Dynamic Herb Cebu FC squandered a golden opportunity to edge closer to the PFL title with a heartbreaking 1-2 defeat at home against a resilient Stallion Laguna FC in Saturday’s PFL fixture at the Dynamic Herb Sports Complex.
This defeat not only handed Cebu their first home loss of the season but also severely dented their title aspirations. With Kaya FC-Iloilo looking to defend their crown, Cebu’s chances of closing the gap now appeared slimmer.
The first blow came in the 57th minute when Jose Dourado scored from a counter-attack after a misfire by Finn McDaniel. Just four minutes later, McDaniel doubled Stallion’s lead following a chaotic scramble in Cebu’s penalty area.
Coach Ernie Nierras’ side continued to threaten despite being reduced to ten men late in the match. Seungwon Lee, making his debut, missed a golden opportunity in the 77th minute. Cebu’s best chance came in the 79th minute when Rintaro Hama headed just over the crossbar.
Cebu finally found a lifeline in the 90th minute when Hama headed in a cross from the right wing, making it 1-2 and sparking hopes of a late comeback. However, even with almost 18 minutes of stoppage time, Cebu’s attempts were stifled. In a dramatic twist, Stallion’s goalkeeper Freddy Cortez was injured after saving Hama’s 90+6 minute effort.
With Stallion having already used all their substitutes, they were forced to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match. Despite this setback, Cebu failed to capitalize, and Stallion’s defense held firm to secure the victory.