Philippines Football League rules on a couple of matches

The Sparks cross train in Baluarte in Vigan on Thursday night.

The Philippines Football League made a couple of executive decisions regarding matches that took place this weekend.

The first one came on Friday, when FC Meralco Manila traveled to Ilocos Sur to face Ilocos United FC. The league awarded a 3-0 forfeiture victory for the Sparks against the hosts, citing "as a result of failure to remedy, despite opportunity given, its non-compliance of the Franchise Agreement."

The end result of the win ensures FC Meralco Manila as one of the four participating teams in the Finals Series, as it has amassed 48 points, guaranteeing a top-four finish.

The second one came on Sunday, as the PFL called off the match between the visiting Davao Aguilas against JPV Marikina FC at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, citing non-compliance of Article 12.6 of the PFL Tournament Regulations, centering on the unavailability of at least two ambulances. For this matchup, the league will soon make its ruling pertaining to this matter.

FC Meralco Manila visits Ilocos United

Spark Ashley Flores takes on Ilocos

In the lone Philippines Football League matchup scheduled tonight, FC Meralco Manila make the trek north to visit Ilocos United FC in a fixture involving the best and the worst of the league.

Even with the point disparity, matches involving both teams have been close, with the Sparks managing to only eke out one-goal victories in all three of its meetings.

FC Meralco Manila is seeking to right the ship after two straight draws, and a victory tonight will undoubtedly ensure themselves a berth into the Finals Series. Head coach Aris Caslib believes that team effort is essential, and that they should be opportunistic against their opposition.

They will have to do so without Tahj Minniecon, who will be suspended due to card accumulation. The good news is that their defensive core of Lee Jeong Min, Joaco Canas, and Milan Nikolic will all be fully available as a unit, after relying on a patchwork set-up for the past couple of matches.

The hosts are fresh from a home-and-home set-up against their fellow newcomers Davao Aguilas, losing both matches by two goals each. Both matches came in the past week, which could potentially affect their fatigue.

Fans who wants to watch the game can do so through this streaming link below. Kickoff is at 7pm at the EPQ Stadium in Ilocos Sur.

Sawyer hat trick completes Davao home-and-home sweep

Davao Aguilas FC’s Harrison Sawyer does a hat trick and leads the team to its second straight victory.

From struggling to snatch a win in the Philippines Football League, the Davao Aguilas have snapped up back-to-back victories in a span of a few days, albeit against fellow newcomers Ilocos United FC.

After a 2-0 result this past weekend at the Davao del Norte Sports Complex in Tagum, the team survived a grueling 14-hour travel to the north, and eked out a 4-2 victory at the Elpidio P. Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur on Wednesday afternoon.

Harry Sawyer netted a hat trick for the Aguilas, putting the visitors ahead after eight minutes. The Aussie would double the lead just before halftime to put Davao ahead into the break, 2-0.

Kennedy Uzoka would pull one back immediately after the restart, but Sawyer would complete his hat trick in the 57th minute. Charlie Beaton made it 3-2 four minutes, later, but the hosts were just unable to find the tying goal.

Phil Younghusband's penalty in injury time completed the scoring for Davao, which now has fourteen points to their name in the inaugural season of the league.

In the other PFL match scheduled that day, JPV Marikina FC manages to overcome playing most of the match with just ten men, as they pulled off a 2-2 draw against Ceres-Negros FC at the Pana-ad Park and Stadium in Bacolod.

PJ Fadrigalan had been sent off in the 22nd minute after pushing the referee in the aftermath of the hosts getting a penalty call. The Busmen rode on Fernando Rodriguez for their offense, as he scored twice in the first half.

The visitors managed to pull one back in the 71st minute, thanks to Takumi Uesato, and then Ceres defender fouled Atsushi Shimono inside the area, forcing the referee to call for a penalty. Takashi Odawara converts the spot kick with seven minutes remaining in regulation.

Ceres almost had a chance of snatching the victory in stoppage time, as they were rewarded with another penalty. However, Rodriguez's hopes for a hat trick was denied by JPV keeper Felipe Tripulca, Jr.

With the point, Ceres remains in solo third place at 39 points in 18 matches, while JPV is level with Stallion at 28 points.

Davao tastes first PFL victory

James Younghusband of Davao Aguilas FC goes for the second goal, on the 65th minute.

