The DLSU Lady Booters dropped to second place on the UAAP Women’s Football tournament standings after settling for a 1-all draw against the UP Fighting Maroons, last night, April 22, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
Stephanie Goñe gave La Salle the lead in the 36th minute with a quick reaction shot off a parry from UP goalie Frances Acelo. However, La Salle’s advantage was quickly erased by Aurea Reaso in the 37th minute with a tremendous long-range strike that tied up the affair.
Frantic fight
With DLSU’s focus on reclaiming the top seed from the FEU Lady Tamaraws—who sat a solitary point above the squad from Taft entering the match—the Taft-based squad came out cautious in the first few minutes of the game. Lyka Teves had the first opportunity for the Lady Booters in the seventh minute with a shot from just inside the box, but the shot was easily caught by Acelo.
UP had a great opportunity to take the lead in the 22nd minute with a great cross from midfielder Yoojin Kim that found forward Alyssa Ube in the box, but she was disoriented by DLSU center back Christine Pañares and struck the ball off target.
For the next 15 minutes, the game was mostly played in the Fighting Maroons’ half, with the Lady Booters controlling possession but finding themselves unable to create chances to score.
The breakthrough finally came in the 36th minute after Goñe pounced on the rebound with a clinical strike after UP goalie Acelo made an initial save, giving La Salle a 1-0 advantage. However, the lead did not last long as UP midfielder Reaso equalized right away in the 37th minute with a well-taken shot from outside the box that went past DLSU keeper Jessica Pido and brought the game to a 1-all deadlock.
UP had the momentum for the rest of the half as they looked to be the more threatening side, making a series of attacking chances that La Salle were just barely able to thwart with last ditch challenges. The team from Taft held on in the final minutes of added time to enter the halftime break in a 1-all draw.
Defensive battle
Still running high from the heart-pounding end to the first half, both teams came out looking to take a commanding hold of the game. For most of the second period, the Lady Booters dominated possession and lived in the Fighting Maroons’ half. However, the Green and White were unable to create any clear-cut chances as the FEU defense of captain Kaitlyn Tiangco, Regine Chua, Jennifer Baroin, and Kim stood strong in the face of the La Salle attack.
This was matched by the DLSU backline of Goñe, Pañares, Tenelyn Otom, and Bea Delos Reyes, which prevented any counter attacks throughout the half and dealt with every long ball that UP attempted.
DLSU substitute Arantxa Trebol had a chance to give the Taft-based squad the lead with a free kick from just outside the box in the 68th minute, but the shot was just a little too high, hitting the top of the net.
La Salle had their best chance to break the deadlock in the 85th minute when forward MJ Villacin got behind the FEU defense and received a through ball. However, she was unable to find the angle for a clinical strike and was quickly surrounded by the UP defenders in the box, preventing her from taking a shot on goal. Both teams continued to avoid giving up big chances in the second half, until the final whistle sounded without either team scoring.
DLSU Head Coach Hans-Peter Smit lamented the team’s slip from the standings and cited their lack of desire to win the game, saying, “There was no intensity and urgency. How can we win when we do not have those things?”
The Lady Booters will look to reclaim the number one spot in the tournament standings in the last game of Round Two where they will face the top-seeded FEU Tamaraws at 6:30 pm on Saturday, May 6, at the same venue.
