Gentle Giants retake No. 1 spot in PFL after giving Mendiola FC a 3-1 thrashing

Ivan Ouano celebrates after scoring a goal for Cebu Football Club vs. Mendiola FC 1991 in the PFL on Saturday evening. | Photo from the CFC Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Football Club (CFC) retakes the top spot of the Philippines Football League (PFL), dislodging league-leader Kaya FC-Iloilo in the team standings after thrashing Mendiola FC 1991, 3-1, on Saturday evening at the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) National Training Center in Carmona, Cavite. 

The victory earned the Gentle Giants their much-needed three points to dislodge Kaya in the team standings. They now have 13 wins with four draws and one loss for 43 points, while Kaya dropped to the No. 2 spot after holding the top spot for quite a while with 42 points from 14-3-0 (win-loss-draw) record. 

Gentle Giant’s Man of the Match

Cebuano forward Ivan Ouano was named “Man of the Match” after scoring one of the three goals of Cebu FC, including a timely assist that lead to their third goal late in the second half. 

READ: Rintaro leads Gentle Giants to hard-fought win against Mendiola FC in Cavite

Ouano scored the first goal for Cebu FC in the 55th minute from a pass from Turkish Mert Altinoz. Ouano rushed to Mendiola’s goal undefended and easily strikes the ball for their first goal, 1-0. 

Cebu FC’s second goal came in the 59th minute from Marius Kore. JB Borlongan perfectly lobbed his corner kick to Kore inside the goal box for the latter to flick the ball easily past goalkeeper Joseph Ceniza.

Not to be outfought, Mendiola retaliated with a 79th minute goal by taking advantage on Cebu FC’s sloppy defense courtesy of Nongsam Junior, to put them behind, 1-2, in the match.

Red Card

READ: Gentle Giants clamp Azkals Dev’t Team, close in on leader Kaya in PFL standings

Despite their efforts, Mendiola suffered a huge setback in the final stretch of the match after Ceniza absorbed a red card and was sent out of the match after shoving Japanese Rintaro Hama of Cebu FC. 

Ceniza and Hama were seen exchanging words after the latter almost scored a goal for Cebu FC via a header, but was not counted by match officials later on. 

Cebu FC retaliated with a third goal, 3-1, courtesy of another Cebuano, Kintaro Miyagi through a header from a timely cross pass from Ouano to seal the victory. 

READ: Gentle Giants give Stallions a scare in their 1-1 game in Laguna

PFL standings

Third in the team standings is the Azkals Development Team with 21 points from their 6-6-3 (win-loss-draw) record, while Stallions Laguna FC is at fifth place with a 5-7-1 record. Mendiola is at sixth with 2-14 record, and Maharlika Manila at the bottom with 1-15-1 card. 

Kaya has a chance to retake the lead in the team standings as they take on the Azkals Development Team on April 15 at the latter’s home turf in Rizal Memorial Stadium. 

CFC and Kaya will have their fourth and final meeting in the PFL on April 23 at the Dynamic Herb Borromeo Sports Complex in South Road Properties (SRP), here. 

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