GUINEAN striker Sekou Sylla grabbed a late equalizer as Global Cebu FC salvaged a point after battling Kaya FC Makati to a 2-2 thrilling draw last Sunday in the Philippines Football League at University of Makati Stadium.
Japanese midfielder Shu Sasaki opened the scoring for Global in the 25th minute only for Ghanaian striker Jordan Mintah to restore parity with a strike just 30 seconds into the second half.
After a 30-minute stoppage caused by rain and thunderstorm, Kaya returned to the pitch with renewed vigor and coach Noel Marcaida’s men were rewarded with Robert Lopez Mendy’s 89th minute goal off a fine ball from Adam Reed.
But the Kaya celebration proved short-lived as Sylla struck a minute later on the other end, pouncing on a scramble to slot the ball between the legs of Kaya goalkeeper Ref Cuaresma.
With a heavy downpour making pitch conditions far from ideal, both squads struggled to carve out chances until late in the match when the game opened up as they threw more men forward on attack. The rain failed to dampen the excitement which saw both sides threaten late on.
“For majority of the game, our defense played well, but split seconds of switching off can cost you a game,” said Marcaida, whose side ended a two-game losing slide and improved to 11 points for fifth spot.
“Our players performed well. It’s better to have one point rather than none in this game. I think our players held them well and we were able to score. But just a split second of switching off costs us.”
Kaya got the first real chance in the 20th minute when Masa Omura nodded a corner on target only to be denied by a Patrick Deyto reflex save.
The other match last Sunday at Rizal Memorial Stadium was suspended in the 37th minute due to bad weather conditions that rendered the pitch unplayable.
JPV Marikina was leading Davao Aguilas, 1-0, on Satoshi Otomo’s second minute goal. The league has yet to decide when the match will be continued.
Games Tomorrow
(Biñan Football Stadium)
4 p.m. • Stallion Laguna vs Kaya FC Makati
(Cebu City Sports Center)
4 p.m. • Global Cebu vs Ceres Negros