Kaya Iloilo reclaims Copa title with squeaker over ADT in final

Kenshiro Daniels snuck a goal against Mar Diano's defense to win the Copa Paulino Alcantara for Kaya Iloilo. PFL

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Last year during the PFL season, Mar Diano committed a huge defensive blunder that let Kenshiro Daniels score a goal for Kaya Iloilo against the Azkals Development Team en route to an emphatic win.

On Friday night, Diano thought he has already redeemed himself after he saved the defensive play for the ADT with a goal-line bicycle clearance when Quincy Kammeraad committed to Jovin Bedic's flicker attempt.

But a few minutes after, Daniels haunted Diano again.

Daniels scored the only goal of the match--with Diano guarding him--as Kaya Iloilo retook the Copa Paulino Alcantara through a 1-0 win over ADT at the PFF National Training Centre in Carmona.

With only a couple of minutes into the second half, Daniels got to kick the ball from close range off a loose ball scramble despite the tight defense of Diano to eventually win it for Kaya Iloilo, which won the cup for the second time in three editions.

Daniels' goal somehow took some thunder out of Diano's impressive clearance that is worthy of a place in the tournament's top plays.

Kaya Iloilo, however, got a late scare after Dylan De Bruycker was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards.

But with only a full minute left in stoppage time, the ADT found it hard to take advantage of the power play.

With the win, Kaya Iloilo is now assured of a spot in next year's AFC Champions League qualifiers.

Even if the club fails to join United Clark, which has been assigned to represent the Philippines in the Champions League group stages, in the main tournament, Kaya Iloilo has a fallback in the AFC Cup group stages.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno