Kaya-Iloilo and United City put up a gallant effort despite suffering another defeat Monday, July 5 to clubs that previously beat them handily in the AFC Champions League.
Jovin Bedic equalized early in the second half but Kaya conceded the eventual winner minutes later in a 2-1 loss to defending champion Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea in their second Group F meeting at the Leo Stadium in Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Goalkeeper Anthony Pinthus, maligned by fans since the start, made a good account of himself but miscues at the back contributed to United City’s 2-0 setback to Group I leader Kawasaki Frontale of Japan at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Both results were an improvement for the two Filipino clubs compared to their first meeting against the same teams last Friday when Kaya fell 3-0 to Ulsan Hyundai and United City was battered 8-0 by Kawasaki.
Kaya fell behind in the 27th in an unusual way when Ulsan’s Lukas Hinterseer’s shot from the center of the box hit the face of Yoon Bit-garam before the ball went inside the net which stunned goalkeeper Zach Banzon, who was making his first Champions League start.
But Kaya came back to tie the match early in the second half when Bedic fired a left-footed attempt off a cross from Ryo Fujii for his first goal in Asia’s premier club competition.
Ulsan, which fielded a different roster compared to the first match against Kaya, made sure that it would extend its Champions League record streak to 13 straight wins when Yoon fired the go-ahead score in the 51st.
“To equalize and concede so soon after is disappointing, and not finding the second goal is frustrating,” said Kaya coach Graham Harvey, whose team got an advantage even before Bedic’s goal when Ulsan was reduced to 10 men following a red card on Kim Min-jun.
Pinthus kept the match scoreless for United City at the start with several fine saves, but a weak backpass by Arnie Pasinabo resulted in a Kei Chinen goal in the 19th.
UCFC kept its chances of possibly scoring a tying goal but Kawasaki bundled the insurance goal on Tatsuya Hasegawa during a scramble inside the six-yard box.