Kaya FC-Iloilo put up a monumental effort in their final match in the 2021 ACL Group Stage, falling 1-0 to Viettel FC after going down to nine men. The Iloilo side fought valiantly despite the numbers advantage, and managed to keep the Vietnamese champs scoreless in open play.
The first half was a thorough testing of Kaya’s defensive formation. Despite firing several shots from distance and keeping Zach Banzon relatively busy, Viettel’s attempts were all either off the mark or saved by the keeper. While Kaya had their own chances that couldn’t find joy, it was an exercise in patience for Viettel who found it far harder to score than in their first meeting.
The match took a turn in the second half, not dissimilar to the events of their prior matchup. Controversy struck in the 52nd minute, as Simone Rota was called for a foul and given a red card just outside the penalty area. The defender inadvertently stepped on Ngoc Son Tran’s foot as both players were in full sprint and going after a through ball. Despite the absence of recklessness or malicious intent, Rota was thrown out of the game along with Kaya’s gameplan.
Things went from bad to worse just five minutes later. Masanari Omura was sent off as well following a tackle from behind in nearly the same spot. In the span of two minutes, the team was left with just nine players on the field and back to back free kicks in a dangerous area.
On their earlier attempt, Viettel tried to lob it over the defenders and into the top corner; Banzon read it easily for the interception.
On the following attempt, the referee stepped in and forced Kaya’s wall to step back a couple paces. This time, Calique’s strike sailed over the wall and barely past Banzon’s fingertips to take the lead in the 57th minute.
The team continued to fight however, running themselves ragged pushing forward on counters and sprinting back on defense. Unlike their earlier meeting, the Iloilo side did not let their opponents capitalize further. A Kaya squad nine strong—exhausted, undersized, and outmatched—showed their fighting spirit and held the champions of Vietnam scoreless for the remainder of the match.
Things got chippy between the clubs in added time, Viettel’s Jaha cut Arnel Amita’s legs out from under him and earned himself a yellow card in the 91st minute. Not two minutes later, Trong Dai Nguyen body-checked Arnel from behind in an unsportsmanlike manner. The Maco native got up to defend himself, but the referee saw fit to hand both of them yellow cards as well.
All five substitutions were used, necessitated by red cards taking their toll on the starters. Jovin Bedic was subbed in just before the incident, coming in for Eric Giganto who went down with an injury. Marco Casambre and Fitch Arboleda came in for Marwin Angeles and Daizo Horikoshi in the 58th minute to shore up the defence, while Arnel Amita and Jarvey Gayoso relieved Ryo Fujii and Shirmar Felongco in the 83rd.
While it was a rough way to end their first AFC Champions League campaign, the players can leave this match with their heads held high. They may be returning empty-handed, but they’ve pushed the very best of Asia to the brink. The team will be going home as warriors, battle tested and hungry to make their return to this stage next year.
