The DLSU Green Booters recorded their first win in UAAP Season 82 at the expense of the AdU Soaring Falcons, 2-1, earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.
After trailing at halftime, goals from rookie Isaac Anoh and sophomore Mikio Umilin allowed the Green-and-White to emerge as the victors and claim three points.
Slow first half
The match started with both teams aggressively putting pressure on each other in a battle for possession. As the Green Booters acclimatized to the pace of the game, they were able to control the match and patiently work their way into chances on goal.
In the seventh minute, the team from Taft had its first opportunity to score as they won a free kick outside the box. However, the delivery from rookie French Talaroc was too strong, and though it led to a corner kick for DLSU, the play did not amount to a breakthrough.
A series of sloppy passes by the Lasallians left them open to counterattacks by the Soaring Falcons, but the San Marcelino-based squad was unable to get past La Salle’s back four.
La Salle continued to mount the pressure on Adamson, who were forced to be on the defensive for most of the match. However, at the 31’ mark, the Soaring Falcons were able to break the deadlock. After conceding a corner kick, the Green-and-White were unable to clear the ball inside the box, giving AdU’s Bryce Rabino an easy shot at goal.
Determined to level the score, the Lasallians created chance after chance, but were unable to find the back of the net, allowing the Soaring Falcons to keep a one-goal lead heading into halftime, 1-0.
Back in stride
At the start of the second half, it was evident that the Green Booters had a stronger sense of confidence, which manifested into their performance on the pitch as they were passing the ball more accurately and playing better on the wings.
In the 53rd minute, the game was brought back to level terms at one-all. AdU goalkeeper Andrew Nalog fumbled the ball after Umilin’s attempt, allowing the substitute Anoh to tap the ball in with ease.
After tying the scoreline, La Salle continued to pressure the Adamson defense with momentum on their side.
DLSU was able to take the lead at the 65’ mark as Umilin put his dribbling ability on display, losing his marker and easing a shot to the near post with his weaker left foot.
In total control of the match, the Green Booters created more chances to score. In the 73rd minute, substitute Mateo Alegre came close to icing the match for good, but his shot missed by a hair. With Adamson forced to be on the defensive for the remainder of the match, the team from Taft was able to notch three points with the 2-1 win.
Mentioning what the team discussed during halftime, team captain Jed Diamante stated that the Green Booters needed a wake-up call to start playing their brand of football. “The coaches just reminded us [about] what we had to do because it was evident that we weren’t playing our best…We weren’t really moving around and passing the ball properly, so good thing in the second half, we were able to adjust,” he shared.
After overcoming an early deficit, Diamante acknowledged that the experience was good for the team, especially for the rookies who have only now begun seeing action in collegiate football. “We’ll have to capitalize on our opportunities and learn from our wins—hopefully hindi ganito ‘yung situation na kailangan kami maghabol,” he added.
(Hopefully, we will not allow ourselves to be in this situation where we need to play catch-up.)
The DLSU Green Booters are looking to record their second consecutive win in a semi-finals rematch against the UP Fighting Maroons on Thursday, March 12, at 8 am at the same venue.
