CPA 2022: Semifinal Match Preview 2022 Copa Paulino Alcantara — Game Overview, a Thriller Rematch, and Quotes from Coach Yu Hoshide
With a record of five wins and a single draw, Kaya FC-Iloilo finish the elimination stage of the Copa Paulino Alcantara at the top of the table. The battle lines have been drawn, the participants are set, and it is at that familiar field in Carmona that Kaya await their Semifinal challenger: the ever-resilient Stallion Laguna FC.
Iloilo are coming off a 3-0 victory over the rising upstarts Dynamic Herb Cebu FC: wherein Patrick Arthur scored his debut goal for the yellow and black, and Daizo Horikoshi secured a brace to take the lead in the Golden Boot race. Head Coach Yu Hoshide reflects on his team’s steadily improving form and the motivation behind it.
“Our players’ performance has been getting better game by game, even our training quality is much better than the beginning of the season too,” he said. “Everybody knows what our objective is, so all the players have had plenty of motivation towards getting that trophy.”
“Our players really showed what we’ve learned from our last game against Stallion. In the last two games, we got some valuable game experience that will help us manage how we’ll play for 90 minutes,” Hoshide added.
Ninety minutes of effort was what Coach Hoshi expected, and that was exactly what he got in the form of continuous pressure until the final whistle. The boys refused to give the Whale Sharks any chance to get back into the game, a lesson they learned first-hand fairly recently.
Earlier this month, the two clubs’ meeting developed into a five-goal thriller that went down to the wire. Kaya controlled the first half and went into the break up 3-0, but a slow start to the second period found Stallion taking over and rattling off two goals on the comeback trail.
Due to the Azkals Development Team’s withdrawal from the competition to compete in the SEA Games, Laguna’s hard-fought 0-0 score line against United City was just enough to beat out Maharlika Manila and put them through to the next round. Stallion successfully drew their way to the Copa Semifinals by forcing teams into taxing, physical matches week after week.
“Stallion have shown that they are a tough team and that they never give up, so it certainly won’t be an easy game for us,” Coach admitted.
Even with their record as it is, they’ve developed a reputation as a difficult matchup throughout the tournament. Teams have had trouble getting through the sea of pink shirts that make up their low block which often turns their games into battles of attrition. They’re also always coiled like a spring and relentless on the counterattack.
Kaya were able to find success against their backline in the last match, but even when you do get past their defense and build a healthy lead, they’re a relentless bunch that won’t go down without a fight.
“[Kaya] is in a good mood right now, so we’ve taken this time to focus on conditioning first as well as some fine adjustments from the last two games,” Hoshide stated.
“Stallion always gives us a hard time whenever we play, but I am expecting the players to play like they did in the first half of our last meeting and like they did against Cebu. I’m sure that our players will give a 100% performance in the Semifinals.”
Tensions flared in the game’s closing minutes which resulted in a scuffle between Iloilo’s Carlyle Mitchell and Laguna’s Kameron Bolden. The ensuing chaos resulted in both players being sent off with red cards—and both absences will continue to be felt by each side in tomorrow’s fixture.
In addition to Shirmar Felongco who’s currently suspended due to yellow card accumulation, the squad remains without Captain Jovin Bedic, Camelo Tacusalme, Oskari Kekkonen, and Sandro Reyes. Regardless, the club’s overall depth has come together in the meantime and pulled through without skipping a beat.
The near-loss experience served as a wake-up call that helped spur the team on in the Cebu match, and the boys will need to carry that intensity over to this week as well. Stallion will be coming with everything they’ve got. This time around, Kaya will too.
Catch the Copa Semifinals LIVE at the PFF National Football Center in Carmona, Cavite to come and support the boys live from the stands! Kickoff’s at 5:00 PM, and you can also catch the Livestream at home on the PFL’s Facebook and YouTube pages!
