Kaya FC-Iloilo Shine in Season Opener, Besting UCFC in PFL Return New-look Kaya squad delivers a promising start for the reigning Philippine champions.

In seven seasons of Philippines Football League action, Kaya FC-Iloilo have yet to record a defeat on opening night—a streak that continued with Sunday’s 2-0 victory over United City FC, signaling a strong start to the season for the defending champions.

Aggressive from the onset, Iloilo dealt the first blow in just the third minute of action. Pushing high into the opposition’s final third, defender Akito Saito picked out Robert Lopez Mendy in the box, who then assisted Eric Esso for the season’s opening goal. 

The match evened out following the initial blitz with both teams exchanging chances amidst chippy, physical play. Ten fouls in the first half underscored the heightened tensions in the battle for midfield control.

The key to Kaya’s victory was the impressive performance of Kaya’s revamped midfield trio. Esso supplied off-ball pressure, Yiyoung Park maintained the team’s balance, and Kaishu Yamazaki orchestrated plays with his rangy passes. 

Furthermore, the club’s bench depth proved instrumental, as the introductions of Mark Swainston and Marwin Angeles in the second half ensured solid midfield play for the full 90 minutes.  

This midfield dominance created openings on UCFC’s flanks, one of which led to Iloilo’s second, game-clinching goal. Jarvey Gayoso utilized his pace to get behind the defense and square the ball to Jhan Melliza at the far post—whose finish beat the keeper across the goal line to extend the lead. 

Overall, it was a commanding display from the champs that capitalized on the strengths of their new personnel—and one could expect that their newfound chemistry will only continue to improve as the season progresses.

 

Player Spotlight: 

Kaishu Yamazaki
Receiving the PFL’s MOTM honors for his performance in midfield, the Japanese technician put his ball skills and passing chops on full display. Though he didn’t record an assist in this game, with the way he strikes the ball, it’s only a matter of time before he does. 

Eric Esso
The Ghanaian midfielder burst onto the PFL scene in style, snagging Kaya’s first goal of the season with a laser into the bottom left corner. When he wasn’t finding the back of the net, he was fortifying the midfield by wreaking havoc out of possession—a quality debut for the books. 

Jhan Melliza
When at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Jhanjhan had several opportunities to double the lead, but he kept his poise and simply shrugged off the misses. His persistence paid off in the end, his hard work rewarded with a late goal to seal the win.