MANILA — The road to the AFC Cup goes a notch higher as the knockout semifinals of the Copa Paulino Alcantara takes place on Sunday at different venues.
Kaya Iloilo goes up against Stallion Laguna in the first game, while Davao Aguilas will collide with JPV Marikina in the second game.
Iloilo and Laguna will be the first to slug it out for a spot in the championship game of the Philippines Football League’s cup tournament as they are set for a 2:30 p.m. kick-off at the Iloilo Sports Complex in Iloilo City.
Iloilo took the top seed in Group B after a close 1-0 win against Marikina in the final day of the group stages on Wednesday, assuring that a playoff game will take place at its home.
On the other hand, Laguna failed to snag homecourt edge in Group A after bowing at home to Davao, 0-4, also on Wednesday, relegating them to a road game against Iloilo to keep its AFC Cup hopes alive.
In the nightcap, despite Davao taking the top seed in Group A, Marikina will have some sort of a home turf advantage as their own semifinal will happen closer to home at the Rizal Memorial Stadium here.
Citing the unavailability of the Davao Del Norte Sports Complex in Tagum City, the designated home side opted to bring the match to Rizal Memorial, where it played its home matches in the group stages of the tourney.
Marikina, however, will miss the services of starting goalkeeper Nelson Gasic, who was given a direct red card in its match against Iloilo. This will be a huge blow for Marikina’s defensive unit that will be tasked to contain Davao’s offensive firepower led by skipper Phil Younghusband, older brother James, and Korean reinforcement Kim Sung-Min, the Man of the Match against Laguna.
The winners of the said games will meet on Saturday back at the Rizal Memorial Stadium for all the marbles in the Copa.
Games on Sunday
(Iloilo Sports Complex, Iloilo City)
2:30 p.m.-Iloilo vs. Laguna
(Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila)
5:00 p.m.-Davao vs. Marikina