week at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Despite a loss, Global FC will still be playing with other Asian clubs, this time in the second tier tournament AFC Cup. Global also said in a statement it will take the loss as part of its learning process.
Gobal will never get tired of leading the way for Philippine football. We may fall flat on our faces sometimes, but we will always get back up. For the responsibility is enormous and the future of young Filipino football players everywhere is important,” Global said in a satement posted in its Facebook page.
Global FC, the United Football League Champions, is in Group F along with Myanmar’s Magwe FC, the winner of the match between Malaysian clubs Johor Darul Ta’zim and Kedah Da Fa, and the winner of the ASEAN Zone Playoff 3.
Global is set to face Magwe FC in its first assignment of the AFC Cup on Feb. 21 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Another Philippine club, Ceres Negros FC, is also in the AFC Cup. Ceres Negros FC is in Group G along Malaysia’s Felda United FC, Singapore’s Tampines Rovers and Vietnam’s Hanoi FC.
Ceres Negros FC takes on Hanoi FC in its first group stage match.