One Taguig FC forward Tsukasa Shimomura turned out to be a spark plug for the team’s 3-1 win over Manila Diggers FC in the Philippines Football League (PFL) last Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Shimomura came onto the pitch in the 13th minute to replace Omid Nazari and scored a brace in the 21st and 45+3 minutes.

The 27-year-old Japanese forward told DAILY TRIBUNE he was happy to make an immediate impact when he was called to play.

“Oh, I’m so happy. I started as a sub at first, but I got a chance and got the ball well,” Shimomura said.

“We all fought with the consciousness that we would run to the end.”

So far, Taguig shares the top spot of the PFL with Cebu FC and Stallion Laguna FC with identical 1-0-0 records.

Still, Shimomura believes the club can perform better as they gun for the title despite only playing its second PFL season.

Taguig finished the 2024 season in fourth place with a 10-2-2 win-draw-loss record.

“There is still a long way to go in the league, and I will try my best to realize that we will all fight together,” Shimomura said.