Ready to Make History: Kaya FC-Iloilo - Shanghai Port FC Preview

Out and ready to make history for club and country, Kaya FC-Iloilo's first round of preparations in Thailand is in the books and the club is boasting its new approach to the game with the help of key signings and a new gaffer.

The AFC Champions League play-offs are set to kick off on the 23rd of June with Kaya FC going up against Shanghai Port FC after Brisbane Roar and other Australian clubs begged off from the tournament.

This means that the winner of this play-off will then progress to the group stages where they will be welcomed by the champions from Thailand, BG Pathum United, champions of Vietnam, Viettel FC, and the defending AFC Champions League title-holders Ulsan Hyundai.

New faces, new challenges

The AFC Champions League is the pinnacle club football in Asia and to make it even in the group stages is an honor in itself. You need to have the drive, passion as well as being able to take the risks if you want to make it.

In its efforts to make history, Kaya FC has brought in a lot of reinforcements ahead of their play-offs against Shanghai Port FC.

With Michael Menzi, Emmanuel Osei, OJ Clariño, and Roberto Corsame's departure, it gave Kaya the opportunity to fill in the gaps they've left in the squad with some familiar faces.

In midfield, the Iloilo-based squad snatched long-serving veterans JhanJhan Melliza and Fitch Johnson Daviz Arboleda from the stable of Stallion Laguna FC.

They also salvaged Ryo Fujii, who's supposed to join Global FC ahead of the 2020 season but the club's removal from the Philippines Football League paved way for Kaya to take advantage of the 24-year-old midfielder who came out of the LA Galaxy II program.

They also brought in a striker in Patrick Asare. Already experienced in the AFC Champions League qualifiers, Asare will be bringing in his scoring prowess to Kaya with the hopes of making it to the group stages this time.

He may look familiar and that's because during the 2018 AFC Champions League Preliminary Stages between Ceres-Negros FC and Shan United, Asare scored the equalizer with a long-range strike from outside the box which sent the match into penalties.

But the most surprising thing that happened to Kaya FC ahead of their AFC Champions League qualifiers is acquiring the service of the Azkals' next big thing, Jarvey Gayoso.

Fresh from his stint with the national team in Sharjah, Gayoso, and Kaya FC surprised the Philippine Football scene when they announced his signing. A move to Muangthong United looked set for the King Eagle but later on signed for the Iloilo-based booters which seemed to be a sensible move for the versatile striker.

These additions are expected to give Kaya FC the victory against Shanghai Port FC to give the Philippines a shot at a history of having two clubs in the AFC Champions League group stages on their debuts.

Graham Harvey could be Kaya's success or downfall

New coach, new system. This is what Kaya FC will have to deal with as they've acquired the services of Graham Harvey, merely two weeks before they face Shanghai Port.

"Our style is definitely going to be one of making sure that we are intense without the ball. We’ll work really hard to get it back and maintain our shape, and then when we do get the ball, we’re in a position to be able to counterattack as quickly as possible," said Harvey about how he plans to bring Kaya to the ACL Group stages.

At 36 years old, Harvey has already garnered a lot of experience in coaching as he had stints as an assistant coach with the Chinese U-16 Women's National Team and Guam Men's National Team.

Despite his coaching experiences, this is his first top-flight club football competition and it's a big one because of its possible repercussions not only for Kaya FC but for the entirety of Philippine club football.

If Kaya wants to progress to the group stages, they should be able to adapt to Harvey's system real quick or everything will go downhill for them.

It is also a wise decision for the club to keep coach Yu Hoshide to guide him from the wings as he'll be able to ease up the transition for both Graham and the club. Simply put, if Kaya FC wins, it's a shared success for Hoshide and Harvey which could help him avoid getting the villain status.

All to play for

After the disappointment from the 2020 season as they fell short of the PFL trophy by just a single point against United City FC, Kaya looks to bounce back on a high note as they aim to progress to the group stages of the AFC Champions League and join UCFC as part of the chosen few.

And it seems like the football gods are working in their favor as a lot of circumstances heading into the AFC CL play-offs are playing to their advantage. First, the withdrawal of Brisbane Roar from the tournament means they won't be facing a side that's currently on form and is sitting in fourth place in the A-League.

It's another blessing in disguise for the Ilonggo side as the pandemic has brought a lot of complications for Shanghai Port FC. In an effort to stay atop of group B of the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Port decided to send their youth and reserve players to the qualifiers instead of their marquee players like Oscar, Marko Arnautovic, and Aaron Mooy.

Though they cannot count out the opposition despite the fact they'll be playing most of their youth team players, it is all for the taking for Kaya FC-Iloilo to make it to the AFC Champions League Group Stages. They now have an opportunity of a lifetime to make it into the biggest stage of them all in their first-ever attempt at it.

As an added pressure and motivation, the AFC Champions League could be the only chance for Kaya FC-Iloilo to play in an intercontinental competition this year as the ASEAN Zone group stages of the AFC Cup is on the brink of cancellation due to the withdrawal of Singapore as its neutral venue hosts.

Predicted Lineups and Formation

To give themselves a fighting chance against the Chinese side, they need to go all out on the attack with a 4-3-3 diamond formation with Jovin Bedic leading the front line supported by Jarvey Gayoso and Kenshiro Daniels from the wings.

The recent outing of Gayoso and Daniels in the Azkals' campaign in Sharjah should give them the extra form they need against Shanghai port.

Setting the tone in the first 15 minutes of the match is the key to winning for Kaya as they've shown they can go for it right from the kick-off. They also have good ball retention and knows how to pass the ball around.

On defence, they could immediately switch to a 4-3-1-2 with Marwin Angeles being the anchor of them all and Gayoso pairing up with Bedic as the twin forwards.

The 4-3-3 formation will demand a lot from their wingers and midfielders to open up the spaces and to find that incisive final ball past the defence. It will be exciting to see how Graham Harvey and Yu Hoshide will use their tactical prowess against a youthful side in Shanghai Port FC.