Kaya Makati Seeks Third Straight Win, Hosts Tricky JPV Marikina at UMak

Kaya Makati and JPV Marikina are finally set to face off on Sunday, almost two months after their initial match was postponed due to a venue issue. Currently separated by a solitary point in the standings, the 4:00pm clash at the University of Makati is expected to be a hard fought affair. JPV is looking to bounce back after their five-game winning streak was recently snapped, while Kaya is aiming to make it three consecutive wins in the Philippines Football League.

“They’ve been performing well. They’ve been very consistent. They have players who are technically sound,” said Makati head coach Noel Marcaida. “It’s an important match. It’s going to be a tough test for both sides. The team who will get a good result will be put in a good position in the rankings. Based on the preparations we’ve had, though, we’re 100% ready for tomorrow’s match.”

“Our team is coming from a loss, so how we approach the game against Kaya will be a test of our character — how we move up again to becoming a winning team,” said Marikina head coach Dan Padernal. “We’ve had good preparation, and we’re ready.”

Prior to the defeat to Meralco Manila last week, JPV was on a spectacular five-game winning streak, which included wins over Ceres Negros and Global Cebu. While Marikina’s profile isn’t as prominent as some of the more established sides in the PFL, Adam Reed was far from surprised at the impressive run.

“We know tomorrow is going to be a really tough game for us. We’ve had tough games against JPV in the past, they’re a strong team,” he said. “But we’re back at home, we know we’re going to have to defend our ground. I think if we stick to our game plan and prepare well, we’ll do well tomorrow.”

Fresh from back-to-back wins, Makati is turning the corner from what was a challenging run of three matches without a win. Reed believes such hardship early in the season has only strengthened the team for what is still a long league ahead.

“We’ve had ups and downs already this season, but we’re always improving. I think we’re going in the right direction,” said Adam. “We’ve had some bounce backs we’ve had to make and I think that has made us stronger. I think the self belief in the team now is better.”

Kaya’s last outing was a 5-1 victory in Davao, with three players opening their scoring account in the PFL — Alfred Osei, Eric Giganto, and Kenshiro Daniels.

“Scoring five goals away from home, it really boosts the players’ morale. Moving forward, we’re focusing on finishing and conversion of chances we may have tomorrow.”

Tomorrow’s match will kickoff at 4:00pm at the University of Makati Stadium, and will be streamed live via www.mycujoo.tv.