Kaya seeks quarters spot

Kaya FC-Iloilo will shoot for a slot in the quarterfinals when it battles Melbourne City FC of Australia in the AFC Women’s Champions League on Saturday at the Pathum Thani Stadium in Pathum Thani in Thailand.

After forging draws in its first two matches, the Filipino squad will enter its 5 p.m. match oozing with confidence as it is sitting in the second place of Group B with two points.

A win over the A-League Women silver medalists will give the Filipinas a spot in the next round while a loss will put them in the backdoor in which they have to emerge as one of the two best third-place teams depending on the outcomes of the matches in Groups A and C.

Beating the Aussies, however, will not be easy as they topped Group B with two wins.

First, they beat Bam Khatoon last Sunday, 2-1, before trashing home squad College of Asian Scholars last Wednesday, 3-0.

With that, Kaya head coach Let Dimzon wants her wards to go all-out to pull off an upset that will not only send them to the next round but will also deal the Australian side its first loss in this prestigious continental event.

“If we can play the way we did in the first game, I believe we have a chance,” said Dimzon, wary of the attacking prowess of Venezuelan forward Mariana Speckmaier of Venezuela, who knocked down two goals in their first two victories.

“However, we need to strengthen our attack to stand a better chance of qualifying for the next stage.”

Dimzon said she will bank on national team veterans Inna Palacios, Hali Long, Cam Rodriguez and Anicka Castañeda, who all gained significant international experience after representing the country in the FIFA Women’s World Cup last year.