Manila, Philippines — In a rain-soaked and fiercely contested battle, Kaya FC-Iloilo triumphed over Stallion Laguna FC with a 3-2 victory. This latest clash added another intense chapter to the long-standing rivalry between these two legacy clubs.
The battle was fierce from the opening whistle, with both sides battling for every inch, every ball, every possession. However, Kaya grew into the game throughout the first half, steadily keeping more possession and knocking on the door of Stallion’s goal. And in added time, they finally broke through.
From the opening whistle, both teams were locked in a physical battle for control. As the first half progressed, Kaya gradually gained the upper hand, keeping more possession and consistently threatening the Stallion goal. Their persistence paid off right before halftime when Jhan Melliza broke the deadlock—receiving the ball from Eric Esso near the corner of the box with a skillful turn, then threading his shot between two defenders and into the side netting. (‘45+2, 1-0)
The La Paz native’s brilliance shone through once again in the second half, delivering a pinpoint corner kick to Captain Audie Menzi who doubled the lead with a powerful header. (‘58, 2-0)
Never one’s to surrender easily, Laguna responded when PFL debutante Francisco Gomez found space in the Iloilo box to claw a goal back and put themselves back in contention. (‘70, 2-1)
However, Jarvey Gayoso restored Kaya’s two-goal advantage in spectacular fashion. Shuto Komaki delivered a sharp corner kick into the six-yard box, where the league’s leading scorer executed a spinning volley that bounced off the opposite post and into the net. (‘88, 3-1)
Stallion again threatened a comeback in stoppage time, with Abe Placito turning in a header to narrow the deficit once more. (‘90+4, 3-2) Tempers flared in the dying minutes, but the final whistle blew soon after and clinched the crucial victory for Kaya.
With their position atop the PFL table strengthened, the team’s focus now shifts to the next pivotal fixture—a rematch against their 2023 Copa final opponents, Davao Aguilas FC.
Starting Lineup: 4-3-3
LF: Komaki, ST: Gayoso, RF: Melliza
CM: Yamazaki, CDM: Angeles, CM: Esso
LB: Arboleda, CB: Menzi©, CB: Saito, RB: Diano
GK: Birrou
Subs: Bata, Swainston, Bedic, Angeles, Lee, Casambre, Lopez Mendy, Rota, Basindanan, Konate, Romero, Rey
Coach Yu Hoshide utilized just four of his five available substitutions:
- Marwin Angeles entered the game for Eric Esso in the 69th minute.
- Jovin Bedic checked in for Jhan Melliza in the 71st minute.
- Lastly, Marco Casambre and Robert Lopez Mendy relieved Mar Diano and Kaishu Yamazaki in the 83rd minute.
Jarvey Gayoso and Yiyoung Park both made their way into the referee’s book—receiving yellow cards in the 61st and 92nd minutes, respectively.
