In what could be the most heated match of this season’s Philippines Football League so far, One Taguig FC and Davao Aguilas UMAK FC shared the spoils in a hotly contested 1-1 draw last Saturday evening at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
This battle has the potential to become a PFL classic as referee Clifford Daypuyat issued a total of three red cards and 12 yellow cards in an intense duel between the two top-half league contenders filled with reckless fouls, ill tempers flaring, and nasty on-field scuffles between players losing their cool.
This is a first for Coach Aber Ruzgal’s side to drop points after Davao Aguilas won the first five matches this season, including last week’s 1-0 upset against Stallion Laguna, while the woes of Coach Jovanie Villagracia’s squad continue as One Taguig FC still can’t find a win in the last four games against top PFL teams crucial to their current mid-table placement in the league.
After five league games of not conceding any goals, it was the men in red who were first to breach this sturdy Davao low block, and it seems like it was written in the stars that former Davao Aguilas player Yannick Tuason handed the first goal conceded by his former club this season.
The former Aguilas striker was the lone goalscorer for DAFC in last year’s Copa Paulino Alcantara final through a header, but all love seems to be lost as he buries another open header, but this time against his former club from a Stephan Schrock cross to beat goalkeeper Dini Outtara and force Davao to trail for the first time up to the halftime whistle.
Aguilas then tried to get one back with huge chances from Kart Talaroc and Uriel Dalapo but just couldn’t convert due to the aggression of a Taguig side stubborn to avenge their bad form from recent games, levelling up the pressure to frustrate the already fatigued DAFC.
But everything changed in the 71st minute as Taguig’s Tsukasa Shimomura received a straight red card after a rushing tackle on Daisuke Sato, which in turn created the needed momentum for Davao.
A minute after the sending-off, a penalty was given to Davao after Taguig defender Mat Custodio’s aerial duel with Yusuke Unoki. Unoki then comfortably converted from the spot past Taguig keeper Quincy Kameraad to tie the game, 1-1.
With all three points (and local pride, sort of) to play for, both teams upped their gears as Aguilas tried to exploit the man advantage while Taguig continued with their intense ball-hunting, still eager to get one back in a tug-of-war in the middle third.
The in-game hostility and bad blood between the two sides, which was evident from the opening whistle, peaked at stoppage time in the second half, as Davao’s OJ Clarino was sent off after receiving a second yellow for unintentionally hitting Taguig substitute and former Azkal Misagh Bahadoran.
This was followed by the final scuffle deep in stoppage time as Daisuke Sato’s last-ditch tackle on a sprinting Patrick Grogg in front of the Taguig bench infuriated the Taguig players, causing an all-around commotion involving almost everyone on the pitch, but only resulted in a second yellow and a sending off for the Davao Aguilas captain.
That was the second hostile encounter between players from both ends, with the first coming from an intense standoff between the team’s top dogs Daisuke Sato and Kevin Ingreso, interestingly both former Azkals teammates, in the touchline earlier in the second half resulting in yellow cards for both captains as the poor referee struggled to grasp control of the hotly contested derby up until the final whistle.
“Ganun talaga. Marami talagang away. Bakbakan minsan,” said Taguig defender Matthew Custodio in a postmatch interview on the high stakes affecting the intensity of the match.
With both teams suffering suspensions from the cards given, both will try to adjust in their next fixtures as Davao Aguilas will face a poor Don Bosco Garrelli on Saturday while One Taguig FC will face mid-table rivals Maharlika Taguig FC in a Taguig derby come Sunday.
