Kaya FC-Iloilo Impress On the Road, Return to Winning Ways Iloilo put four goals past the Brave Men to extend their lead atop the PFL standings.

When it rains, it pours—even on a sunny day in Imus, Cavite. In need of a bounce back victory following the Visayas Clasico, Kaya FC-Iloilo took care of business against Mendiola FC 1991 to the tune of four goals and a clean sheet.

The Brave Men kept things tight through most of the first half. Their signature mix of sustained pressure, quick counters, and timely fouls in transition held Kaya back from the strong start they hoped for. To the team’s relief, it was Daizo Horikoshi who broke the stalemate in the 41st minute; a costly mistake by the Mendiola defense opening the floodgates for the second half deluge to come. 

“It was a bit of a nervous game for us in the first half, so I felt that we were still lacking in confidence—but after the first goal we had a big bounce back and our confidence did as well,” stated head coach Yu Hoshide in his post-match interview. 

Through testy moments and mad scrambles to cut off counters, Iloilo’s defense eventually won out. Possession began leaning more and more in Iloilo’s favor, letting them pin the hosts to their own half and attack to their hearts’ content. 

Even when Mendiola were able to successfully bring numbers forward, Kaya were ready to press the advantage and solidify their lead. Quick thinking from Zach Banzon, Arnel Amita, and Jhan Melliza in the 63rd minute produced goal number two—and goals three and four came not long after.  

Iloilo’s recent reinforcements also played a role in getting this result, each performing well in their appearances so far. Dylan Nobiraki and Milad Behgandom played all 90 minutes in this match, while Tamon Horikoshi made his awaited Kaya debut off the bench. 

“Our two young Japanese players [Dylan and Tamon] are adjusting really fast, and our Filipino players are always helping them to communicate,” Hoshide revealed. “Also Milad [Beghandom] has played in the Philippines before, he has a lot of experience and he’s a good addition for us.”

A dominant win like this comes with big implications for Kaya’s championship aspirations. Even when one considers their two games in hand, second place Dynamic Herb Cebu FC’s draw with Stallion Laguna FC puts Iloilo ahead in the standings by eight points. When asked about the team’s mindset on the updated title race, Coach Yu gave a simple yet confident answer.

“Our motivation and energy are the same. We will do what we have to do; and every single game, we have to fight.”

Nevertheless, Hoshide also acknowledged that there’s still plenty of room to grow, stating, “It’s still the same gameplan, but step by step we have to improve as well.” 

Up next, Kaya FC-Iloilo will take on Maharlika Manila FC at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on March 4. 

 

Player Spotlight: 

Can’t Hold Horikoshi 
Another game, another spectacular performance from the Kanagawa Rocket. His solo goal in the 41st minute got the ball rolling for Kaya, and he also provided two quality assists with both his left and right foot. With ten goals and nine assists to his name, Daizo continues his reign as the most prolific goal contributor in the PFL.

Amita’s Arsenal
When he’s on his game, few can match Nano in terms of on-ball creativity. The crafty midfielder put up a goal and an assist in just a two minute span, reminding everyone why he was called up to the Azkals last year.

Dylan Dangerous
Nobiraki built on his impressive debut performance, directing the midfield with his range of passing, ball control under pressure, and scoring threat—notching his maiden goal for the yellow and black.