Davao Aguilas FC finally got their much needed first win in the Philippines Football League this past weekend at the Davao del Norte Sports Complex in Tagum. They beat fellow newcomers Ilocos United, 2-0, with goals from Harry Sawyer in the 24th minute and James Younghusband in the 65th minute.

Addressing the media after the victory, head coach Marlon Maro showed happiness, says, "I guess the week-long break gave us a lot of elbow room to do the adjustments, and develop our style of play. I am very satisfied that in the end, we ended up winning."

Maro adds, "We would like to thank the more than 4,500 fans as well for coming. The fans gave us both the strength and the fire to win this match."

Davao is now four points clear against Ilocos, with the latter getting an immediate shot at revenge on Wednesday at the Elpidio Quirino Stadium.

The other Sunday PFL matchup saw Global Cebu FC take all three points against JPV Marikina FC, with a 2-1 victory.

Ceres host Ilocos in Saturday night PFL fixture

In the lone Saturday night match in the Philippines Football League, Ilocos United FC head to Bacolod to face Ceres-Negros FC at the Pana-ad Park and Stadium at 7pm.

The visitors made history last week at the Binan Football Stadium, as they finally secured their first-ever PFL win, a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against JPV Marikina FC. Even with that, the team remains mired at the bottom due to an inferior goal difference compared to fellow newcomers Davao.

Ilocos is looking to have a better performance the last time they were in Negros, a 7-0 drubbing back in July. They have since beefed up that side with the likes of Adam Mitter, Charlie Beaton, and Arthur Kouassi. Head coach Ian Gillan admitted that this fixture will be tough due to the presence of quality opposing players. Mitter adds, "Ceres are a great team and a play good football. The lads know what to do."

The hosts are also fresh from a victory, with a solo strike from Stephan Schroeck scoring the only goal of the match against Global Cebu FC. They are also fresh from a stretch of having played five games in two weeks, closing in on six in under three. Injuries are slowly taking their toll, with Martin Steuble fresh from minor surgery and Patrick Reichelt and Luke Woodland still recovering from their injury knocks.

The Busmen are currently in fourth place with 32 points, just two behind idle Global and having played the fewest games amongst all PFL sides.

For those who can't be at Pana-ad tonight, there is a streaming link below.



NOTES: This will be the final PFL match before the FIFA international window reopens. League will go on break and will resume on October 14.

JPV Marikina in a "must-win" situation vs Ilocos

JPV Marikina FC is looking to keep themselves in contention for the postseason as they face off against cellar dwellers Ilocos United in the Philippines Football League at 4pm later this afternoon at the Binan Football Stadium.

The hosts are currently just outside the top four in fifth place with 27 points. They are two points behind Ceres-Negros for the fourth and final postseason spot currently up for grabs, with the Busmen owning five games in hand.

Head coach Dan Padernal views this match-up as a "must-win" for the club, acknowledging that this is an opportunity to move up in the table. He sees this is as a "nice game" and "it will not be an easy win for us." Padernal also notes their upcoming schedule against teams in the running for the postseason as opportunities to make up lost ground.

Camelo Tacusalme echoed the "must-win" sentiment of Padernal, noting that they will have a "tough game," and that they will prepare for this matchup.

JPV will still not have the services of Taku Uesato, who is suffering from a rib injury and is scheduled to fly back to Japan to have it looked into. The forward, according to Padernal, wanted to play, but "I don't want to risk the future of his career." They will have Takashi Odawara back alongside Masaki Yanagawa and Satoshi Otomo provding stability.

As for Ilocos United, although they remain rooted at the bottom of the league, head coach Ian Gillian believes that the team has no pressure in seeking that inaugural victory, especially considering their preparations for this season. He says, "There is no expectations. We just go in day in and day out." He also praised JPV and considers them as one of the better tactical sides in the PFL.

Streaming link for the upcoming match can be seen below:



NOTES: Padernal shares that JPV will finally make their official home debut in Marikina on October 22, which pits them against the Davao Aguilas. As such, this afternoon's match will be, in theory, the final home game played elsewhere. In addition, he also shares that the team has made an appeal of their forfeiture loss against Kaya FC-Makati.

Kaya ends skid, sweeps Ilocos United

Kaya FC-Makati XI vs Ilocos United FC

Jordan Mintah's 34th minute header was enough to propel Kaya FC-Makati to a 1-0 victory over Ilocos United in the lone Philippines Football League matchup on Sunday at the EPQ Stadium in Ilocos Sur.

