UAAP: Green Booters easily dismantle UE

The DLSU Green Booters concluded 2014 with a decisive 5-1 win against the UE Red Warriors yesterday at the Moro Lorenzo Football Field in Ateneo de Manila.  With this, the Taft-based squad now has two wins and two draws under their belts, good for second place thus far in UAAP Season 77.

Jose Montelibano kicked off the scoring for DLSU via a 9th minute goal coming off a pass from Gelo Diamante.  However, UE would retaliate after converting on a penalty kick at the 35th minute for a handball called on DLSU which tied up the game at one goal apiece.

The Green Booters would then go on a scoring spree, notching three more goals before halftime.  Team captain Gio Diamante found the back of the net in the 38th minute off a cross by teammate Nathan Alquiros.  Aminute afterwards, his brother Gelo Diamante would score with a header after rebounding a shot that was deflected by the UE goalkeeper.  Gelo Diamante then registered another a goal after heading in a cross by Jose Montelibano in the 44th minute of the match, putting the Green-and-White up by three goals, 4-1, at halftime.

DLSU had a defensive mindset for the rest of the game, not allowing any decent shot attempts from their counterparts.  The Green Booters capped off the match by scoring one last goal at the 79th minute courtesy of Alquiros who drained a free kick just outside of the box which went straight into the top left corner of the goal.

“A win is a win but I’m not really satisfied yet.  There is still a lot to improve. So far, we’ve been doing better than the last years.  As long as we’re keeping up with the number one [team] because we’re still at number two, and maintain [our performance],” shares DLSU head coach Hans Peter Smit.

Because of the new format implemented by the UAAP, there will no longer be a twice-to-beat advantage come the semifinals, unlike the normal play-off system that the league followed prior to this season.

“It’s up to them. All I have to do is to make them conscious about the fact that we’re in a better place now than last year.  The only team that can beat La Salle is La Salle.  It’s only up to their attitude and their focus.  If they want to continue this [performance], then they would have to keep busy during the [Christmas] break,” adds Smit.

The Green Booters have only three matches remaining in the first round of the eliminations, the first of which will be against the ADMU Blue Eagles on January 11, at 3 pm in the Moro Lorenzo Football Field.