A BRACE from OJ Porteria boosted Kaya past Philippine Army, 4-0, last night even as Ceres La Salle FC prevailed in its top-flight debut in the 2015 United Football League at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Porteria struck from the penalty spot in the 37th minute before firing a second late in the second half that sealed Kaya’s triumph.
Chris Greatwich and Louis Clark also found the back of the net as Adam Reekie’s side found an extra gear in the second half to put Army to the sword.
Reinforced by a slew of Korean players based in Cavite, the Armed Forces side kept Kaya frustrated for most of the match before finally yielding to the pressure late on.
Preparation was far from ideal for the Army side whose players were deployed at the Apec summit in Clark to beef up security the past two weeks.
Martin Steuble and Adrian Gallardo scored a goal each in the first half as Ceres beat Manila Jeepney, 2-1, in a battle of newly promoted teams.
Steuble, atoning for his penalty miss in the loss to Global in the PFF Smart Cup semifibals, was on target in the 15th minute before Gallardo doubled the lead six minutes before halftime.