UFL Preview: Kaya FC still under construction

MANILA, Philippines – Even before the 2014 UFL League competition kicked off, drama was already aplenty within Kaya’s camp. They made what could be the boldest move a team has made in the offseason: they let go of their number 1 goalkeeper, Saba Garmaroudi.

The Iranian has been an integral part of Kaya’s success over the past few years. When in form, he is the best man in between the sticks in the whole league and no one even comes close. By dropping a player in Garmaroudi’s caliber, coach David Perkovic will need to justify his move, and the best way to do that is to contend for the title this season.

Kaya – who kick off their season on Tuesday, January 14 against Pachanga Diliman FC at Emperador Stadium – has always been a candidate to take home the trophy year in and year out. Backed by the largest and wildest fan base in the league, the club is one of the most exciting teams in the UFL.

In the past couple of years, Kaya has banked on its stars who also play for the Philippine National Football Team, namely Anton del Rosario, Chris Greatwich and OJ Porteria, plus reliable foreign reinforcements Masa Omura and Fabien Lewis. Although they have been in constant revamp since their Australian mentor took over last year, Kaya remains a favorite to win the League competitions.

Having lost the 2012 league title to Global by mere points, Kaya entered last year’s contention looking to take the trophy that could have been theirs. However, the team got into a funk midway through the season, struggling to translate their games into wins. Although they only lost 3 games, Kaya finished the season at a disappointing fourth place, winning 8 times and painfully drawing 7 matches.

Aside from Garmaroudi, Kaya has also dropped Lewis, Scott Baginski and Danilo de Jong. To make up for their losses, Perkovic called on the services of compatriots Thomas Taylor and Richard Greer, the latter being a former Australia National youth player and a reserve for Gold Coast United. Ghanaian Alfred Osei is also set to wear Kaya’s colors starting this season.

Without Garmaroudi, Kaya will be relying on former Ateneo goalie Nick O’Donnel, who was impressive last year in the UAAP. Amidst all the changes happening in their squad, Kaya can still be considered a contender this season. Whether Perkovic made the right moves or not, the answer will not be known until Kaya hit the ground as yet another UFL season unfolds. – Rappler.com