Robert Lopez Mendy beat his defender, then looped in a cross over to the far post, which Mintah nodded in. Although it was the lone goal of the match, Kaya had plenty of scoring opportunities that they could not convert.

On the defensive end, Masanari Omura stepped up for the visitors, leading a back line that had to do some shuffling during the match, with Julian Matthews replacing Kenshiro Daniels and Woody Ugarte replacing Jalsor Soriano. The shutout was also their fifth of the season.

In the post-match press conference, Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida said, "We needed this win, we needed these 3 points. It's the buildup for us to get back into the winning momentum. I think Kaya FC played well from start to finish. But the game looked tough because we kept on missing goal scoring opportunities. I think we could have finished the game as early as the first half if we finished all our chances." He also noted that "We need our players to have more confidence in front of goal, to have more composure, and to be more clinical."

Omura added, "We couldn't finish in the first half. We had a lot of chances. If we finish three or four goals it would've been easy to win, but that's football. But even if we scored just one, we didn't concede a goal." When asked about the defensive adjustments, he says, "It wasn't really difficult. Julian used to play in the starting 11. Woody (Ugarte) came on in the back line and that was a little bit hard, but I just said to him, 'We are winning 1-0, just sit back. As long as we don't concede, we win.'"

Noel concludes, "But despite the chances missed, we accept this wholeheartedly. I think the outlook is positive. The main objective at the start of the league was to finish in the top four, so I think we're still on the right track. We just keep moving on and keep improving."

With the win, Kaya ends its six-game run without a victory, and also moves them back up to second place with 35 points, one ahead of Global Cebu FC. At the same time, it increases the gap to JPV Marikina FC and Stallion Laguna FC in the race to the top four spots that guarantee postseason play.

Kaya FC-Makati Looks to Snap PFL skid against Ilocos United

Kaya FC-Makati at Ilocos United FC

Kaya FC-Makati is aiming to continue their mastery over Ilocos United in the Philippines Football League, with the hopes of ending a streak of six games without a win. The match takes place tomorrow afternoon, 4pm, at the Elpidio P. Quirino Stadium in Ilocos Sur.
“The journey was the same as last time, quite long, but we’re used to it now. The boys are just resting up, and physically and mentally preparing for the game tomorrow,” said Kaya defender Julian Matthews on the seven-hour bus ride from Metro Manila.

Although Kaya FC- Makati is currently sitting within the top four of the PFL standings and facing a team they’ve already beaten three times this season, head coach Noel Marcaida isn’t taking the contest lightly in the slightest.

“The players must feel that hunger to win the game. We need to make sure that our trip here to Ilocos will be worth it,” he said. “We’ve been performing well, but we want more desire, and more focus in finishing in front of goal. For those last six games, we didn’t win, but we created lots of chances. So I think going forward to tomorrow’s game, if we create the chances, we need to score.”

Although Kaya’s last visit to Ilocos yielded a comfortable 4-2 victory, the last meeting between the two at the University of Makati was a close contest, one that needed an 81st minute goal to decide the winner.

“Down at Kaya, especially in that second game, where we lost 2-1 — again, we conceded to a corner — but if we put that kind of performance in, anything can happen, especially on home turf,” said United goalkeeping coach Andy Pederson, who will be in charge in tomorrow’s game, in place of the suspended Ian Gillan.

The match will also feature the first opportunity for Charlie Beaton to face his former side, since his recent transfer to Ilocos United from Kaya.

“The boys [at Ilocos] have welcomed me with open arms. The training’s been positive and it’s been helping me as a player. I look forward to the game tomorrow,” he said. “It’ll be a tough game. They definitely have a lot of strong players. They’re quite high up the table, so I’m just excited to be on the pitch and play against my former teammates. I think they have a lot of technical midfielders, very gifted players, and a very strong front line, so we’re expecting a tough game.”

Meanwhile, Kaya is preparing for a physical test against the home side.

“We try to key in on their strikers as they’re quite physical, and we’ll be keeping an eye on their pace out wide as well. But I think with our back line, we can cope with them, same as last time,” said Matthews.

“In the past three games, it’s always been a physical game,” added Marcaida. “They are one of the teams that never stop playing until the final whistle.”

FC Meralco Manila extends PFL lead, beats Ilocos again

It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win.

