LBC-backed Kaya FC ready for UFL

MANILA, Philippines - On a sunny January morning at the Manila Polo Club grounds, Kaya Futbol Club’s Manila-based Spanish coach Juan Cutillas barked out instructions to his players to pick up the pace in drills they worked out for the United Football League unfolding today at the Rizal football pitch.

Co-captain Anton del Rosario, Nate Burkey and Jason Sabio, three of the four Azkals suiting up for Kaya FC, instantly responded by doubling their efforts as Aly Borromeo, their leader who will be at every practice and every game of his team while recovering from a painful ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury he sustained last year, watched from the sidelines.

As they concluded the two-hour practice, Borromeo and the rest of the team sat out in one shady part of the pitch and encircled their coach, who yelled out his final say on what went right and what they needed to improve on.

A few brief minutes later, they started to dress up and one by one walked through the pathway connecting the turf to one of the club’s restaurants for a hearty buffet breakfast and some football and non-football conversations.

Kaya FC is now ready for battle.

“I have a feeling we have a good team, a better team than last UFL Cup,” said the 69-year-old Cutillas, the former national team coach now back with Kaya after sorties with other clubs.

And Cutillas, or coach Cuto to countless others who have known the man through these years, have reasons to feel optimistic as Kaya FC not only beefed up their rosters with acquisitions of two new strikers in Alu Kigbu of Pachanga and Joshua Beloya of University of Saint La Salle but it also has LBC Hari ng Padala fully sponsoring them for this tournament.

“LBC sponsoring Kaya is I think a blessing,” said Cutillas. “It’s great, it’s mostly the dedication of these people and the commitment of these people to football that really amaze me the most.”

Borromeo, del Rosario and Chris Hagedorn, one of the board members of the team and co-founders of the UFL, all agreed.

“It’s great having a big company like LBC fully supporting us,” said Borromeo, who should be back on the pitch late March or early April.

“We’re very happy LBC came in to be our sponsor, they’re good people, they’ve been good to us when we need anything, they’re there for us and with them, I’m looking forward to an exciting season,” del Rosario, for his part, said.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal,” said Hagedorn. “LBC has been the sponsor of Kaya in the last decade, they’ve helped out Kaya over the years but this year they’ve come in big when it’s really needed in many ways and the LBC partnership is definitely long-term.

“I wouldn’t have any other corporation or I wouldn’t be as happy if any other company sponsors us. LBC deserves it because they’ve been our supporter for so many years and I hope we can return and give them some prizes and show them some silverware so they get good exposure,” he added.

And that silverware could be a UFL League championship.

The additions of Beloya and Kigbu should further strengthen Kaya’s already formidable front that included Burkey, who played college ball at Virginia Commonwealth, attacking midfielder Prince Boley and Ivory Coast’s Eric Dragoh.

And of course there’s del Rosario.

The rest of the team is composed of Christopher Camcam, Yannick Tuason, Lexton Moy, Armand Del Rosario, Nico Bolzicco, Alex Fallah, Evan Santos, Sadeghi Saba, Adrien Semblat, Eddie Mallari, Paolo Atayde, Jonathan Romero, Masanari Omura, Masih Rezaei, Russel Pierson, Ruffy Llorente, Jeffrey Liman, Hamid Jaber and Jacobo Lorenzo.

Kaya FC, now owned by LBC Hari ng Padala top honcho and current UFL chair Santy Araneta, is out to bounce back from the disappointments of its UFL Cup experience after losing its last two heartbreaking games to the Meralco Sparks, 4-5, in the semfinals and Global, 1-2, in the battle for third.

It was in the loss to the Sparks that hurts the most for Kaya FC as the latter led, 3-0, after the first half only to lose steam in the end.

Now Cutillas said they’ve addressed the problem.

“It was my first assignment and I was not familiar with the players then but now I think we have a better chance because we’ve developed good teamwork and we  have better conditioning now,” said Cutillas.

“We also have a couple of good players added to the team and with luck and some factors, we could end up as serious contenders to the championship in the end,” he added.

Air Force will be the first real test for Kaya FC as the two collide in today’s opener that should set the pace in the event that will see all 10 first division teams play each other twice for a whopping total of 18 matches.

“It’s going to be a long season, that’s 18 games we have there,” said Borromeo. 

“It will be an exciting game and I think it will set the tone for our campaign, that game against Air Force,” said del Rosario.

This early, Kaya FC is one of the four teams being touted as early favorites to take home the UFL crown.

But Cutillas’ boys would have their hands full against strong challenges that would come from Air Force, the defending champion, the Phil and James Younghusband-led Sparks and Global, who have all likewise beefed up their rosters.

Meralco Loyola FC has brought in Rolando Cabaniero, Alex Camara, Anto Gonzales, Simon Greatwich, Lawrence Ikegwuruka, Byeong Jeong, Byung Park and Taku Yoshioka, Air Force picked up  Juven Benitez, Glenn Bulaquiña, Archie Caluba, and Avery del Rosario and the Stallions got Richard Bedia, Kyung Cha, Bo Bae Park, and Enzo Pinga.

Cutillas, though, sees the Sparks as the biggest hurdle with the Younghusbands, Phil and James, in tow.

Phil, of course, was the UFL Cup’s top scorer having scored a spectacular 25 goals.

“Any team can upset you but I think Loyola is the toughest because of the presence of the Younghusbands and I know they will be a big factor again,” said an awed Cutillas. “They’re outstanding players, the country’s two best players and very committed since they always give you their 100 percent every game and they’re very professional.

“Above all, they’re excellent people, excellent human beings and I think Loyola has the advantage of that, nothing has strikers like the Younghusbands,” he added.

But with a strong backer in LBC, a veteran and tested coach and veteran and new players harmoniously co-existing, hope springs eternal for Kaya FC.