United City upsets Beijing for first AFC Champions League win

Originally published by Panay News

MANILA – The United City Football Club earned its first win in the 2021 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League by upsetting China’s Beijing Guoan, 3-2, on Thursday night at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Mark Hartmann spearheaded the triumph with his two goals, while newly-naturalized booter Bienvenido Marañon scored one as the United City FC became the first Filipino-based football club to win in Asia’s biggest club competition.

The reigning Philippines Football League champion seemed headed to another disaster after surrendering a goal to Beijing Guoan with 38 seconds remaining via a hit from Jiang Wenhao.

Beijing quickly doubled the advantage at the fourth-minute mark behind Leng Jixuan’s close-range hit. The Philippine representatives nearly scraped the deficit before the halftime break, but Amin Nazari miscalculated his header.