FC Meralco Manila earned its fourth straight Philippines Football League win with an attritional result against Ilocos United Sunday night in Rizal Memorial. Curt Dizon's fourth goal of the campaign was the only score of the game.

Sans suspended captain Simon Greatwich and with Daniel Gadia playing with the U22 national team in the SEA Games, coach Aris Caslib turned to 36-year old veteran Anto Gonzales to plug the hole in defensive midfield. Milan Nikolic was also suspended for this match, meaning Neil Dorimon got the nod at left centerback in his place. Centerback Joaco Cañas was handed the Captain's armband.

Ilocos, on the other hand, were without English centerback Adam Mitter, which compelled Ian Gillan to use Selu Lozano in defense.

Manila began brightly with Dizon and Connor Tacagni testing Ilocos goalie Baba Sampana early.

But the home side were dealt a blow midway through the first half when Alvin Sarmiento hurt his hamstring, forcing Caslib to withdraw him in favor of Jake Morallo.

It appeared that it would be a goalless first half but Dizon had other ideas. In first-half stoppage time he collected a diagonal pass from Tahj Minniecon, outran Josh Reyes in the left flank and left-footed past Sampana for 1-0.

"It was a great ball from Tahj and I was lucky to finish it," said Dizon, who earned Man Of The Match honors."

In the second half the Sparks had a great chance to double the lead but Minniecon drove a first-time shot off a Tyler Matas delivery high.

Ashley Flores also shot wide left and Connor Tacagni picked up a yellow card that leaves him suspended for the Sparks' next game.

With thirteen minutes to go Joaco Cañas produced a turn and shot that narrowly missed the target.

Ilocos United surged forward for the remainder of the match but we're foiled by the staunch Meralco defense. At the final whistle Manila had achieved a third win against the Ilocanos this season, all by one-goal margins.

The result puts Manila on 39 points, ten points ahead of second and third-place Kaya and Global, who played to a goalless standoff in Cebu on Saturday.

"We're in the bottom of the table for a reason," said Gillan afterwards.

"But in every game opposing coaches keep on saying how difficult it is to play us."

"Ilocos plays tough football but we stepped up in the second half," said Caslib.

"Our defensive line stepped up but I was surprised by our (wasted) chances. We need to go back to the training pitch to work on our finishing."

Caslib also praised Morallo, Gonzales, and Ashley Flores for stepping up.

"Anto was like a machine out there," said Dizon in awe of the veteran' fitness and work rate.

"He was even running sprints after the game. His voice on the pitch was also a big asset."

Manila next plays JPV Marikina on Wednesday at 4pm. The match will be held in Rizal Memorial but the contest counts as a home game for JPV, as their home pitch is still under rehabilitation.

Sparks host Ilocos in battle of PFL bookends

Curt Dizon of Manila evades the Ilocos defense.

FC Meralco Manila seeks to extend their winning run to four straight matches later today, as they host Ilocos United in the lone Philippines Football League matchup scheduled. Kick-off at Rizal Memorial is slated at 7pm, with tickets available at the gate for PhP 20 at the bleachers and PhP at the grandstand.

At 36 points, the Sparks are currently eight clear of Kaya FC-Makati and Global Cebu FC, while also toting a game in hand advantage against Kaya. Fresh from beating Ceres-Negros FC, 2-1, at Pana-ad Stadium in Bacolod, they are looking to extend their lead against the cellar-dwelling league newcomers.

With only four draws to their name, Ian Gillan's squad is lacking in results, but not due to a lack of effort. Fresh from a 4-1 loss against Stallion Laguna FC, they are looking to make amends in continuing to try to secure their first official win as a club. One such move was to sign Arthur Kouassi to find some offensive oomph. The Ivorian has had previous club experience here in the Philippines with Global Cebu FC and Manila Jeepney FC. Gillan believes that he could possibly "solve our goal-scoring problems."

The hosts will be a little bit undermanned for this match-up. Already without Daniel Gadia and Ace Villanueva due to national team duties, the squad of Aris Caslib will not have both Milan Nikolic and Simon Greatwich due to card-accumulated suspensions. The absence of those key cogs could potentially change the tide between the two teams, since FC Meralco Manila has only secured one-goal victories against Ilocos United FC in their two meetings earlier this season. Meralco assistant Pong Liman downplayed this matter, because of his belief that there will be someone who can step up to fill in those gaps.

