The Final Showdown: 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara Final Preview

Something to prove for one side, redemption for the other, the 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara final is set for a cracking match as Kaya FC-Iloilo takes on the Azkals Development Team for the lone trophy for this season.

The dust of the semifinals has already settled and two deserving squads made it to the final. The Azkals Development Team showed everyone that resilience and perseverance bring success while the 2018 Copa Paulino Alcantara title-holders Kaya FC-Iloilo's patience and tight-knit communication pays dividends. We now take a look at how the keys to victories for both teams.

Operation: Bring the trophy back to Iloilo

Photo by: PFL

With the 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara being the only club football competition in the country this season, the stakes couldn't get any higher especially for the runaway favorites, Kaya FC-Iloilo.

Although they already have the passage to the AFC Cup and a slot for the AFC Champions League secured, Kaya FC-Iloilo would still want to finish the season with a trophy in their cabinet.

Knowing that United City FC won't be playing in this tournament, Kaya FC fans, players, and the management knew that this is their best chance to win silverware after falling short last season in the league.

They started off their campaign against the team that they'll be facing in the final. On matchday one, Kaya FC-Iloilo emerged as a victor thanks to Daizo Horikoshi and Simone Rota's contributions.

Though both teams were coming into that match with quite a long period of waiting, Kaya FC-Iloilo was still the side with the upper hand thanks to the experience they gathered from the AFC Champions League six months ahead of the CoPA.

After winning their opening match, they sealed passage to the semis with a five-nil thrashing of Mendiola FC 1991. However, in their semifinal encounter against Dynamic Herb Cebu FC, they've shown signs of weakness as the newcomers managed to threaten them on a number of occasions.

Though they kept on pushing against Cebu, they were gifted a golden opportunity to win the match as Baris Tasci was judged for a handball inside the box that gave Kaya FC-Iloilo team captain and hometown hero Jovin Bedic the chance to seal the victory.

As he went up one on one against former teammate Ace Villanueva, he knew exactly where to put it from the spot. Villanueva was left dumbfounded while Bedic was off to the races to celebrate the only goal of the match.

Photo by: PFL

"It was a very tough game. I really respect Cebu FC," said coach Hoshide about their nail-biting match against the newcomers. Talking about their upcoming rematch against ADT, he said "It will be a very difficult game but we want to win."

Knowing that they already won against ADT this season, they just need to stay consistent with all the things they've done right in their first match. No matter how coach Yu Hoshide shuffles his side, they will always be a force to be reckoned with.

Team captain Bedic will definitely be the player to watch as he looks to chase Jarvey Gayoso for the top-scorer honors and he'll also have the help of Kenshiro Daniels and Dylan De Bruycker.

They've made the ball work for them and those incisive passes coming from the back were a thing of beauty and then mix it with some runs from Horikoshi and Fujii, the Azkals Development Team might just see a whole-new Kaya FC side once the whistle blows. However, they have to be wary of how the deadly trident of the Azkals Development Team is finally getting its groove on.

And lastly, they need to keep the hunger and the drive to bring the trophy back to where it came from, Iloilo, home of the legendary Paulino Alcantara whose name is being honored through this competition.

One for the haters, the other, for glory

Photo by: PFL

Before the 2021 Copa Paulino Alcantara started, the Azkals Development Team pre-dominantly composed the Azkals U-23 who had a disappointing campaign in the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Singapore where they lost all their matches against South Korea, Singapore, and even a lower-ranked nation in Timor Leste.

Their losing streak continued on matchday one of the CoPA but after that, they just kept on rising. A nine-nil thrashing of Mendiola FC 1991 secured their passage to the semis thanks to a five-star performance from Jarvey Gayoso.

"About the players' performance, very impressive talaga,lalo na kung paano nila na-overcome ang pressure lalo na yung mga players galing sa U23 (qualifiers). It's a sign of maturity as a player to be able to bounce back after a tough loss.

During the semifinals, they pushed Stallion Laguna FC to the limit as they went down by a goal 15 minutes into the second half but came back and won it in epic fashion.

The Azkals Development Team forced the game to extra time and towards the end of that thirty minutes, Oliver Bias found Yrick Gallantes inside the box who headed it in past Hayeson Pepito.

The difference so far for the ADT in this competition is how lethal their attacking trident has become. With Sandro Reyes opening the spaces from the middle, Dennis Chung running down the wings, and Gayoso finishing it inside, they've become a side whose reliant on those quick feet and deadly counterattack.

But it will be a different story for them in the upcoming final as Gayoso's inclusion to the starting eleven, or even the squad list, becomes questionable after he was stretchered off in their match against Stallion Laguna FC.

He was running from the right-wing when he abruptly stopped his run and hit the deck. By the looks of it, it may have been a pulled hamstring but we're yet to get confirmation if he's playing against Kaya.

Nonetheless, the young Azkals still have a lot of personnel to deliver the goods for them with the likes of Oskari Kekkonen, Troy Limbo, and even Mar Vincent Diano coming into the mix.

Speed can be one of the advantages they'll have against Kaya as on their first encounter, the ADT managed to threaten their back four with some speedy counterattack. This has been evident as well in their win against Stallion in the semis.

The two goals they scored were from a well-orchestrated counterattack. First, the run from Dennis Chung gave him time to look up and cross the ball for Gayoso while on the winning goal, Bias had a lot of time down that right flank to cross it for two players in white. The ball may have gone over Ivan Ouano but Gallantes was there to win it late.

Apart from speed, their ball movement in the middle could be key to winning as well since they have an abundance of midfielders with great vision. Take FCB Escola product Reyes as an example.

His ability to find an open teammate and the tightest of the angles as well as his nimble footage helps the ADT bring the ball where it needs to be played. His pairing with Kekkonen in the middle also allows them to have that extra set of eyes to look for any runners inside the box.

Win or lose, the Azkals Development Team has already proven to everyone, especially to their haters that development takes time and when everything is being done according to plan, either they will get the result or they will simply learn from it.

Photo by: PFL

"Sabi ko sa kanila whatever the result is, ang importante sa'kin makita ko na sumusunod sila sa sistema para doon mo ma-gauge kung hangang saan na ang level ng team. Main objective naman talaga is to develop players, yung winning, darating yan basta maayos ang nilaro nila," said by coach Jovanie Villagracia ahead of their match against Kaya.

The general viewing public will be up for an epic encounter come 7:45 PM as Kaya FC-Iloilo will be looking for their second title in three straight finals appearances while the Azkals Development Team planning to spoil the party and win a silverware of their own.

For those watching from the comfort of their homes, catch the games live through One Sports on free TV and One Sports+ on high definition for cable service subscribers. For those on the go, you can watch the games live on Facebook and Youtube through the Philippines Football League, Puso Pilipinas, and Smart Sports.

You'll also be treated to a heated encounter between the newcomers Dynamic Herb Cebu FC and Stallion Laguna FC to settle the third placers of the tournament at 4:00 PM.