Deportiva Stay
Ferzan Goes Baka
The Birds returned to the friendly circuit with a flight to Chiriqui, Panama to play Unión Deportiva San José, and the some 3,600 who turned up at the just-expanded Olímpico de Chiriquí would be rewarded with a cracking four-all draw that lacked for little. Local 17 year-old winger Jhonathan La Baka had wowed in his first matches since his debut, but seldom more than with his sparkling brace today. On Grilled's side,
Egemen Dinçer Ferzan had been mildly eclipsed by
Federico Parada since the latter's arrival to some, but the Turkish wide man would remind of his many qualities, with two of his own.
Enrique Baena would be conspiciously missing from today's squad after some personal matters cropped up, but there would be no shortage of replacements from the Birds' almost too-large squad.
Bilal Mohammad Harun made a long-awaited return to gameplay in his first appearance since the game against Pest Control towards the end of last season. Some rust had to be inevitable under these circumstances, and his interchanging with
Teo Chuan Yong would be slightly painful to watch, before he got up to speed.
The hosts would not have such problems with Portuguese Number Seven Saúl Cruz in the peak of both form and fitness, and with former national youth midfielder Diógenes Landaeta relentlessly driving them forward, it was not too unexpected that Deportiva were the ones to take the lead. Landaeta was obviously trying to open a pass up for his forwards as he scuttered about the penalty area in the fourth minute, but placed his trust instead in a relatively-free Jhonathan La Baka - a trust that was amply repaid with a cool finish.
Manuel Vadalà was not happy at his defence supposedly blocking his vision then, but there would be fewer complaints from then on, as
Gilbert Webb sorted it out. Grilled remained the more pressed, however, and Ugo Scattone's trickery on the right would make
Chia Kwang Tse look ungainly more than once. Chia just about kept it under wraps, and Deportiva would start to run into some sticky situations of their own. Takumi Masuda was wrongfooted by a just-turned-twenty
Gandhik Chitre about the 27th minute, and the panicked leg out that ensued brought Takumi an instant yellow card.
Grilled were starting to create at this point with Bilal having fully regained his former polish over the past half-hour, even if his pace left something to be desired. There was little need for that in his clever little step-aside for Chia to lump it home in the 33rd, though, and Ferzan would stick it in with the Deportiva team looking rattled at that blowback. He seemed to be rather far out on the right when he prowled with ball at feet three minutes after the equalizer, but his wicked strike was more than Meleán could manage - 1-2!
Deportiva boss Adam Mahncke took it well enough, from his easy conversation with
Tian Yonghang throughout, and half-time had both sides make a single change; Chitre would stay off almost unwillingly with
Aw Keng Chuan coming on, while Mahncke rested Saúl Cruz for the scarce-less deadly Joost Tillian up top. Grilled continued their posing of questions, though, and Meleán would be fortunate in watching
Mohd Marzuki Khairul shake the goalframe, with his mighty right-footer slamming into the bar in the 53rd minute.
The home team's shaky organization would be saved by some quick thinking on Scattone's part, as he twisted himself out of a doubling-up on the touchline, before scorching up the right wing. The Birds were caught shorthanded themselves this time, and with
Paulino Trindade's attempted sliding tackle coming up short, there was no longer anyone left to keep Scattone from picking his pass. Fidel Machuca was the target, and only had to lift it over Vadalà.
It was getting pretty frantic - and unpredictable - about now, which pleased the spectators to no end, from how the stands were bouncing. Aw, who appears to be groomed for a more-defensive future given his recent positions, would make use of his relative freedom today, to try a lob after 62 minutes... and hit the jackpot. Deportiva rallied admirably, and a sustained push up the centre about the 70th minute had Bolivian Joselito Rosales sell Mangoye short by shifting his weight abruptly, into another equalizer.
Moey Xin Seng had been warming up when the goal went in, but after some conferring with Tian, it would be
Mohsen El Khateeb and
José Luiz Velho to take over from the ragged-looking Webb and Bilal instead. Velho had not seen action for over a month either, and so this was hardly an automatic upgrade on what Bilal was offering. Deportiva took full advantage, and La Baka improved on what had already been an excellent outing, with his wild but effective half-volley that just about got past Vadalà after bouncing low off the grass, in the 77th minute.
Grilled would not have long to wonder if they would be able to come back from that, at least, as Ferzan answered in his own way from the restart. With no extra time catered for, this was how it stayed at the end of the three added minutes, as the clubs split the honours - and not too unwillingly.
