Rizal Memorial Stadium — Kaya FC–Iloilo secured back-to-back victories to start their 2026/27 Philippines Football League campaign with a 3–0 win over Tuloy, controlling much of the contest and creating a steady stream of chances before finally putting the result beyond doubt late in the second half.

With three players away on national team duty at the 20th Asian Games, Kaya also handed PFL debuts to two youth players called into the matchday squad for the occasion. Kentaro Fujikawa and Emmanuel Enriquez were both introduced off the bench, gaining their first taste of top-flight football as Kaya adjusted to the absence of several regulars.

From the opening whistle, Kaya pinned their opponents deep in their own half, establishing their rhythm through sustained possession and pressure. Tuloy, known for their quick, short-passing approach, found their buildup through the middle repeatedly disrupted by the men in black, who closed down passing lanes and gave them little room to play forward.

Kaya methodically searched for the opening goal and found it in the seventh minute. Eric Esso carried the ball up the middle before finding Justin Peña in the final third, who flicked it into the path of Fitch Arboleda in the half-space. The winger’s cross squeezed through a defender’s legs and into the six-yard box, where Martini Rey slid in to turn it home.

The lead did little to change the flow of the match. Kaya continued to press forward while remaining disciplined without the ball, limiting their opponents to only a handful of dangerous opportunities.

Tuloy did find a chance on the break in the 13th minute, with Cyrelle Saut forcing a save from Patrick Deyto. The goalkeeper found himself called upon more and more often as the red shirts probed for openings. In the 17th minute, John Lloyd Jalique shook off pressure from Esso at the edge of the penalty area and fired a shot, only for Deyto to make another excellent save.

The opportunities kept coming on the other end, however, with Mar Diano, Seong-Jin Kim, Fitch Arboleda, Marc Alipoon and Martini Rey all coming close to doubling the lead. Tuloy’s Denmark Uracoy did force a save from distance, but the men in black continued to carry the greater attacking threat as they continued to stack chances.

That momentum eventually brought a second goal just before halftime.

In the 43rd minute, Peña received the ball in midfield and produced a clever turn and nutmeg to escape the pressure around him. He drove forward into the final third before finding Kim out wide. The winger cut inside onto his stronger left foot and fired toward goal, but Michael Antilo Jr. made the initial save. Rey was quickest to react, pouncing on the rebound and firing into the roof of the net to double Kaya’s advantage.

Tuloy returned from the break looking to find a way back into the contest, but Kaya continued to control the tempo and create the clearer opportunities.

The chances kept coming for Iloilo, with Marco Casambre, Audie Menzi, Martini Rey and Sebastian Avanzini all getting on the end of set-piece deliveries and testing the Tuloy backline. Kim, deployed on the right wing after starting the season at his familiar left-back position, repeatedly cut inside onto his stronger left foot and created openings to shoot, but could not find the finish needed. Alipoon nearly made the most of another turnover forced by Kaya’s high press, as the men in black continued to pin Tuloy back and search for a third.

Rey thought he had completed his hat trick with a header in the 62nd minute, following a goal-line scramble that involved a deflected Diano cross, an Arboleda header towards the center, and a mis-hit clearance towards goal before Martini nodded it home, only for the flag to go up for offside in the build-up.

The long-awaited third goal finally did arrive in the 89th minute. Peña was brought down from behind, earning Kaya a long free kick. Mike Ott stepped up to take his first set piece of the season and delivered a perfectly weighted ball into the box, where Audie Menzi met it to head home Kaya’s third.

MOTM Deyto bookended the second half with two important saves to deny Jalique. In the 53rd minute, the Tuloy forward’s low effort tested the keeper, who got down quickly to make the stop. Three minutes into stoppage time, Jalique found himself with another opportunity when a loose ball fell kindly to him for a volley, but Patrick reacted sharply once again to keep it out and preserve Kaya’s clean sheet.

The final margin reflected a comfortable result, though Kaya’s finishing remains an area to sharpen. The side put 14 of their 22 shots on target but had only three goals to show for the volume of opportunities created, with Deyto’s performance also playing a major role in keeping the scoreline at 3–0.

Ultimately, the three points and a clean sheet were what mattered most. With the result secured, attention now turns to the next challenge as Kaya prepare to face Philippine Army in their next PFL fixture.

Goals: Rey ‘7, ‘43; Menzi ‘89

Starting Lineup: 4-3-3

LF: Arboleda  ST: Rey  RF:  Kim 

CM: Peña  CDM: Esso©  CM: Alipoon

LB: Menzi  CB: Casambre  CB: Avanzini  RB: Diano

GK: Deyto

Subs: Bencio, Natogma, Ott, Verza, Enriquez, Fujikawa

Coach Bobae Park made just three substitutions during the match, including the introductions of two academy players for their first taste of PFL action:

• Mike Ott checked into the game for Fitch Arboleda in the 68th minute.
• Kentaro Fujikawa replaced Marc Alipoon in the 86th minute.
• Lastly, Emmanuel Enriquez came on for Mar Diano in the 91st minute.