Shorthanded Kaya FC–Makati Looks to End PFL Regular Season on a High

After two weeks without a Philippine Football League match, a well rested Kaya Makati returns to action on Saturday to end their regular season campaign against the Davao Aguilas. The match, which will kickoff at 7:00pm at the University of Makati, will be an opportunity for the home team to secure third place, and avoid the top seed in the upcoming PFL Playoffs. But the task of nabbing a win against the visitors will be particularly challenging, as the team will only be able to field a 14-man squad.

Suspensions to Adam Reed, Jovin Bedic, Miguel Tanton, Jordan Mintah, and Jalsor Soriano, coupled with an injury to Kenshiro Daniels and the departure of Julian Matthews, has ravaged the side of available players. But while the numerical disadvantage is an unwanted hurdle, it provides a welcome opportunity for those that have yet to make their mark this season.

“It’s going to be a tough game. We’ll only be having 14 players for tomorrow. We’ll have three substitutes, and one of them will be [Zach] Banzon, the goalkeeper. The other two will be outfield players. For tomorrow’s game, we’re really looking forward to some of the players that haven’t played in the past games to really step up and try to do their best. If they play well, we’re positive that we’ll get a good result,” said Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida.

One of the players who will benefit from the lack of players is Chy Villaseñor, who slots into the place of Jalsor Soriano in defense.

“Masaya ako kasi makakalaro na ko, and starting pa. Pero sa kabilang banda, medyo kinakabahan din, dahil first time ko maglaro,” said the former FEU standout, who makes his first PFL appearance in tomorrow’s match.

(“I’m happy that I’ll be able to play tomorrow, and I’ll be starting as well. But on the other side, I’m a little nervous as well, as it’s my first time to play.”)

Facing the prospect of matching up against the likes of Angel Guirado and James Younghusband is a daunting proposition, but the young defender is reveling in the opportunity.

“Na cha-challenge ako kasi nga mas experienced sila sa akin. Pero gusto ko rin makapaglaro sa kanila para ma boost yung confidence ko and madagdagan yung learning experience ko,” he said. “Kailangan ko lang magtrabaho ng maayos. Gawin ko lang yung role ko na pamalit kay Jalsor (Soriano). Bibigyan ko lang ng magandang laro sa posisyon ko. Kailangan namin manalo para mag continue ang momentum sa next round.”

(“I feel challenged because they’re more experienced than me. But I want to play against them in order to boost my confidence and to increase my experience,” he said. “I just need to do my job well. I just need to play my role as Jalsor’s replacement. I just need to give a good game in my position. We need to win so that we can enter the next round with momentum.”)

While Kaya are looking to build momentum for the Playoffs, Davao, with three games remaining in their campaign, are looking to build momentum for next season.

“The team is very excited. We want to finish with three good results in our last three games. We’ve been training well and we’ve prepared well,” said Aguilas’ Matthew Hartmann. “The motivation is we need to start now in preparation for next season. If we finish these last games strong, we’ll start the next season strong.”

With three wins over Davao this season, Kaya will be looking to complete the sweep on Saturday, at the University of Makati.

“Since it’s our last game before the Finals Series, we hope to give a quality game, to give the three points to the fans of Kaya, and to protect our home turf,” Marcaida concluded.

Tickets can be purchased through SM Tickets, and at the entrances of the University of Makati on game day.
SM Tickets: https://www.smtickets.com/events/view/5718
Field Side: P20
Grandstand: P350

For those unable to make it to the match, the live stream is available through this link:
https://mycujoo.tv/philippine-football-federation?id=11105