DROPPED to third place in Group H of the 2019 AFC Cup with a loss last time around, Kaya FC-Iloilo looks to bounce back and keep itself in the mix of advancing to the next round as it hosts Lao Toyota FC of Laos today at the Panaad Park and Football Stadium in Bacolod City.
Currently sporting a 1-2-1 record and with five points, good for third place, Kaya tries to go for the key win over Lao Toyota and earn the full three points to keep in step with group leaders PSM Makassar (2-2-0 and eight points) of Indonesia and Home United FC (1-2-1 and seven points) as classification play in the tournament winds up.
Kaya is coming off a 2-1 loss to PSM on April 17 at Panaad that had the team having it tough in the first half, going down 0-2 early, from which it could not recover from.
It, however, vowed to learn from it and play better for today’s contest.
In the last game, PSM midfielder Rizky Pellu opened the scoring for his team after finding the net in the 21st minute off a nifty cross from teammate Wiljan Pluim.
Three minutes later, the visiting side made it 2-0 with forward Eero Markkanen on the scoring end.
In the second half, Kaya was presented a great advantage after PSM defender Abdul Rahman was given his second yellow card for the game and was sent off.
The home team looked to capitalize on it only to find an opponent which did a good job in adjusting to it.
Kaya put pressure on PSM but the latter’s defense held tough against it.
Jovin Bedic connected on a penalty in the 91st minute to narrow the gap, 2-1, but Kaya would not move past that as time expired.
“The real talking point was the span between the 20th and 30th minute where I think we switched off. We gave them the space and we weren’t compact enough,” said Kaya coach Noel Marcaida in his assessment following their defeat.
“We dominated and controlled the second half, but we had trouble breaking their defensive line. That was our big problem. All throughout that second half we failed to identify the space in between. It took us so long to get that first goal,” he added.
Looking to derail Kaya is Lao Toyota (0-1-3 and a point) which is already eliminated from the race but still working to finish its campaign on a positive note.
It took an early lead versus Home United in its last game but could not hold on to it as it slumped to the 3-2 defeat.
As per tournament format, the top teams in each of the groupings earn an automatic spot in the Zonal semifinals of the tournament with the runner-up with the best record also advancing.
The Kaya-Lao Toyota match kicks off at 3 p.m. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
