Semifinals Preview: Dynamic Herb Cebu FC 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara: Match Overview, Group Stage Takeaways, and Quotes from Coach Yu Hoshide

The Semifinal is imminent for Kaya FC-Iloilo, following their sweep of Group B with an impressive 6-0 victory over Mendiola FC 1991. They’ll be facing the newly established Dynamic Herb Cebu FC, who went tit for tat against Stallion Laguna FC but ultimately came out second in Group A. Now that the seeds have been decided and the Copa’s AFC implications are looming large, it’s time for the Knockout Stage to finally begin.

Cebu had to undergo a trial by fire, making their debut at the highest level of Philippine football in a very crucial Cup match. Though they are a new club featuring young and developing prospects on the squad, their roster is also chock full of veterans who’ve experienced playing on this stage before. Even a few familiar faces took to the field and sideline on Wednesday—former Kaya players Papu Cosarme Jr. and Ace Villanueva; former Kaya Academy players JB Borlongan, King Miyagi, and Lorenzo Genco; as well as former Kaya Head Coach Bingbing Colina and former Goalkeeper then GK Coach Ref Cuaresma.

The match was a back-and-forth affair, both sides shaking off rust and playing very physically. Midway through the first half, Stallion capitalized on the chaos that followed their own Sungmin Kim going down in pain. The referee said play on after the Korean forward was tackled from behind, and Abou Sy was able to find the back of the net to give Laguna the lead.

Dynamic Herb continued to fight, dominating possession for the rest of the match as their opponents began to play more defensively. Things started to go in their favour when Laguna’s Yannick Tuason got sent off following multiple altercations with John Renz Saldivar, Stallion going down to ten men for the final twenty minutes of action. It wasn’t meant to be however, as Cebu created chance after chance but just couldn’t find joy.

Employing a possession-based build up style quite similar to Kaya’s own, the Semifinal may come down to which side seizes control of the game’s pace. Iloilo have done that exceptionally well through their group stage fixtures, keeping ADT from finding their rhythm and turning the tables early on the counter-heavy Mendiola.

The back-three of Audie Menzi, Carlyle Mitchell, and Simone Rota have been effective in that regard—patiently building from the back and using the full width of the field. Kaya’s passing as a whole has gotten progressively sharper, be it playing balls into space or quick slices through both the middle and flanks. They showed near perfect execution against Mendiola, getting anywhere they wanted to on the pitch.

What’s been most impressive however, has been the fact that neither Zach Banzon or Mike Casas have been truly tested so far in the competition. Both goalkeepers have had little to do during the first two matches, thanks to everyone staying disciplined in maintaining their defensive shape. Coach Yu Hoshide noted as much, saying that this was a priority for the team going in.

“Actually we are doing well, especially winning with clean sheets. We have to continue to do that and not forget our original intention,” he stated.

The new formation the coaching staff implemented in the offseason has been getting results, with the wingers dropping back to form a backline that any side would find difficult to break through. Even so, Kaya still have yet to show its final form.

“We are using a new formation, so it’s getting better game by game. We will add a few more things based on what we saw in the Group Stage,” Coach Yu revealed.

When asked about his thoughts going into this next match against Dynamic Herb and getting a chance to go up against past players and colleagues, he admitted that he’s looking forward to it.

“Cebu has former Kaya coaches and players, so I expect that they are hungry to play against us and that it’ll be great game.”

The Semifinals kickoff on November 16, 8:15pm and you can find links to the livestreams down below.

– facebook.com/SMARTSportsPhilippines
– facebook.com/pusopilipinas
– facebook.com/WeArePFL
– youtube.com/c/PhilippinesFootballLeague/featured