Kaya FC gathers important three points ahead of Visayas Derby

Photo Credits: Kaya Futbol Club

A testy affair brought out the best in the 2022-23 Philippines Football League season league leaders Kaya FC-Iloilo as they edged out the Azkals Development Team via three goals to two in a very physical match that almost turned into an all-out war.

Coming into the match, Kaya FC-Iloilo is sitting behind Dynamic Herb Cebu FC by just a point with a game to spare of their own. And after three wins over the ADT, Kaya FC knew that they could take maximum points home before they travel to Cebu for their final meeting of the season against the Gentle Giants. However, the ADT had other plans as they continue to intensify their preparation for the upcoming 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia which is less than a month away.

The early proceedings went to the path of the league leaders with Jarvey Gayoso scoring the opener in the 18th minute. Former King Eagle Gayoso only needed two touches to turn past his defender before volleying it past Dimitri Makapagkal whose debuting for the ADT.

It only took four minutes for the youthful side to level the match after a lovely sequence of passing that led to Andres Aldeguer's easy tap-in past Zach Banzon. From there it became a smooth-sailing match for the leaders to a fierce contest between the youngsters and the veterans which brought was then welcomed by a rousing applause from the Ultras Kaya who also made their return after quite some time off the terraces.

Both sides would exchange attacks but ended up firing blanks. Heading into halftime, Kaya FC and ADT are inseparable. Come the second half, the league leaders finally showed why they are at the top of the standings. Daizo Horikoshi continued to show his goalscoring skills after putting Kaya FC ahead once more just a minute into the second half.

A mistake in defense saw Jhan Melliza capitalizing on the mistake with an interception before feeding the ball to Daizo who then scored his 12th goal of the season. The entire second half proved that the league leaders are ready to push for the title as they asserted their dominance over the opposition. In the 55th minute, Daizo capped off a speedy counterattack with his 13th goal of the season. Milad Beghandom provided an incisive through ball to the path of the Kanagawa speedster who then rifled it to the left post and in.

The Azkals Development Team, however, wanted to prove a point that they are no pushovers and with the newly-installed head coach of the U22 squad Rob Gier in attendance. Former United City FC standout Pocholo Bugas would push the ADT to fight until the end after scoring in the 69th minute.

Dennis Chung saw the opportunity to provide an assist to Bugas who had acres of space on the left side of the pitch. All he had to do was to compose himself and take the shot past the veteran Banzon. It sparked a fightback from the ADT but all they were able to produce was a few scuffles with Kaya FC.

In the end, Kaya FC-Iloilo went away with the victory, taking away maximum points and extending their game-winning streak to five matches which is crucial to their campaign as they will now head over to Cebu and face their rivals Dynamic Herb Cebu FC in what could be the title-decider of the season.

"We didn't expect the slow start today but at the end of the day, we won. Hopefully, next game starting kick-off, we will switch on," said coach Yu Hoshide in his post-match interview with Claro Manzano, host of the "Who the Heck are We" podcast.

Daizo, who was also awarded the man of the match, found the game to be a bit tough for him and his teammates. He said, "This game was tough, especially in the first half we were not good. But at halftime, we had a good conversation and coach said we have to give 100%."

Other than the desire to win the league, Kaya FC-Iloilo found an extra boost in this match thanks to their faithful supporters, Ultras Kaya, who made their return to the terraces to push their club who's been longing for a league title. Daizo said, "It's good support for us and if more people come to watch us, then we can play well more." Coach Hoshide also echoed Daizo's statement about the Ultras Kaya saying, "That's really appreciated. Please continue to support us."

The Gentle Giants now wait for them at the Dynamic Herb Sports Stadium for their final encounter of the season which could decide the fate of the 2022-23 PFL trophy's destination. They'll face each other again on the 23rd of April which would be the last installment of their matchup for this season. In their last three encounters, Cebu FC went away with close-shave wins via a 3-2 scoreline while Kaya FC took away a 3-nil win in their first match.