Thoughts on yesterday's UAAP football match between UP and UST

In yesterday’s football match between UP and UST, controversy reared its ugly head, when two players fought for a high ball and ball fell to the ground. Players close by felt that a UST player pulled down the UP player (Jay Eusebio). UPDATE: JAY EUSEBIO SUFFERED A FRACTURE ON 2/3 OF HIS CLAVICLE (whatever that means).

It was frightening for a while there as Eusebio lost consciousness for about a  minute and when he woke up, he couldn’t remember his name or what happened. I found this out from the medics from CMS (Center for Musculoskeletal Science) who attended to the fallen players.

At first, it looked like a dislocated shoulder only Jay was pointing to his collarbone. I know what that is like as I suffered a broken collarbone in a football game while in grade six.

Now at first, the referee indicated a foul against UP but after the 10-minute lull he instead gave the foul to UST’s Nic Palacio and there was a free kick from which Jinggoy Valmayor scored (the ball hit the first post then ricocheted in).

UST contends that the referee changed his mind and that led to the goal and the final outcome of the match.

As I understand from the rules, an official can change his call upon consulting the referees on the sidelines as well the fourth official. However, this is tricky. The officials hear the complaints of all parties and I am not sure if they are influenced at this point. The benches are in close proximity to the table officials’ tent and I wonder if the comments of the teams affect the judgment.

I recall the 2006 World Cup when Hector Elizondo gave a red card to Zinedine Zidane for his head butt of Marco Materrazzi. Elizondo did not see Zizou’s hit on the Italian and although it is said that he consulted with the line judges, I am not sure they saw everything. The Italians for sure swarmed the referee including those who didn’t see the head butt.

I am not defending the hit by Zidane or the foul by Palacio. What I am saying is the officials have to do a better job of calling the match and coordinating with one another without too much outside interference. I believe that before every match, officials should not just inspect the teams but also conduct a quick meeting with coaches because sometimes, coaches should get carded for too much complaining and heaping of verbal abuse (on their players – seriously -- and the referees).

Atty. Rolly Tulay, NCRFA President and his Gen. Sec. Jerry Ngo informed me that immediately after the college football season, all officials will undergo further training seminars (which was not available to them in the past three years). Atty. Tulay was previously a manager for the UP football team and he used to cuss and get riled by poor officiating. Now that he is on the other side of the fence, he sees the need for reevaluation and re-training for officials and for communicating the rules to all team officials. “We will hold a dialogue with all the college football officials under the NCRFA to improve the quality of our referees and our game,” said Tulay.


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UP head coach Anto Gonzales mustered a smile after yesterday's resounding 2-0 win over UST. "I can only really smile when all of this is done," said the coach. In the first meeting between the two teams, UST dominated the match but UP made the most out of its few chances to score. Yesterday, it was the opposite, UP choked the life out of UST's midfield and as a result, Ojay Clarino didn't get any good looks at the goal. 


As for the Tigers who own a one-point lead over La Salle, they are still confident of beating the Maroons despite two setbacks. "We just need to get to the finals and it's a different ballgame," said head coach Marjo Allado.


This Sunday's match between UP and DLSU, the Maroons will be without the suspended Deo Segunial, Nathan Octavio, and Ayi Aryee because of two yellow cards (it was done on purpose to keep them card free for the finals). The Green Archers will be back to full strength with Nikko Villa back in the lineup.


UST is up against Ateneo. A win by UST will knock out La Salle. And a win by the green booters will mean they go to the finals. Some say that UP has the luxury of choosing its opponent. But if you think that there will be any letdown then you don't know this team's make up. The want to win any game. If you give them options about choosing opponents and taking a day off, it compromises their mentality which is to DOMINATE. "No let up," says head coach Frank Muescan. "There might be a drop in the intensity and focus and we do not want them to lose that."