True to their billing, top-seed Kaya FC demolished Nomads FC, 10-1, to secure their place in the Last Eight at the knockout stages of the 2015 United Football League (UFL) Cup, Thursday night at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
The Division I side started like a house on fire, for they plucked their first goal of the match just mere seconds from kickoff. OJ Porteria found himself unmarked on the right flank and blasted a shot past Nomads keeper Joshua Cruz for the initial goal. The visitors had their way in the succeeding plays; however, they could not finish on their first attempt. Nevertheless, at the seventh minute, Don Rabaya collected a pass from the back and fired a shot from the top of the box that outsmarted Kaya custodian Nick O’Donnell for the equalizer.
That was the last hurrah for Nomads, as Kaya dominated the possession and the goal attempts. Three minutes after that Rabaya goal, the yellow-shirts regained the lead. Chris Greatwich sent a good ball into the box off a corner kick, which was tapped into the goal by Tishan Hanley. At the ensuing play, Hanley registered a brace after fending off a challenge of Christian Dahl inside the box.
Kaya did not stop there as they continued to punish the high defensive line of Nomads. At the 28th minute, Porteria had his second goal. The former Philippines U23 standout finished Diego Barrera’s delivery and off the hands of Cruz. Four minutes after, Hanley rewarded Barrera with another great assist, which the Colombian-born forward guided past the goal line. Capping off a great first half, Hanley completed his hat-trick after the Kittian chipped in one over Cruz. The first half ended with Kaya well ahead, 6-1.
Despite the more deliberate approach by Kaya in the second half, the home side still scored more goals. Six minutes from restart, Porteria also got a trifecta of his own. The winger fired off a long shot way outside the box to start off his squad’s seventh. It was a long dry spell from both teams as neither was able to put something on the board. The home team, however, continued to breach the final third.
At the 76th minute, Kaya was awarded a free kick. Greatwich once more sent a lovely ball into the penalty area and captain Aly Borromeo headed it into the onion bag to break the silence.
With the game out of hand and the quarterfinals slot anything but formalized, Kaya registered two more points. Hanley punched in his fourth of the match at the 80th minute. The deadly striker put one past substitute keeper Enrique Ortiz, which the latter could not handle. Six minutes before the final whistle, Chris Greatwich quickly put the icing on this dominant as he fired a free kick as soon as the signal was blown. Kaya ended the match with the win and the place in the Final Eight.
Before the match officially ended, a scuffle occurred between Kaya’s Jorge Butron and Nomad’s Ahmed Hwuedi, where fists were thrown resulting in both players receiving red cards and their expulsion from the pitch.
Kaya will take on the winner of the match between Pasargad FC and newly-promoted JP Voltes FC on Tuesday, August 18.
