The DLSU Green Booters avenged last season’s Final Four heartbreak after humbling the defending champions FEU Tamaraws, 3-1, sparking an early hot streak in their UAAP Season 86 campaign earlier tonight, February 22, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
Luis Henares set the tone of the game with a deciding goal at the second mark, followed by Isaac Anoh’s back-to-back goals—all during the first half of the revenge-driven matchup.
Early deciders
Energy was high on both sides of the field as the DLSU Green Booters faced their foes from FEU, with the Green-and-White seeking to avenge their Season 85 loss. With no hesitation, Henares, La Salle’s midfielder, fired a decisive strike that kicked off the game in the Green Booter’s favor, 1-0, just two minutes into the match.
La Salle’s team captain, Mohammad Almohjili, sought to pile on the lead and pass the game to Carlos Lozano, who immediately lost the ball to the yellow jerseys. The Tamaraws showed their grit, fueled by Selwyn Mamon’s equalizer to level the score at 1-all.
With a deadlock at hand, both teams were eager to take the lead. This resulted in frequent clashes between the squads, which resulted in a yellow card for FEU’s Sherwin Basindanan. With plans to fulfill their payback, Almohjili took charge and handed the ball to Anoh who reclaimed the lead in favor of the Green-and-White, 2-1.
The Green Booters remained driven to stack their lead, while the Tamaraws aimed to force a draw as the game inched toward halftime. However, only the former succeeded, as Anoh extorted a clash near the net and delivered a flawless finish to the first half and give La Salle the two-point upperhand, 3-1.
Defensive masterclass
The second half started slow; but the momentum shifted when the FEU Tamaraws put pressure on the DLSU Green Booters by pushing the ball toward them. The Tamaraws had significantly more goal attempts than the Green Booters, but the team from Taft remained unfazed—posing a defensive masterclass. La Salle’s star goalkeeper, Enrico Mangaoang, stood his ground, allowing zero goals to reach the net. Despite no goals from each squad in the second half, the game kept its light, with defense from the Green Booters and offensive pressure from FEU. The Green-and-White displayed their dominance as a team, which propelled them to cap off their second win of the season with a decisive 3-1 win over the FEU Tamaraws.
With a fiery start for the DLSU Green Booters in their UAAP Season 86 redemption campaign, they look to stay in the winning column as they face the UP Fighting Maroons on March 3, at 6:30 pm, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
