Kaya FC–Makati Heads To Familiar Ground for First Away Test in PFL

Kaya FC–Makati is set to take on their first away assignment in the Philippines Football League (PFL), when they face off against rivals Global Cebu on Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The venue will be a familiar setting for Kaya, as it’s the stage where historic AFC Cup nights took place, and where countless UFL matches were played.

“Technically it’s an away game, but the players are used to this kind of pitch. This has been the venue for the previous tournament,” said head coach Noel Marcaida at today’s prematch press conference, where he also lauded Wednesday’s opposition. “Global has been performing very well in the AFC Cup. Global is the team to beat in this league (PFL). They’re a team that always starts fast. They’re very good in their quick transition plays,” he added.

The match comes hot on the heels of Kaya’s 2–0 victory over Davao Aguilas in front of home support at the University of Makati Stadium, where Jordan Mintah and Adam Reed scored the goals.

“Everything went well. The morale of the team is really high. This is our first away game, and we’re looking forward to our first three points away from home,” said Marcaida, whose team currently sits second in the standings with four points—their only other game a 1–1 draw against Ceres-Negros on opening day.

Kaya will be without the services of Adam Reed tomorrow night, as the midfielder was sent off shortly after scoring the second against Davao last Saturday. Despite the setback, however, fellow midfielder Antonio Ugarte remains confident the team has the depth to cope.

“He’s a quality player (Adam Reed), so he would’ve been nice to have at the game. He’s been pretty solid for us recently. But I think especially this offseason, we did a really good job reinforcing our midfield, so I think the replacements will do just as good of a job,” he said.

“I think they’re a pretty strong and athletic team, so I think we just need to match their intensity. I think that’s going to be the biggest issue,” Ugarte added.

Meanwhile, Global Cebu were forced to settle for a draw over the weekend, as Stallion Laguna managed a dramatic late equalizer to ensure both teams shared the points. The Marjo Allado-led side currently sits third in the standings, with only goal differential keeping them below Kaya.

“Well first, Kaya is a big team,” said Allado. “They have good strikers. We need to prepare to defend against them.”

“We’re aware they’ve got off to a good start this season. They got a tie with Ceres. They always give us a strong game, so we know what to expect,” added Matthew Hartmann.

Gates at Rizal Memorial Stadium open at 5:00 p.m., with kickoff scheduled at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the venue.