New look, new swagger.
On the eve of their unveiling, a confident Davao Aguilas expressed optimism that Kaya Iloilo FC will be in for a rude welcome when both teams clash on Sunday to kick off their respective bids in the Philippines Football League at the Davao del Norte Sports Complex in Tagum City.
“The win tomorrow belongs to Davao,” said coach Marlon Maro, whose will go all out before a passionate home crowd that will catch a rare glimpse of its squad before it flies back to Manila to play out a bulk of its schedule there.
Maro’s optimism isn’t misplaced.
The Aguilas have made a lot of noise in the offseason with key acquisitions they hope will come together against Kaya.
“We’re happy to play again in our nest in Tagum and we expect tomorrow to be a very good match between the two teams,” said Maro.
The Jefferson Cheng-owned Davao has left no stone unturned in its bid to bounce back from a season where it finished seventh. After luring the Younghusband brothers Phil and James last season and forming a core that includes Angel Guirado, Simone Rota and Dylan de Bruycker, Davao bolstered its roster with several key acquisitions.
Former Global Cebu midfielder and national team standout Dennis Villanueva joins the team, which will, however miss two of its nine new acquisitions in Adam Reed and Takashi Odawara.
“As a professional team, we have to adapt to these challenges,” said Maro. “We won’t be having Adam Reed and Odawara tomorrow so it’s another adjustment for the club. This gives a chance to prove that we have a deep bench and that we have good players from every position.
“We have to be positive, our objective is to have a good start.”
And the club is ready to meet its fans’ high hopes.
“We expect the expectations, not only from supporters and the fans but from the club owners and the management as well,” said Maro.
Kaya, meanwhile, hopes to spring a surprise anchored on a core that should flaunt more cohesion than the Aguilas.
“The team is intact from last year. I think that’s one thing that we have an advantage over Davao,” said Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida. “It’s not easy to have chemistry in a span of two three months. It’s going to be an interesting game for tomorrow