Mendiola continued their downward slide in the PFL as the Brave Men were put to the sword by Loyola, 4-1, in a football match that resembled a boxing bout in intensity.
From the start, the match was high-octane and end-to-end. Loyola forward-turned-midfielder Kim Sung-min, who ignited the club’s comeback against Maharlika last week, opened the scoring just two minutes in by connecting with William Winter’s cross. It was a dream start for Loyola, which almost improved when Winter failed to convert after Mendiola keeper John Betanio mishandled Ousmane Sidibe’s long-range attempt.
Mendiola nearly replied shortly after as Sajad Mohebizadeh’s acrobatic kick fell to captain Hamed Hajimehdi, but Loyola goalkeeper Javier Coscolluela denied his effort. However, the Iranian midfielder soon found the net with a curling low free-kick past the Loyola wall in the 24th minute.
Having lost the lead, Loyola pressed forward again. Jayvee Kallukaran’s cross found Kim lurking in the box, who headed the ball past Betanio to regain Loyola’s lead just three minutes after Mendiola equalized.
The match continued with end-to-end action. Sidibe, whose physicality troubled Mendiola, had a clear chance but scuffed his shot. Substitute Kirk See, who came on late in the half for the injured Nicolai Abalos, almost equalized but his header went wide.
The decisive blow came early in the second half as Winter was played through on goal by Jorrel Aristorenas, smashing the ball past Betanio into the top corner to give Loyola a 3-1 lead. Sidibe nearly added to Mendiola’s woes seven minutes later, but his shot hit the side netting.
The pace slowed as Loyola managed the game, while Mendiola struggled to find a cutting final pass. Loyola substitute Vincent Saludo almost scored with his first touches, but Betanio denied him again. Nevertheless, Saludo contributed to the final goal, crossing to Rupert Baña who headed in during stoppage time.
The game ended shortly after as Loyola secured a crucial three points, leapfrogging Digger and Maharlika, the latter having secured a dramatic 1-0 win over Philippine Army earlier. However, Mendiola’s slide continued as they now find themselves outside the top 10, trailing Army on goal difference. Loyola’s next challenge is against One Taguig, showing signs of improvement, while Mendiola aims to halt their decline against United City next week.
