PASAY City took the early honours when the first national football league in the Philippines kicked off over the weekend.
Playing against reigning champions Davao City, Pasay won 4-1 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila thanks to a man-of-the-match performance from skilful midfielder Jesurel Tonog, who scored two of the goals.
In other matches on the first weekend, Makati beat Manila 1-0 in Manila, Iligan beat Iloilo 1-0 at the Iloilo City Sports Centre and Quezon thrashed Cebu 3-0, also in Iloilo.
The Philippine Football League consists of 10 semi-professional teams - Dumaguete and Laguna are the other two - playing 90 matches over 22 weeks at four venues: the Rizal Memorial Stadium, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao and Cebu.
The Philippine Football Federation received permission from the Asian Football Confederation in May to form their first semi-pro league. Competition will end in May and the champions will receive the President's Cup.
In Japan, Verdy Kawasaki and Sanfrecce Hiroshima ended their J.League campaigns on a low note ahead of their two-leg play-off for the championship.
Sanfrecce, who won the first stage of this second J.League season, slipped to a 1-0 defeat away to Nagoya Grampus Eight, for whom former England captain Gary Lineker was playing his last match before retiring.