Kaya FC—Makati Heads To Familiar Ground for First Away Test in PFL

From L-R: interim Global Cebu head coach Marjo Allado, Matthew Hartmann, Woody Ugarte, and Kaya FC head coach Noel Marcaida

Kaya FC—Makati is set to take on their first away assignment in the Philippines Football League (PFL) tonight, as they face off against rivals Global Cebu FC at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Although the road team,  The venue will be a familiar setting for Kaya. Head Coach Noel Marcaida says,"Technically it’s an away game, but the players are used to this kind of pitch. This has been the venue for the previous tournament."

Marcaida adds, “Global has been performing very well in the AFC Cup. Global is the team to beat in this league (PFL). They’re a team that always starts fast. They’re very good in their quick transition plays,” he added. Woody Ugarte adds, "I think they’re a pretty strong and athletic team, so I think we just need to match their intensity. I think that’s going to be the biggest issue."

Kaya is fresh from a 2-0 home victory over Davao Aguilas FC this past weekend at the University of Makati, with Jordan Mintah and Adam Reed responsible for scoring. The win puts them in second place at the Philippines Football League standings with four points, after opening the season with a 1-1 draw against Ceres-Negros FC. Marcaida says, "Everything went well. The morale of the team is really high. This is our first away game, and we’re looking forward to our first three points away from home."

The win came with a cost, with Reed being sent off in the second half, and will be sitting out tonight's matchup. Ugarte, however, remained confident that the team can handle his absence. He says, "He’s a quality player (Adam Reed), so he would’ve been nice to have at the game. He’s been pretty solid for us recently. But I think especially this offseason, we did a really good job reinforcing our midfield, so I think the replacements will do just as good of a job."

Global Cebu, on the other hand, were held to a draw by Stallion Laguna FC, with Matthew Nierras denying the PFL contenders the full points with a late equalizer. Although level on points with Kaya FC-Makati, they have an inferior goal difference.

When asked about their opposition, interim head coach Marjo Allado says, “Well first, Kaya is a big team. They have good strikers. We need to prepare to defend against them." Matthew Hartmann adds, "We’re aware they’ve got off to a good start this season. They got a tie with Ceres. They always give us a strong game, so we know what to expect."

Gates at Rizal Memorial Stadium open at 5:00pm, with kickoff scheduled at 7:00pm. Tickets are available at the venue.