The ESBF Takeaways: Opening day tussle between Kaya FC-Iloilo and Maharlika Manila FC

Photo Credits: Philippines Football League

The 2022 Copa Paulino Alcantara kicked off last March 14, 2022, with the defending champions Kaya FC-Iloilo going away with a slim one-nil victory over the returning Maharlika Manila FC.

After missing out on the 2021 Edition of the Copa, Maharlika Manila FC came back last Monday with some freshness and grit as they took on the defending champs who were coming from a four-nil loss against Sydney FC in their AFC Champions League play-off match. Without further ado, we now take a look at the five takeaways of the ESBF Gang from this opening day fixture.

1) New Season, New System

Photo Credits: Philippines Football League

Maharlika Manila FC skipped the 2021 edition of the CoPA as they underwent some restructuring to keep the club sustainable in the upcoming years. With the backing of major sponsors Philam Life AIA, Anton Del Rosario and his boys went back to the field brimming with confidence and positivity among their ranks.

As they took on the current title-holders Kaya FC-Iloilo, the boys from the capital, they were put into a similar situation as they also opened their debut season in the Philippines Football League against the same opposition.

This time around, Maharlika Manila FC, boasting a revamped squad, went onto the pitch and announced to everyone that they are here to compete and not just participate. Despite having few chances on goal, the boys in black showed their defensive prowess as they made it difficult for the defending champions to find the opening.

They didn't give Kaya FC-Iloilo a chance to dominate the match in its entirety as they were able to pressure the defending champs to keep the ball moving in order to find the openings.

Their newly-found philosophy comes with the appointment of their new head coach Jeongkil Kim. When the news went out regarding his appointment with Maharlika Manila FC, fans thought it was Master Kim, a decorated coach who guided the likes of Meralco Manila FC and ten-peat winners Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws.

However, it was a different Kim that we've seen but still, an accomplished coach took the reins from former Maharlika Manila FC head coach Roxy Dorlas. His experience in local football is pretty extensive as he's been part of the coaching staff of former PFL club Davao Aguilas FC as well as Stallion Laguna FC.

He's also the head coach of the National University Junior Football Team who took second place in the UAAP before the pandemic started. Now that he's with Maharlika Manila FC, you could immediately see the difference in their approach to the game.

Kim also did a decent job in building up the fitness level of his players as they were able to pressure Kaya FC-Iloilo from start to finish. If not for a 46th-minute slip-up from David Basa, they could've shared points with the defending champs.

With their first match in the 2022 Copa Paulino Alcantara now in the books, they now look forward to their duel with Mendiola FC 1991 on the 21st of March and with the morale boost they got despite a slender defeat against Kaya FC-Iloilo, maximum points are of the utmost importance.

2) Deadly combinations for the champions

Photo Credits: Philippines Football League

After a 46th-minute strike from Daizo Horikoshi put Kaya FC-Iloilo in the driver's seat, the win was still not as solid as it may have looked for the titleholders. They may be ahead but there were times they found their backs against the wall.

Luckily, in these kinds of matches, fans are treated to some tactical engineering of both sides. Focusing more on Yu Hoshide, the Japanese coach made certain changes that made sense for the Ilonggo-based booters in order for them to seal the victory.

With Jovin Bedic's introduction in the 46th minute, the Ilonggo-born striker attracted the attention of the defenders giving Robert Lopez-Mendy and Horikoshi some spaces to operate upfront. What comes next is a goal that gave them the lead and eventually the win.

A like-for-like substitution on the 66th minute saw Kaya FC's new wonderboy Sandro Reyes pair up with Oskari Kekkonen in the middle of the field. This gave the fans some chills as well as a glimpse into the future of Philippine football.

Their solid pairing in the middle saw the ball flowing more freely and at times, Reyes would find pockets of spaces for himself to test Henry Bandeken Fong's goalkeeping skills.

Though it's too early to call, we might just see these pairing a bit more as the season opens up. Imagine having a deadly attacking trio upfront with Mendy supported by Bedic and Horikoshi from the wings, Kekkonnen and Reyes manning the middle of the field with Ryo Fujii serving as the anchoring defensive midfielder, it would give nightmares to whoever they face so long as they can make it work.

