Stallion-Laguna opens AFC Cup with 5-2 loss

MANILA, Philippines – Stallion-Laguna suffered a 5-2 defeat to Indonesia’s Bali United as its first outing in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup went wrong at the Binan Football Stadium on Wednesday.

Despite a first-half equalizer courtesy of Junior Sam, Stallion had no answer to the scoring drive of Bali United, who scored four times in a row to turn what started as a back-and-forth battle into a one-sided finish.

Haudi Abdillah, Mohammed Rashid, Rahmat and Ilija Spasojevic scored in succession to give Bali United a comfortable victory.
A late goal from defender Abe Placito served as a consolation for Stallion, which played its first ever continental match in front of a very sparse crowd of 350 people.

The Horsemen will next take on Australian club Central Coast Mariners in their first away match in Group G on October 4.

Spasojevic put Bali United ahead in the 27th but the lead lasted just two minutes when Sam leveled things with a close-range effort at the other side of the net as Stallion scored for the first time in Asia’s second-tier club competition.

But Bali United regained the lead on Haudi’s goal in the 33rd. The visitors almost doubled their lead, but Stallion keeper Hayeson Pepito stopped Spasojevic’s effort from the spot.

Stallion also failed to convert his penalty attempt when Finn McDaniel’s shot was disallowed by Bali keeper Maringa before half-time.

Rashid’s goal in the 53rd launched Bali’s second-half breakaway as Rahmat struck a fourth in the 69th before Spasojevic completed a brace in the 72nd.