Defending champion Kaya-Iloilo secured top spot in the semifinals of the 2022 Copa Paulino Alcantara after defeating Dynamic Herb Cebu, 3-0, on Thursday, May 12 at the PFF National Training Centre in Carmona, Cavite.
Patrick Arthur scored his first goal for the club while Daizo Horikoshi moved back in front of the race for the Golden Boot award with a brace as Kaya finished the elimination round with 16 points.
Kaya went unbeaten during the eliminations, posting five wins and one draw to arrange a meeting with Stallion-Laguna, which later in the day secured the last semifinals berth.
Cebu suffered its only defeat of the elims to settle for second spot with 13 points and a date with 2020 Philippines Football League champion United City FC in the other semis pairing. Both semifinal matches are slated May 17, still at the Carmona pitch.
The holders extended their unbeaten run to 15 straight matches dating back to the 2020 PFL season, with Arthur setting things up after being fouled at the edge of the box by Cebu’s Lorenzo Genco for a free kick.
And the Ghanaian midfielder, signed by Kaya in the offseason, would convert the opener in the 16th minute, first hitting the crossbar before landing past the goal line to put Kaya in front.
Horikoshi got himself on the scoresheet after he was fouled inside the box by Cebu’s Nazim Ozcan, resulting in a penalty kick which the Japanese coolly converted in the 33rd to make it 2-0.
The goal allowed Horikoshi to break his tie with Cebu’s Arda Cinkir and United City’s Ricki Sendra for the lead in the goalscoring tally, but Horikoshi would tighten his grip on the lead when he received Jesse Curran’s pass before slotting another goal past Cebu goalkeeper Ace Villanueva in the 59th.
Horikoshi now has seven goals since signing with Kaya in 2020 following a spell with Albirex Niigata in the Singapore Premier League the previous year.
Cebu tried to score a consolation goal the rest of the way but Kaya was able to produce a clean sheet for the fourth time in the competition.