Men’s Football Standings (after three game days)
| TEAM | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS | SCORED | CONCEDED | DIFFERENCE |
| ADMU | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| FEU | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | +6 |
| UST | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
| DLSU | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| UP | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| UE | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| NU | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | -5 |
Women’s Football Standings (after three game days)
| TEAM | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS | SCORED | CONCEDED | DIFFERENCE |
| FEU | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | +3 |
| ADMU | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| DLSU | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| UP | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
| UST | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 |
The Lady Booters grasped a draw against defending champion, the UST Tigresses while the Green Booters suffered the team’s second defeat of the season at the hands of the unbeaten Ateneo Blue Booters as both teams continue to struggle to find their place in the UAAP Season 75 football tournament.
Both teams now have three points after three games, but those points were obtained in contrast. The Green Booters won only one game out of three outings. On the other hand, the Lady Booters has yet to grab a win as the ladies drew all of their three games.
A different kind of a draw
After two goalless matches, the Lady Booters finally scored a couple of goals this season. The team, however, conceded two precious goals to the opposing UST team to end the 90-minute affair with a, 2-2, draw.
The stingy match began with UST’s Pearl Aguilar chipping a shot above DLSU Goalkeeper Inna Palacios. As the ball was on its way into the goal, Lady Booters Captain Miel Ampil headed it clear before Palacios recovered possession with a two-handed catch.
Five minutes later, it was La Salle’s turn to attack. Megan Diaz’s corner kick from the right was headed by Nikky Scott, which forced Tigresses’ Goalkeeper Nikki Castroverde to pull a save.
DLSU veteran Adrianne Yñiguez’s free kick from about 30 yards out suddenly changed the game as her delivery towards the box went to Thomasian Joma Clemente, who conceded a penalty kick after her hand struck the ball.
Midfielder Karla Pacificador made no mistake from the 12-yard spot to make it 1-0 for the Lady Booters in the 16thminute of the match. This event prompted UST to search for an equalizer. The Black-and-Gold XI’s closest attempt was on the 22nd minute after Marice Magdolot made a free kick attempt that was parried by Palacios.
After the restart, the Tigresses wasted no time in getting the prized equalizer. Less than a minute passed when Christelle Cleofe’s shot went past the wrong side of the crossbar.
The reigning champion will not be denied in the 49thminute. Aguilar shocked the crowd as her intended cross bounced wickedly into the goal, leaving Palacios no chance of getting the ball.
After three minutes, the referee awarded UST a chance to take the lead after Pacificador gave away a penalty the same way she scored. Magdolot got the better of Palacios in the spot-kick to put UST ahead, 2-1.
As time continued to expire, the Lady Booters chased for an equalizer that came in the game’s 90th minute. Substitute Midfielder Merryl Ledesma fired a shot that struck the crossbar, but teammate Isabel Montelibano got the ball. With three Tigresses near her, Montelibano chested the ball down before slicing the UST defense for a dramatic equalizer.
‘Break’ of the game
In the Sunday afternoon match, the Green Booters failed to stop the Ateneo Blue Booters after falling, 1-0, at the end of 90 minutes courtesy of a Valentino Calvo stunner in the 77thminute.
The match began twitchingly for La Salle, as the team saw first-choice goalkeeper and skipper Patrick Deyto knocked down within the first five minutes. The graduating custodian eventually recovered and finished the match.
The first chance fell to Gio Diamante who headed a Nate Alquiros’ corner in the sixth minute. Diamante’s attempt was flicked out by Ateneo keeper Eric Figueroa. The La Salle offense continued bombing the Ateneo backline, but the latter stood firm going into halftime.
After halftime, a nasty little fracas occurred in the middle of the field as La Salle’s Carl Amisola and Ateneo’s Calvo clashed egos after a foul called on the Lasallian.
For the first 30 minutes of the second half, it was all La Salle.
The nearest chance came in the 52nd minute; Alquiros collaborated with the Diamante brothers on a counter-attack, with the younger Diamante feeding his brother Gio, only for the elder one to overshoot an inch above the bar.
But in the 77thminute, Calvo seized the opportunity when the Atenean saw Deyto get off his line. Afraid that the goalkeeper would get to the ball before his shot, he made his attempt from the right wing that sent his teammates in frenzy once it went over the goal-line.
La Salle, however, did not surrender right away. Hoping to mirror the Lady Booters last-minute effort, the men’s team got hold of the possession in the last 10 minutes of the game.
With five minutes left, a golden chance fell to Charles Uy after Gelo Diamante’s cross arrived to him. Uy’s shot was half-cleared by an Ateneo defender to Don Rabaya, who had the sweetest of chances to convert from a yard, but was denied by another white-clad Atenean who cleared the danger away.
Captains’ concerns
“They have to see the importance of having urgency,” said a fatigued Ampil. She added, “We have good teamwork but we lapsed in those ten minutes [when UST scored twice].”
Despite the draw, the fifth year defender is pleased that her team scored in the tournament already.
Another Captain, Patrick Deyto, voiced out the team’s frustration. “We were very unlucky not to get anything out of it.”
The graduating shot-stopper also remarked, “It’s disappointing, but there’s still time. Next game, we really have to do better and start getting the win.”
Other results:
Men’s: FEU 3-0 UP, UST 1-0 UE
Women’s: ADMU 0-0 FEU
