OJ Porteria sat in the grandstand of the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila whilst his former team, Kaya Football Club, played the Ceres-La Salle Football Club. It was strange to see Porteria there seated comfortably while his former teammates toiled against Ceres-La Salle. It immediately reminded him of what he’ll miss once he leaves the Philippines.
“Everything. It’s crazy. Like my last week, I’m now starting to do new things and exploring and I’m gonna miss it. I walked into the stadium and the Ultras were singing the OJ Porteria chant and it was really… it made me sad you know. It made me miss the club, miss the country. I’m gonna miss the people out here and just the culture,” Porteria said.
The decision to leave the Philippines wasn’t an easy one for Porteria. However, it’s one he had to make, which wasn’t a surprise to Kaya’s management. He stated that discussions about his departure had started in the previous season, although participating in the AFC Cup proved to be too much of a temptation to leave.
“We qualified so why would I want to leave if I helped them qualify. So I really wanted to get that done and then I just felt, I prayed about it, I thought about it for a couple of months and it just felt right to make the move,” Porteria explained.
Porteria admitted that playing in football leagues abroad has been his ambition and that now is the time to give that dream a shot. He feels that he has done everything he possibly could for Kaya, and a fresh start and challenge are needed now. While a sabbatical in America beckons, it is all about the way ahead.
A highlights video is being made for Porteria which will be sent to teams abroad. After that, it is all about waiting for a club to contact him. “I’m young so I wanna take advantage of the time that I have and try to make it as far as I can. My options right now are really open. There are about four countries that I’m thinking about that I’ve had connection with. Right now it’s MLS or Australia or Iceland or Sweden. Those are the four places right now which are now open for opportunity.”
That’s not to say, though, that Porteria won’t return to the Philippines sometime in the future. Porteria shared, “it’s funny. Right when I posted in Instagram, I got a lot of people messaging me asking where I’m going, if I want to play for another team in the UFL, and really it’s just me wanting to play in either US or Europe. I won’t be playing for another UFL team. I know that before I end my career, I want to come back to Kaya.”
One thing Porteria of which assured Philippine football fans was his continued participation in the Azkals. “I definitely still wanna play for the Azkals if coach (Thomas) Dooley wants to me join the camp. I’ll definitely come over and fly back and forth. That’s gonna be the plan.”
It’s been a fulfilling four-year stint for Porteria at Kaya. Those years were filled with ups and downs, yet he had his favorite moments in the Kaya shirt. “There’s a lot but if I were to say top two, qualifying for AFC Cup then scoring in the 94th minute against New Radiant and having a first home win for Kaya.”
Four years in one institution is quite long these days. As Porteria left Rizal Memorial, perhaps for the last time, he did so with his head held high, looking straight at the new challenges right in front of him.