Meanwhile, the visitors will not have Adam Mitter due to a foot issue.

During the pre-match press conference, Connor Tacagni says that the Ceres win will not amount to much if they lose to Ilocos. Ilocos skipper John Kanayama believes that addressing their defensive mistakes will help in yielding their first victory.

Global, Ilocos face off at Abellana

Global Cebu FC looks to build on their impressive July this afternoon, as the Visayan side hosts Ilocos United at the Cebu City Sports Complex.

Currently in solo third place with 25 points off a 7-4-2 record, Global just two points behind the leaders Kaya FC-Makati and FC Meralco Manila.  In contrast, Ilocos is still searching for its first official victory as a club, currently at the cellar with only three draws to show.

In spite of the contrast in form between both teams, Global Cebu FC head coach Akbar Nawas remains wary about a potential upset, says "It's always dangerous to play against a team searching for win. If we go out there without the right frame of mind, we might be in trouble."

Adam Mitter admits that the team has been unlucky the past couple of weeks. However, he says, "A win is just around the corner if we continue to do what we are doing." Ilocos head coach Ian Gillan still believes that the team remains on the right track, however.

Reports are out there that Rufo Sanchez has been cleared to play later. That can't be said for Anton del Rosario and Paul Mulders, who are suspended this afternoon.

Kickoff for the match is at 4pm, and if one can't get to the venue, there is streaming available.



There is another scheduled Philippines Football League matchup tonight, as 1 meets 2, with FC Meralco Manila hosting Kaya FC-Makati at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium at 7pm.

Quick Turnaround Presents Fresh Opportunities for Kaya Makati and Ilocos United

Jordan Mintah against Ilocos United

After Wednesday’s 5-2 victory, Kaya Makati hosts Ilocos United again on Sunday at the University of Makati Stadium. The quick turnaround against the same opposition seemed like a curious scheduling decision from the Philippines Football League at first, but it’s development that is now being embraced by both teams.

“I think it’s fantastic. I think the PFL should be looking to do more things like that,” said Ilocos head coach Ian Gillan. “Especially since we have to travel a long distance, I think this type of thing should be a regular fixture in the schedule. I’m a believer that we should be traveling and playing several games away.”

With only three days in between the matches, Sunday’s affair will likely not only see a shuffle in lineups, but also a change in tactics. Alfred Osei is certainly out of the picture, as the Kaya center back picked up a yellow card on Wednesday and will subsequently be suspended.

“It’s going to be an interesting game, playing a team twice in a row in one week. They were really aggressive in how they approached the match. It will be interesting to see what adjustments Ilocos will make in the game,” said Makati head coach Noel Marcaida. “For Kaya, we aim to play well and have our winning streak improve to five. We also need to improve in how we deal with set pieces defensively.”

“We’re considering three or four new starters. When you play three games in eight games, it’s not easy. But also, playing the same opposition so soon, a few mind games could be good — switch things up a little, so they don’t know what to expect.”

Wednesday’s encounter saw Jordan Mintah score a hat-trick, with fellow striker, Robert Mendy getting on the score sheet as well. The duo have now scored in back-to-back matches at home, and together, account for 14 of the club’s 27 goals so far this season.

“I’m happy for them. They’re really working hard. But for me, it’s not enough. They will always have to perform well in every game. If at least 50% of the chances they have, they convert, I would be happy with that,” said Marcaida.

Having lost to Kaya on two occasions now, 4-2 in Ilocos, and 5-2 in Makati, United is eager to utilize the quick turnaround to correct their shortcomings.

“We find out about our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses fairly quickly now. And it’s nice and fresh in your mind and you can actually go out there and address it in the next game,” said Gillan.

“As a player, it gives me a chance to fix the mistakes, fix what went wrong, and we have that chance on Sunday.” said Ilocos player Caygill, who earned a penalty and scored a goal on Wednesday.

Kaya Makati is currently at the top of the standings, level on points with Meralco Manila with 23, but with a superior goal difference. The Makati club has played two more matches than Manila however. Ilocos, meanwhile, are still winless in 11 outings, and are currently at the bottom of the table with three points.

Sunday's match kicks off at 7pm.

