DLSU draws with UP; UST gets untracked

This appears in the Monday January 31, 2011 edition of Business Mirror.

picture: DLSU's Nikko Villa and UP's Nathan Octavio battle for control of the ball.

DLSU draws with UP; UST gets untracked

by rick olivares with pics by brosi

The De La Salle Green Archers claimed a spectacular injury time goal to forge a 1-1 draw with league-leading University of the Philippines at the Season 73 Men’s Football Tournament at the Ateneo football field in Loyola Heights, Quezon City yesterday.

With 30 seconds left of the three-minute extra time, Manuel Mateo Yuhico controlled the rebound off a shot by teammate Nikko Villa that hit the crossbar. As UP defenders frantically scampered to block his shot, Yuhico who had come on as a late substitute for striker Al Bustamante, volleyed past Maroons keeper Mark Custodio for the equalizer.

It was a sorry goal and point conceded by UP who had been unbeaten after four matches.

However, it was the Green Archers who controlled the early stages of the game until an errant La Salle clearance went inside their box with the ball hitting defender Juan Antonio Patag.

UP rookie Jinggoy Valmayor, stepped up for the penalty kick and he converted in the 20^th minute for a 1-nil lead and his fourth score of the tournament.  It was all UP from that point on as they routinely picked apart La Salle’s careful passing game.

“I was ready to go back down on defense,” related Yuhico, a second year player on the Green Archers. “But coach (Hans Smit) always tells us to be ready at times like this for a rebound. I was lucky to get it and score.”

A relieved Smit glowed after the match. “That’s what we’ve been teaching these kids – to keep that never say die spirit. We were able to achieve our goal for the game which was to prevent UP from sweeping the tournament. Hopefully, we can continue what we’ve been doing in the second round.”

Sleeping giant, University of Santo Tomas, finding their campaign floundering with only five points to show after four matches, followed their 4-0 win against Ateneo with a 4-1 drubbing of FEU. Striker Ojay Clariño received a perfect cross from midfielder Shinmar Felongco inside the box that he blasted past Tamaraws keeper Leoben Wayco in the 11^th minute. Three minutes later, Clariño scored on a penalty called on Wayco for knocking down UST midfielder John Ronald Caballero.

UST celebrated the return of sophomore striker Christian De Juan who was out for two matches after a death in the family. De Juan, who came on as a substitute in the first half, scored off another brilliant cross from Felongco in the 41^st minute for a 3-0 lead heading into the half. De Juan's fellow native from Barotac Nuevo, Fidel Kue, finished off the hard-fighting Tamaraws with a goal in the 88th minute.

The defending champions battled back despite being reduced to 10 men after midfielder Dexter Chio was sent off for kicking UST defender Joel Bones. Tamaraws rookie striker Jesus Melliza scored in the 51^st minute for his third goal of the season.

In the other match of the day’s triple-header, the Ateneo Blue Booters and University of the East Red Warriors played to a scoreless draw.

Levitate me! UST's Ojay Clariño heads the ball towards the FEU goal. Tamaraws keeper Leoben Wayco is ready. In this bit of action, the FEU keeper is up to the task but Clariño tagged him for two goals. On another note, Ojay's younger brother Gino plays for the Ateneo High School football team.