UST Men's Football Team: Tiger Fall

Tiger Fall

UST was on the verge of draping the UAAP football landscape in gold and white. But fate was cruel and had other ideas.

story and pics by rick olivares

One hour and thirty minutes after his UST Tigers lost the UAAP Men’s Football Championship to FEU, coach Marjo Allado was still at the Ateneo pitch with some friends. They talked about miscellaneous stuff but every now and then, it would drift back to the game. Allado bit his lip, said a few words but generally remained quiet. They all wanted to leave but didn’t want to at the same time. Misery doesn’t love company but it sure helps keep it at arms length.

An hour earlier, the field was still filled with activity as the joyous and triumphant Tamaraws made their way to the team bus for their blissful ride back to their dorm and a hearty victory dinner. The UST team washed up quickly and made their way back to España. The tournament officials ate a quick merienda, held a quick meeting, then left.

Now save for a few people throwing around a Frisbee, a couple of kids kicking around a football, and grounds people cleaning up the field that for two months was the venue of intense competition, the pitch was quiet.

To the uninitiated, the game might have been rough even a tad dirty with all the extra motions. “That’s nothing,” said a sports writer on the scene. “Typical larong Illongo.”

The UAAP Men’s Football Finals of Season 72 billed FEU and UST. But to the protagonists, there was something more. It was the Battle of Iloilo played in Manila.

Allado, a true son of Barotac Nuevo, played for UST under Nonoy Carpio where the Tigers won the UAAP title in 2000. As a coach who replaced his mentor, Allado helped the Tigers win in 2007 against pretty much the same Tamaraws squad they did battle today. In 2007, they won in penalties 4-2 erasing the painful failure of the 2005 finals where they lost to Ateneo also in a penalty shootout.

Among his squad, he counts several fellow Barotacnons and Illongos --- there are a couple from Janiuay and Calinog. Rookie of the Year Christian de Juan is from Janiuay but grew up in Barotac. He was suspended for the Game 2 on account of two yellow cards.

Over at FEU, head coach Adolfo Alicante is from La Paz, Iloilo but played for Santa Barbara, hometown also of striker Jason Cordova and defender Raymond Buensuceso. A few other teammates are from Barotac Nuevo.

Outside regional rivalries, the Manila-based squads of FEU and UST (including UE) are fierce rivals.

The Tigers, playing without any pressure at all, began beating teams left and right. Against the Tamaraws in the first round, twice they came back from deficits to forge a draw and a point. In the final match of the eliminations, the Tigers dropped their foes 3-1.

But if they thought the Tamaraws were going to be easy pickings in the finals, they were about to face an altogether different squad.

For one, FEU is a much older team. The only holdovers from the UST title squad of 2007 were goalkeeper Johnson Lee and defender Dave Basa. The core of the Tamaraws – Francis Gustilo, Glester Sobremisana, Cordova, Buensuceso, Romnick Jover, Jake Hugo, and Ronie Espinosa had extensive championship experience. They had made the finals for the last three years but only had one title to show for it. However, they had a world of experience.

“Our inexperience in the finals showed,” summed up Allado of their 1-nil loss in Game 1. That inexperience was clearly evident with De Juan who picked up a yellow card for diving. His team would miss him greatly in Game 2. Since the second round match with Ateneo, De Juan played with a minor injury. With two recent deaths in the family, a lot weighed on his mind. “Last playing day,” he said prior to the match. He couldn’t wait to go home to Iloilo. At the same time, he was more upset that he couldn’t join his team in trying to win the crown.

Growing up in Janiuay (then Barotac later on), he had to be fetched from the field to stop playing. “Para hindi makalaro ngayon – masakit.”

If De Juan felt the pain in his heart, teammate Mario Clariño playing alongside De Juan in the top of a 4-4-2 formation, felt pain in his knee. All season long, he was playing on a partially torn ACL. Incredibly, it didn’t seem to affect his speed and was one of the tournament’s top scorers. “Kapag nagsimula yung laro, medyo nawawala na. Dala na yan ng adrenaline at pride.” he underscored before the game. In Game 2, without De Juan who kept opposing defenders nervous and unsure of whom to mark, Clariño had a few scoring chances. As a result, UST’s overall game lacked pace and fluidity.

On the other side of the field, FEU too was struggling without three of their regular starters – Cordova, Jover, and Joshua Almenar. They had some chances but UST did a better job of stopping FEU’s attacks behind the tournament’s Best Defender, David Basa.

But in the 75^th minute, Tamaraw midfielder Filsan Akut took aim at the UST goal from just outside the box. The shot hit UST defender Ronnel Lagrimas in the back. The ball went to FEU rookie Dexter Chio, who was a few yards behind the play. Without hesitation, he blasted a rocket straight at the goal.

The Tigers’ keeper, Lee, saw the ball bounce off one of his defenders but with four players outside the box obscuring his vision, he didn’t see Chio’s shot until the ball was nearly over him. “Huli na nung makita ko,” he rued afterwards.

In a defensive series and with time fast running out, the one goal was huge. All season long UST never tasted defeat. They had shown uncanny resiliency in turning back challenges and bouncing back. When the game wasn’t going their way, they were able to defend and force a draw. But in the game’s final minutes, they redoubled their efforts with a pace now born of desperation. Midfielder Mandie Lunag’s sending off after a red card did them in.

As the Tigers trudged to their bench, broken and in tears, Allado fought to keep an impassive face. Team Assistant Coaches Kim Versales and Arman Esteban bemoaned a most painful day. Earlier, the UST Women’s Football team failed to defend their crown when La Salle upended them 1-nil to snap an eight tournament losing streak to the Tigresses. “Ano ba naman ‘to?” cried out Esteban.

Just then, former national head coach Juan Cutillas, who watched the Finals Series, came over to offer some support. “You must come back from this,” said the Spaniard. “You have a great team.” Allado nodded and managed a pained smile. He was too choked up for words.

One hour and forty-five minutes after the game had ended, with the sun fading fast, Allado got up, thanked his friends for their support, and made his way towards Katipunan Avenue. He flagged a cab and left with a friend. Before he stepped inside the cab, he looked back at the pitch where glory was cruelly snatched from his team an hour and forty-five minutes ago. He went in, closed the door, and was gone.

For the UST Tigers Men's Football Team 2009-10. Bawi next year! Viva Santo Tomas!

It was hard rooting for a team in the finals. I enjoy chatting with the FEU guys from Cordova to Aguisanda. But since they won one before, I wanted this UST team to get their chance at glory.

The Tigers were fun to watch in the way UP was fun to watch last year. These guys played with a lot of heart and perhaps more than any other squad out in the tourney, there was a joy on their faces when they were on the pitch. They played pressure-free and totally enjoyed it. So it was a tough tough loss. One of the most heart-breaking post-game scenes I've seen. I refuse to post any of the pics I took save for the shot of Clariño with his back turned. Kudos to Johnson Lee for trying to pump up his teammates.

FEU is still a cut above everyone else. Those guys know how to play the game. I actually thought that Glester Sobremisana should have been judged the best midfielder. On a short game, he is the best. He's got that deft touch and makes smart and nifty passes and sets up teammates. How many assists did he have all year?

I know I said that DLSU was disappointing early on, but they sure turned it up in the second half.

If you love the game of football, you do more than cheer for your team. You watch everyone else. In this year of supposed parity, it was fun.Til next time. Hopefully with less BS from the sidelines.