Mintah Hat-trick Propels Kaya Makati Over Ilocos United

Jordan Mintah

Kaya Makati fired in five goals against Ilocos United on Wednesday night, making it four straight wins in the Philippines Football League. It was another performance to remember for Jordan Mintah at the University of Makati, as the striker completed his first hat-trick of the season en route to a 5-2 victory.

“First of all I gave thanks to almighty God for giving me my first hat-trick in the league,” said Mintah after the match. “It’s not easy. I worked so hard for it. But the entire team worked so hard for it as well. So I thank the teamwork too.”

While his first goal, less than 10 minutes into the contest, was typical of his exceptional touch and clinical shooting, it was the Ghanaian forward’s heading prowess that took the spotlight the rest of the way. Shortly after John Kanayama leveled the score from the penalty spot, Mintah restored the advantage by rising highest and thumping in the ball from a corner. Similarly, his hat-trick was completed through dominating his defender in the air. Well above his marker on a far post free kick delivery, he calmly powered a header across goal to add gloss to the victory.

“Sometimes in training, when I jump, coach will tell me, ‘Next time, close your mouth and open your eyes.’ So today, I just opened my mouth and closed my eyes,” Mintah laughed. “If I open my mouth and close my eyes, that means I’m going to score. That’s why I got two headed goals. It’s not easy.”

Just as in the win over JPV Marikina last weekend, Robert Mendy was also on the scoresheet. And not for the first time this season, Eric Giganto came on in the second half to score a goal — an assured finish to Mintah’s cutback.

“Basically it’s hard work,” said Kaya Makati head coach Noel Marcaida on his team’s current run, which includes back-to-back wins at home. “The players have really been playing consistently in training. And also, the players have been able to manage themselves to recover despite the heavy schedule that we’ve had this July.”

A Graham Caygill goal took a bit of luster from the triumph, but it did little to dampen Kaya’s confidence ahead of a scheduled rematch on Sunday, July 23.

“We scored two goals. [With] Two goals you should be able to get a point. But you can’t leak five. Kaya were the better team, I don’t deny that,” said Ilocos United head coach Ian Gillan. “We just move on and play Kaya again next week (sic) and hopefully we’ll get something better out of that.”

Sunday’s game kicks off at 7:00pm at the University of Makati.

Kaya Makati Gears Up for Back-to-back Ilocos United Challenge

From L-R: Noel Marcaida, Ref Cuaresma, Paolo Pavone, Ian Gillan

On the back of three straight victories in the Philippines Football League, Kaya Makati is set to face Ilocos United in two consecutive matches at the University of Makati. The first one takes place on Wednesday night, with the other taking place four days later, on Sunday evening. Both matches will kickoff at 7:00pm.
"Kaya at the moment are an in form team. They’ve won their last few games and are near the top of the table," said Ilocos head coach Ian Gillan. "They must be playing well because, they beat JPV [Marikina] last week, 2-0, and I rate JPV. I think JPV is probably one of the most structured teams in the competition. The results that Kaya have been getting of late have been impressive."

After a rough three-game spell at the end of June, Makati have picked up momentum in the PFL. And with wins over Stallion Laguna, Davao Aguilas, and JPV Marikina in quick succession, the team has been propelled to third in the standings, just three points away from league leading Meralco Manila.

"For the past weeks, the players have really been performing in training and that has shown in the games that they’re in top form," said Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida on his team's current run. "When we started this month, that game against Global [Cebu] (2-2 draw at UMak) really set the tone. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement, that’s why in training we always demand for quality and consistency."

The last time Kaya and United met was in Ilocos back in May, with Makati coming away with a 4-2 victory.

"I think on the Kaya side, no big changes. We just need to make sure we play to our strength. Like what we saw against JPV, we just need to make sure that we capitalize on all the chances we might get against Ilocos tomorrow," said Marcaida.

One aspect that has changed in the last few games for Makati, has been the presence of Ref Cuaresma. The goalkeeper has been preferred in the last five matches, in a run that has yielded three wins, one draw, and one loss.

"Now that I’m starting, I want to show that I’m in the right position, that I’m ready to play. It’s been a good run, and I want to continue with total discipline outside the pitch. And I just had my first clean sheet, so I’m going to continue building from there," he said.

Meanwhile, Ilocos United will be looking to eliminate the little mistakes that they felt led to their demise in their earlier meeting with Kaya.

