DLSU has a lifeline while UP gains a finals berth

This appears in the Friday February 19, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

DLSU has a lifeline while UP gains a finals berth

by rick olivares pic by brosi gonzales

De La Salle University remained in the hunt for a UAAP Men’s Football Finals berth with a massive 2-0 win over University of the East at the Ateneo college field.

They also received a lot of help from the University of the Philippines who continued their unbeaten run with a similar 2-0 win over UST.

It was more than La Salle’s hopes that were lifted with the win. In the 44th minute, rookie striker Al Bustamante controlled a high ball inside the box and although his first touch wasn’t that good, he was still able to turn and blast a shot through two Red Warrior defenders for his third goal of the tournament. Bustamante admitted that his morale was down following his two-goal strike against Ateneo in the opening day of the tournament. “I needed that,” he confided post-match. “So did our team.”

With their title hopes taking a hit after a scoreless draw with Ateneo last week and UST ahead by four points in the standings, the Green Archers found life after the goal from their Siliman University recruit. Unfortunately, they were not able to convert again until the 89th minute, when attacking midfielder Federico Rabaya struck for the late score.

“We needed that,” succinctly said Rabaya after his goal. “A two-goal win. We needed a convincing win.”

The score should have been 3-nil but the referee disallowed a goal by Arturo Enriquez who banged in a shot into an empty net after UE keeper Robert Martos collided with a Red Warrior defender and both fell to the ground. “Justice,” concluded DLSU head coach Hans Smit after the match wherein Rabaya scored.

In the main game, the Fighting Maroons continued their mastery over UST with a brilliant win over the Growling Tigers who conceded an early goal in the first half when Stephen Permanes was able to knife through the left side of the box against Ronald Batisla-Ong. With UST center back David Basa racing in to help, Permanes found a cutting Jay Eusebio who deftly flicked the ball past keeper Ramon Borigas in the 33rd minute.

Early in the second half, UST defender Nic Palacio and Eusebio battled for a highball when the former pulled down the Fighting Maroon. It was a hard fall and Eusebio had to be rushed to the hospital for a check up. According to the medics assigned to the UAAP football tournament, it is possible that the UP midfielder broke a collarbone.

Referee Grant Rojas assessed a foul on Palacio and UP’s rookie striker Jinggoy Valmayor scored from 30 yards out for his league-leading sixth goal of the tournament.

“We’re still alive,” said Smit who suffered a mild stroke last Monday but immediately went back to his coaching duties. “it’s been a difficult week for La Salle football. But we got the win.”

La Salle’s win and UST’s loss put the Green Archers at 16 points to the Tigers’ 17. UP is atop the leader board with 25 points and already has seized the twice to beat advantage for the finals.

In the final weekend of the elimination tournament on Sunday February 20, La Salle plays UP while UST will square off with Ateneo.

“It’s obvious,” added Smit. “We need to beat UP and we have to hope that Ateneo forces a draw or beats UST. We’re going to need a miracle.”