They say nothing’s better than a fight with actual stakes, and that’s what we saw on a humid Sunday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Stadium as Kaya FC edged out Stallion Laguna FC 3-2 and regained control of the title race.
With heavy stakes on both sides, the game started predictably cagey. As the first half progressed, Kaya drew on their championship experience to tilt the scales in their favor. However, Stallion’s backbone—Freddy Cortez in goal, Gabriel Silva marshalling the backline, and Ezequiel Cirigliano controlling midfield and breaking up attacks—held firm to keep the Yellow and Black at bay. The heat continued to build until it erupted just before halftime; former Stallion striker Janjan Melliza punished his old club with a precise shot from the right side of the box after a weighted pass from Eric Esso, sending the defending champions 1-0 up at halftime.
The second half began much like the first—cagey, with Kaya seeking an insurance goal to bolster their title ambitions. To their credit, Stallion did not relent in their pursuit of an equalizer, aware that the next goal could shift momentum decisively. That goal arrived in the 58th minute; Kaya’s goalkeeper Walid Birrou and Jarvey Gayoso combined from a goal kick to earn a corner, which captain Audie Menzi converted with a diving header to put the champions-elect 2-0 ahead. However, the drama was far from over.
Stallion clawed back a goal in the 70th minute, with Junior Sam catching the Kaya defense off guard from the right flank, setting up debutant Francisco Gomez to slam the ball past Birrou, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and setting up a tense final 20 minutes. The intensity escalated, and in the 88th minute, Robert Lopez Mendy emerged quickest in a goalmouth scramble from a corner to make it 3-1 and seal the win for Kaya. Abe Placito added another for Stallion in the 93rd minute, heading in a Finn McDaniel free kick to bring the final score to 3-2. A late altercation between Placito and Jovin Bedic added to the dramatic finish, with tensions running high between both teams.
Kaya can potentially clinch the championship next week with a win and a draw or loss from Cebu FC, before facing Davao Aguilas. Meanwhile, Stallion will aim to play spoiler and end their season positively when they face Cebu FC next week at Borromeo Stadium.
Psychology graduate that’s been down the football rabbit hole since a kiddie camp in 1996. Once made a tryout for Manila Jeepney and a weekend consists of hand-wringing about Manchester United and Stallion Laguna. Can be found spouting opinions on X @FullyVaxxedJ