"Last time we played Kaya, I thought we were performing well, but I gave away a silly penalty which changed the momentum of the game," said Ilocos player Paolo Pavone. "I think this time around, we’re more mature as a team, and we’ll be able to bounce back from a little mistake that cost us dearly last time around. If we can eliminate the little mistakes, we can get a result against Kaya, even if they’re an excellent team. I think we’re up for it."

United will also be welcoming new signing Adam Mitter to the their team, a defender who recently played for Meralco in the now defunct United Football League.

"Are we going to have a difficult game tomorrow? Yeah we are. But I tell you, my boys will be up for the fight," said Gillan.

United are currently at the bottom of the table with three points. Their last match was a 1-1 draw against Stallion Laguna.

Kaya FC-Makati ropes in Ilocos United FC

Two first half goals set the tone for Kaya FC–Makati as they dispatched of Ilocos United, 4-2, at the Quirino Stadium. Jordan Mintah, who had a hand in all four of Kaya's goals, was named Man of the Match in the club’s second win in the Philippines Football League.

“First of all, I gave thanks to almighty God for giving me the strength to finish the game. I give thanks to my teammates, because without them I could not get this Man of the Match, and the coaches as well. We work so hard in training. We wanted to win this game. We didn’t want our long journey to be wasted. We put in all our effort. It’s not just me who should be Man of the Match, the whole team should be Man of the Match,” Mintah said after the contest.

“They are a very good side, but we prepared well. I felt so excited playing against them. They have a lot of experienced players as well. They are very good. I was so happy to play with them,” he added.

The Makati club took control of possession right from the get-go, disallowing Ilocos from imposing control in front of their home support. After a few threatening runs, against the United’s backline, it was Mintah who was pulled back in the box, leading to the first of three penalties in the game. Adam Reed confidently stepped up and fired into the bottom left corner to open the scoring in the 23rd minute. Shortly after, Jordan sent in the cross that set up his strike partner, Robert Lopez Mendy, for the outside-foot finish.

After the break, Chima Uzoka pulled one back for the home side. But the two-goal cushion was reestablished quickly by Jovin Bedic’s short stab, which was put on a plate by Mintah. Jordan went on to get on the scoresheet himself before the match was through. Given room to operate inside the box, the striker toyed with Ilocos’ defense before being bundled over by goalkeeper Baba Sampana. The resulting penalty was fired into the top left corner, prompting Mintah’s signature salute celebration.

Jordan’s night had one blemish, however, as he was adjudged to have fouled an Ilocos player inside the box in the game’s final minute. He received a yellow card for the challenge, which means he will be suspended for Kaya’s next match against Stallion Laguna. Uzoka doubled his total with the resulting penalty.

“You have to expect that the home team will fight until the last whistle of the game. They will do their best to protect their home ground,” said Makati head coach Noel Marcaida. “It was a tough game. But for us, we took advantage of the two goals in the first 20 minutes of the first half.”

The result keeps Kaya in third spot in the standings, with seven points from four matches (2-1-1). Meanwhile, Ilocos suffered their second defeat of the campaign, as they remain with a solitary point after three outings (0-1-2).

Kaya FC–Makati now immediately switches their focus to Sunday, when they face Stallion Laguna in the University of Makati. The match will be the club’s third home game of the season, and concludes a run of four games in the span of 15 days.

Kaya FC vs Ilocos United FC PFL match

Kaya FC heads up north to go up against an Ilocos United squad seeking their first win of the season.

The club is fresh from a 3-1 loss to Global Cebu FC, although they would have had an additional match this past weekend against JPV Marikina FC, if not for a postponement.

Head coach Noel Marcaida promises that the team will give the fans "an exciting game" and can "expect a great atmosphere" when both teams face off. This is their first true road game of the season for the squad, going outside of Metro Manila for the first time this season. Marcaida adds that the team benefited from the postponement, since it bought them more time to recuperate. It also allowed the team to be in full strength for this matchup.

Club skipper Aly Borromeo is not taking the newcomers lightly, noting that they are
not looking at them as a pushover team." He adds, "It will be a good battle. It's going to be a good game."

Ilocos has had a two-week layoff since a 2-1 loss to FC Meralco Manila last May 13. According to their head coach, Ian Gillan, "There is no pressure upon us. We're like the underdog every week, whereas Kaya will be looking to be among the top three. If they don't become among the top three teams, their season will be a failure."

Here is the streaming link for the upcoming match, care of the Philippine Football Federation.