The FEU Tamaraws dealt the DLSU Men’s Football Team their first loss of the season last Sunday night, behind the heroics of Season 78 top-scorer Rico Andes, whose goal in the 73rd minute sealed the deal for FEU. The Tamaraws were in the driver’s seat throughout the game, to the point of aggressively pushing their center backs deep into their offensive end of the pitch.
La Salle relied on its stingy defense, anchored by goalkeeper Paeng De Guzman and the center back tandem of Nicko Villacin and Noel Brago. Offensively, the Green-and-White mainly relied on their long ball counter-attacking game, which was successfully contained by the Tamaraws.
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Back and forth affair
De Guzman was forced to come up with a bottom corner save to deny an FEU attempt on goal at the 21st minute. Moments later, Greggy Yang came close to opening the scoreline from just outside the six-yard box, only to be denied by a defender. Fellow veteran Jojo Borromeo managed to come up with a rebound in the same play, only to be denied by FEU goalkeeper Ray Joyel.
La Salle was called for numerous fouls throughout the game, as Tamaraws Dominique Canonigo and Audie Menzi failed to capitalize on set pieces close to the half-hour mark.
A passing combination from the Recto-based team managed to free Nicolas Ferrer just inside the penalty box as he squandered the attempt and fired off target. Yang and Jhoguev Ybañez looked to get La Salle on the scoreboard prior to the halftime whistle, only to be denied by Joyel again.
Second half
The decisive moment of the game came at the 61’ mark as Jose Montelibano was given a controversial direct red card after getting into a verbal altercation with an FEU player.
“Verbal abuse, is a yellow card. If the player cursed an official, yes [it’s a red card],” said Coach Hans Smit, who was displeased with the officiating. “The calls [of the referee] were very obvious. The game was going on, the ball was behind the referee. He sprinted to the fourth official to tell him to warn me. Why is he going to run here [to the sideline] when the game is going on? What if something happens behind his back?”
The defending champions capitalized on the situation and aggressively pushed forward for an opening goal, with Andes managing to put the Tamaraws ahead at the 73rd minute. De Guzman managed to deny a prior attempt on-goal, as Andes capitalized on Villacin’s misclearance afterwards to score his seventh goal of the season.
The Tamaraws slowed the game down and passed the ball around in their defensive end of the pitch, as La Salle pounced on the counter attack and occasionally ran short passing sequences. Villacin and Borromeo came close to leveling the score, only for the former’s free kick to sail just over the crossbar and the latter’s attempt to be deflected for an unsuccessful corner kick.
De Guzman came up with another save for La Salle late in the game as Paolo Bugas came close to doubling the scoreline. La Salle’s final attempt of the game came at the 89th minute with a set piece, as Joyel intercepted an Ybañez long ball into the penalty box to give the Green-and-White their first defeat of the season.
“I’d rather have this loss now this early [in the tournament]. Last year we were undefeated in the elimination round,” said Smit on the result. “It’s gonna wake up the team. They [my players] know what to do now. Hopefully it will help them up psychologically.”
Up next for the DLSU Men’s Football Team will be the UP Fighting Maroons, whom they will face on Saturday, March 19, at 3 pm in the McKinley Hill Stadium.
