The De La Salle Lady Booters emerged as the champion of the inaugural Women’s Soccer League (WSL) Cup Final courtesy of a solitary goal from neophyte striker Regine Metillo in the 42nd minute of the showdown.
Despite the 1-0 score line in favor of the Lady Booters, the team was fortunate to have a solid backline anchored by veteran and Team Captain Miel Ampil to win last earlier today at the De La Salle Zobel football field.
Thirst for first blood
The match began tight as both teams attempted to break into each other’s defense. The first real chance of the game came 13 minutes after kick-off as Metillo was open inside the box, but failed to capitalize as her effort soared a few inches above the crossbar.
Minutes after, the Thomasians started to lurk dangerously in the La Salle half, but the Tigresses could not find a way to break the porous but unyielding La Salle defense.
The match continued to be a seesaw affair until Metillo attempted a shot outside the 18-yard box, which flew over UST’s custodian Mira Nonato and sailed towards the goal. Metillo, a Ramon Torres National High School alumna, received cheers from her team for her stunning goal.
“I’m a striker so I really want to score a goal in every game so that I can make my teammates, my coaches and La Salle proud,” said the 17-year old rookie striker.
Hunt for the equalizer
There was more action in the second half with UST wanting to equalize. The defending UAAP champion kept on pressuring the green shirts’ defense.
The aggressiveness of the Tigresses was soon rewarded with a penalty in the 87th minute.
DLSU’s Ellyca Lacson and Adrianne Yniguez sandwiched UST’s Marice Magdolot inside the box to give the Tigresses a lifeline by extending the game into extra time.
It was up to UST’s Alacan to fire an equalizing spot-kick attempt, but her shot went over the crossbar to the delight of both La Salle’s players and supporters. As the final whistle was blown, DLSU officially became the first WSL Champion.
Thoughts on the match
“I was so thankful. I was really praying that it [penalty kick] was going over because I was dying already there,” said Ampil, whom Coach Hans credited for her outstanding defense throughout the game.
“She’s one player that you can really trust on the defense. She holds back the line…You can see how many attacks she single-handedly (cleared away from danger),” lauded Smit.
Smit explained, however, “There’s still a lot missing in the individual plays…but they’ll learn. Hopefully they’ll pick it up in the UAAP.”
Symbolic win
For the members of last year’s first runner-up squad that lost to UST in the UAAP finals, this victory means more than just a championship.
Ampil shared, “It feels good to actually have a regulation time win against them, and I hope that in UAAP we play this way even against the other UAAP schools because even though they are our competition, we have to think that all our competition is as strong as us, and we have to play our game and not play the game of our opponents.”
Coach Hans agreed, “It’s [all about] how they can play all the way up to the UAAP. We want to redeem ourselves from last year’s loss. We played the best game in the finals and we got finished by one accident.”
Despite a successful preseason championship bid, Smit wants to keep his team’s feet on the ground.
He stressed, “The UAAP is a different story all the time, every year so what’s important is that how the girls get to play in the UAAP together.”
