Sydney Skirmish: 2022 ACL Preliminary Round Match Overview, Setting the Stage, and Quotes from Coach Graham Harvey and Robert Lopez Mendy

Sydney, Australia — In less than twenty-four hours, Kaya FC-Iloilo will face Sydney FC at the Netstrata Jubilee Stadium for the right to advance to the ACL Group Stage. With the memory of last year’s breakthrough still fresh, Iloilo will be looking to upset yet another powerhouse club in what’s sure to be a drama-filled match.

To aid in those efforts, Graham Harvey makes his return to the coaching staff with former Kaya player Richard Greer joining him. Alongside Coach Yu Hoshide, the three have been hard at work getting the squad ready for the monumental task before them.

“We’re expecting to be very organized, we know we’re facing one of the best sides in Australian football,” Harvey stated. “They’ve had multiple years of experience in the Group Stage, so we know we’re up against a very good, strong side. But we feel as though we’ve done our preparation and we’re very motivated.”

Sydney FC are the winningest team in A-League history—with a total of nine league trophies in their cabinet­—and have qualified for the Group Stage in four of the last six years. Though the Sky Blues are going through a bit of a down year and are currently in sixth place in the domestic table, they still boast a talented roster and are one of the strongest clubs that Kaya has faced to date.

“We know we’re up against one of the strongest sides with multiple league titles under their belt, but we’ve done our homework, Coach Graham stated. “We’ve got some coaching staff that have worked through Australia as well, so we did follow the A-League very closely and we’ve been able to get ourselves footage of what we need. We’re very confident in our plan, but we’re also very respectful of who Sydney are.”

Pivotal to that gameplan will be the additions brought in over the offseason, with fans excited to see these players make their Kaya debuts—or in Robert Lopez Mendy’s case, his return.

“I’m feeling excited to do it (play on the Asian stage) with Kaya, because I didn’t get to join them the first time. I’m going to do whatever I can to help the team,” stated Lopez Mendy. “We’re very confident, and I think we can do some things.”

Another name to watch for is Jesse Curran, who will be playing his first game on Australian soil since he left for Scotland in 2015. Back where he grew up and in front of his friends and family, the stage is set for him to make a splash on the continental stage.

“From what I’ve seen, he’s fit in really well to our squad. He adds great experience, not just in his position but also in global football,” said Harvey. ”From where we got to last year in the Group Stage of the Champions League, we really wanted to be able to build on those experiences. To attract players like Jesse to our club is a really big step forward for us, so we’re really hoping he adds to us on and off the field.”

Also suiting up in Kaya colors for the first time are former Azkals Development Team prospects Jarvey Gayoso, Oskari Kekkonen, Mar Vincent Diano, and Sandro Reyes. It willbremain to be seen which of these youngsters will take the field tomorrow, and if their talents will be able to help the club get over the hump.

“It’s a testament to how well they’ve developed back in Manila, but also now that we are on this stage like we were last year, we do have a bit of a platform to give those players experiences at higher levels,” Coach Graham stated. “It gives us good depth, [Sandro’s] still obviously very young but it gives him an opportunity to get used to travelling away. He’s going to get that chance to play in the Champions League, so it’ll be a great experience for him.”

Kaya’s season begins once more in do-or-die fashion, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Tickets are available here!