Biñan, Laguna — The weather was overcast at the PFF National Football Center, as was the game that was played on the pitch in which Kaya FC-Iloilo came away with a 1-2 victory over Stallion Laguna FC.

For the third week in a row, Kenry Balobo lined up between the sticks behind the center-back pairing of Simone Rota and Camelo Tacusalme. Marco Casambre and Audie Menzi started on the left and right flank of the backline, as did Daizo Horikoshi and Eric Giganto further ahead in the wings. Ryo Fujii’s central midfield partners were Jhan Melliza and Marwin Angeles, while Robert Lopez Mendy led the charge up front.

Once again, it was Daizo Horikoshi who opened the scoring early—getting on the board in just the eighth minute. Ryo Fujii made off with the ball following a scramble in midfield, working his way into the final third before sending it wide left to Marco Casambre. The fullback took a touch before lifting a beauty into the box for the speedster, who was in perfect position between two defenders to head it into the back of the net. (0-1)

Iloilo didn’t let up on the pressure, and they were rewarded with a security goal in the 21st minute from a piece of sensational build play. Camelo Tacusalme sent the ball long to Casambre up the left, who once again found Horikoshi—but this time it was with a through pass that he threaded between two defenders. From inside the penalty area Daizo’s cross was low and central, where it perfectly met Jhan Melliza who fired a missile into the roof of the net. (0-2)

Kaya were poised to take the two-goal lead into the halftime break, but Stallion were as relentless as ever. The possession battle gradually evened out throughout the match, and they finally caught the boys out in the 41st minute.

Laguna’s Koichi Belgira torched his way down the right flank, playing one-twos until he sprung loose past the midline. The full-back flew up the length of the field and all the way to the penalty box, where he struck the ball hard and true—finding the top right corner out of Kenry’s reach. (1-2)

It was a rough and physical match, with the ref setting the tone early by calling “play on” for several really hard tackles. Kaya were able to use these conditions to their advantage in the first half, playing aggressive defense and launching attacks at will—resulting in their hard-earned lead.

However, few clubs compare to Stallion when things come down to a rock fight, and the pace started to favor the pink shirts more and more as the game drew on. The second half turned into a true back-and-forth affair between the two sides—a stalemate that looked to carry on to the final whistle until a golden opportunity presented itself in the 68th minute.

After working his way into the penalty area, Stallion’s captain Gabriel Silva slide-tackled Fitch Arboleda from behind and the ref pointed at the spot. With a chance to go up three goals to one, Robert Lopez Mendy stepped up to take the penalty. Unfortunately, Michael Asong guessed correctly and got his hands on it—and the momentum shifted to the other side.

Laguna began chasing the game in earnest, and it was all Iloilo could do to hold them at bay. However, things got much worse in the 77th minute when veteran defender Simone Rota received a straight red card after an ill-advised high boot.

The boys fought valiantly after going down to ten men, and despite a few close calls in the late game tension, Kaya were able to hold off the Stallions and keep their second half clean sheet. No matter how ugly the win was, it’s worth three points all the same.

Coach Yu Hoshide used three of the five available substitutions on the afternoon, first sending Mar Diano and Fitch Arboleda in for Audie Menzi and Eric Giganto in the 60th minute. Jarvey Gayoso then checked in for Robert Lopez Mendy in the 72nd minute.

Barring any more schedule changes, the men’s team are headed home to Iloilo in two weeks for a long-awaited rematch with UCFC on November 12th.