Bali, Indonesia — Kaya FC-Iloilo’s fourth AFC Cup campaign got off to a rough start following a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cambodian Cup Champions Visakha FC.
The match kicked off in a frantic manner with both teams trading shots in the opening minutes. Quincy Kammeraad got an early taste of the action with a near-post save not long after the whistle blew, while Jhanjhan Melliza returned fire with a shot on goal at the other end.
The game settled into a back and forth affair as both sides sent probing attacks to test each other’s backlines. Neither side looked like they’d give an inch, until a little man from Maco, Davao de Oro wrenched open the scoring.
In the 30th minute, Iloilo converted an absolute beauty of a goal in open play. With four runners in the box, Ryo Fujii bended the ball towards an unmarked Arnel Amita at the far post. As one of the shortest players in the competition, he looked gigantic when he rose up to head it in—scoring his first-ever goal on the continental stage. (1-0)
The winds were blowing Kaya’s way for the rest of the half, but something came over the stadium that helped change the complexion—and conditions—of the game.
Heavy rains swept over the pitch in the minutes leading up to the halftime whistle, causing the temperature to drop and the field to become waterlogged. The change in weather forecasted Kaya’s performance after the break, as the team came out looking sluggish and a step slow.
Visakha were the aggressors in this match, racking up fouls for much of the first half to limit Kaya’s momentum. They were just as aggressive in the second period, but were able to play on and began looking more and more dangerous on the counter.
Just two minutes into the second half, and a backline mistake in the buildup led to a breakaway ball and another quick counter. Kammeraad did well to save the first effort, but the second ball found Ken Chansopheak’s boot then the back of the net shortly after. (1-1)
While Iloilo were struggling to exploit gaps and retaliate, the Cambodian side maintained their ball pressure and aggressive play-style to continued success. In the 60th minute, Visakha swung the ball from right to left in Kaya’s final third before finding Sa Ty for a long-range looping curler that snuck in under the bar and into the top right corner. (1-2)
Things slowly began to improve when Head Coach Yu Hoshide made some adjustments and sent in Shirmar Felongco and Sandro Reyes in the 69th minute. The blue shirts dropped back and the yellow shirts advanced, and several chances were created to potentially bring the game back level.
Both Sandro and Robert Lopez Mendy each had their unheard penalty shouts after being taken down in the box, but it was the Captain who was closest to saving the day.
Jovin Bedic planted his foot in the ground and muscled around his marker to receive the ball in the box, turn, and shoot it straight past the keeper for a potential equalizer. However, the referees disallowed the goal and ruled him offside. In the end, it just wasn’t Kaya’s day, and the boys will have a lot of ground to cover as they learn from this game and switch over to their next match.
Shirmar and Sandro checked in for Jhanjhan and the goal-scorer Arnel, while Eric Giganto took the field to relieve Jesse Curran in the 90th minute. As for bookings, both Simone Rota Carlyle Mitchell had to make difficult decisions and both ended up with yellow cards in the 21st and 50th minute, respectively. Lopez Mendy was also booked in added time of the first half for a high arm going up for a header.
Though the loss didn’t help Kaya achieve the good start they were looking for, Iloilo are far from over in this competition. Kaya FC-Iloilo’s AFC Cup campaign continues against Kedah Darul Aman FC on June 27, streaming live on ElevenSports.com
