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| Kaya Iloilo is now a three-peat PFL champion. Matchday Media/PFL (file photo) |
BINAN--Kaya Iloilo remained the king of the PFL after blanking Stallion Laguna, 2-0, in the season's final match on Sunday night at the Binan Football Stadium.
Jhan-Jhan Melliza broke the ice for Kaya Iloilo by finishing the job on the third try in the 43rd minute after Roberto Llamas struggled to keep the ball away from his goal following two attempts.
Shuto Komaki then delivered the dagger for Kaya Iloilo in the 78th minute after scoring from way out that broke the hearts not just of Stallion Laguna fans at their club's home but also those of Manila Digger, who were hoping that Stallion Laguna would pull off an upset.
Digger, which won 5-0 against Loyola in the first match, was hoping that Stallion Laguna would at least force a draw with Kaya Iloilo so that they could clinch the league title.
However, as the final whistle was blown after a lengthy second-half stoppage time, Kaya Iloilo finished on top of the table with 44 points on 13 wins, two draws, and two losses, one of which came from Digger in the first round.
Digger, which had 43 points at the end of the year, settled for second place.
Both Kaya Iloilo and Digger are heading to next season's AFC Champions League 2 tournament, with Kaya Iloilo earning an outright place in the group stages and Digger needing to undergo the qualifiers for a shot at joining Kaya Iloilo in the main tournament.
Komaki's insurance goal sealed a season MVP performance for the Japanese striker, while Manila Digger's Saikou Ceesay was named the top scorer with 16 goals, and Dynamic Herb Cebu's Jun Badelic was the top goalkeeper of the season.
Stallion Laguna, on the other hand, finished an up-and-down season in fifth place with 27 points, missing out on making the Finals Series beginning April 26.
The "Final 4" round is a special mini-cup among the top four finishers of the PFL season, also including fourth-placed Cebu and third-placed One Taguig, which would determine which club will be the league's representative to the Shopee Cup next season.
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