The mad
bounce: La Salle draws with UST 1-1
by rick olivares
January 18, 2012
Ocampo Field, Ateneo de Manila
A team can be flawless for much of the
game. They can dominate possession. Rain shots on an opponent’s goal that it
wouldn’t take long before the referee upgrades the match conditions to Signal
#3.
But one mistake. One… can be fatal.
The University of Santo Tomas Growling
Tigers are considered top contenders for the UAAP Season 74 Men’s Football
title. In their first match of the season, they clearly outplayed FEU and fired
away at will at the Tamaraws’ goal (yet they only won by 1-nil).
Against De La Salle University, they
dominated possession for much of the first half with Christian de Juan and Ken
Parao nearly finding the back of the net for UST in the 14th minute.
In the final seconds of the two minutes added time of the first half, the
Tigers were whistled for a foul inside the box.
As DLSU right back Greggy Yang got
ready for his spot kick, the UST coaching staff led by Marjo Allado sat in
stunned and disbelieving silence.
“Don’t get cocky,” yelled La Salle
coach Hans Smit to Yang.
But incredibly, Yang did a stutter
step to distract UST keeper Mon Borigas but seemed to be more concerned with
his fancy steps than the shot he was about to take. His blast to the right was
low and lacking in power. Borigas guessed right.
Allado heaved a sigh of relief while
Smit recited a litany of expletives. “Didn’t I just tell you not to get cocky?”
he thundered as some of his players consoled Yang.
In the second half, La Salle began to
pressure UST and in the 51st minute, the normally dependable Ronald
Batisla-Ong headed a high ball back to Borigas. His header was short and Green
Archer striker Mateo Yuhico quickly pounced on the ball to blast it into the
net. 1-nil La Salle.
Batisla-Ong sat in dismay and covered
his head with his shirt. Allado and company sat in mute silence for the second
time during the game.
The momentum shift was instantaneous
as UST quickly conceded two free kicks and one corner. Allado shuffled his
players bringing in Fidel Kue for de Juan, Peter Ricamora for Ronnel Lagrimas,
John Caballero for Parao, and Noel Francisco for Joel Bones.
But UST was still unable to get into
the final third of La Salle’s side of the field. An air of desperation
descended upon UST as players repeatedly botched passes and had to back pedal
as La Salle probed dangerously on the counter attack.
With five minutes left in the game,
Tigers’ striker Ojay Clarino who up to that point had not contributed much to
his side’s effort took a pass from midfielder Shirmar Felongco. All game long
he had been unable to get any decent shot in. In that one instance, the La
Salle defenders surprisingly gave him space from some 25 yards out on the right
wing. Finally seeing daylight, Clarino fired away straight to the La Salle
goal. DLSU keeper Patrick Deyto steeled himself to catch the ball with his body
firmly squared for the stop.
Except the ball hit his forearm and
spun above his head for the unlikely equalizer.
The coaching staffs of each side sat
is disbelief.
With time waning and two minutes of
added time, the momentum swung one final time to UST. But La Salle held on for
a 1-1 draw.
“We’re lucky to come away with a
point,” said a relieved and drained Allado who remained seated on the bench.
“One mistake,” rued Smit. “Two
mistakes,” he corrected himself suddenly remembering the missed penalty shot. “I
hope the boys learn from this. At least we have a point. But it’s the same as
last year as we drew again with UST.”
“One mistake…” he muttered taking a
puff out of his cigarette.
La Salle Green Archers
Deyto
Yang Patag Suleiman Nierras
Alquiros Diamante Borromeo Talento
Rabaya Yuhico
Clarino De Juan
Palacio Lagrimas Felongco Parao
Bolo Regis Batisla-Ong Bones
Borigas
thank you for the article Rick...go tigers! go UAAP! GO PILIPINAS FUTBOL!!!
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