3) Kaya's silent operator

Photo Credits: Philippines Football League

If you were able to watch the game with a keen eye for the player's movements, one player may have caught your attention. Ryo Fujii, who started as a defensive midfielder for the defending champions, took on the role previously handled by their midfield general Marwin Angeles who's now plying his trade in Indonesia, and he didn't disappoint.

When things are a bit quiet, that is when Fujii made the most noise. He used silence as his friend in the match. Whenever the forwards attract too much pressure, Fujii would be asking for the ball from the back to pivot his way to the other side and look for the open man.

He would even create these incisive passes in the middle that keeps Maharlika Manila FC checking their shoulders for any unmarked personnel. Fujii's keen eye for an opening makes things easier for the rest of the boys in yellow as they just need to stay in their position and Fujii's going to find a way to get the ball to them.

Fujii also found himself useful in attack as he would fill in the spaces in the wings whenever Kaya FC overloaded the box with the forwards and his crosses were as threatening as his incisive passes in the middle. He could finally say that he's now able to have a firm grasp of Kaya FC's philosophy.

4) Fresh but familiar faces mean business for Maharlika Manila FC

Anton Del Rosario's Maharlika Manila FC spent did not waste any time while they were on a short hiatus as they were able to bring in some new faces in their squad to show their intent of fighting for relevance instead of merely showing up for games at the PFF National Training Centre.

Over the pre-season preparations, the team from the capital managed to bring in the Clariño trio in their squad. It was a sensible move for Maharlika Manila FC as both Miggy and Ojay already had a fair share of their PFL stints.

In the 2020 season, Miggy played with eventual champions United City FC while Ojay suited up for their rivals Kaya FC-Iloilo. On the other hand, Gino's last taste of competitive football was when he played for Stallion Laguna FC in 2019.

With both Miggy and Ojay already familiar with the rest of the field, it will give Maharlika the boost they needed in terms of their tactical prowess.

One of the other key signings for Maharlika is Michael Simms who previously suited up for last year's third placers Stallion Laguna FC. He's bringing his experience with him as he learned a lot under the tutelage of coach Ernie Nierras.

Oh, we almost forgot, Jayson Cutamora's back in top-flight football after a three-year break from the sport. The 35-year-old veteran has been a constant figure in club football with appearances for Loyola FC, Pachanga Diliman, and JPV Marikina FC.

Known for his brute physicality, Cutamora's presence in midfield or in defense will be a welcoming sight for Maharlika as they need someone like him to boss the field with sheer force.

With all of these new signings getting a taste of the competition on opening day, they surely raised some eyebrows with their persistent performance against the title-holders. All that's left for Maharlika now is to make the team stick and they might just see themselves in the knockout stages fighting for their lives and relevance.

5) A three-month-long curtain-raiser

Over the last two years, Filipino football fans have been dying to see their teams play against each other in a longer format but with the pandemic halting all of the festivities, they were only treated to a sprint-to-the-finish type of competition.

First off with the 2020 Philippines Football League, six teams fought in five matchdays across 17 days which was done to make sure that the league will still kick-off despite the challenges of the pandemic.

After a short 2020 season, United City Football FC won the league by a single point ahead of their rivals Kaya FC-Iloilo. Last year, the Philippines Football League failed to start a new season hence pushing for the league cup taking place towards the end of the year.

With five teams participating in the 2021 CoPA, it was a shorter tournament with one group stage match in group A between Stallion Laguna FC and Dynamic Herb Cebu FC, then a single-round robin in group B between Kaya FC-Iloilo, Mendiola FC 1991, and the Azkals Development Team.

This time around, the Copa Paulino Alcantara welcomes seven clubs and will be playing the tournament across three months giving more preparation time for the clubs ahead of their next matches as well as allowing United City FC to finish their group stage matches in the AFC Champions League.

Thanks as well to the returnees United City Football Club and Maharlika Manila FC, football fans are going to be treated for a longer league cup format compared to it's last year's edition.

Though dubbed as the curtain-raiser for the league this season, a three-month-long league cup allows the fans to assess their clubs ahead of the real deal and for the clubs to showcase their depth.

And with longer tournaments comes a higher chance of clubs improving themselves making the competition more competitive than ever. Should this format continue and new clubs adhere to the minimum requirements to acquire a license to participate in the league, our dreams of a competitive and proper league format are just within our grasp.