After dropping their opening game to hosts UST Growling Tigers where their lone consolation came in the 83rd minute, the DLSU Green Booters once again leaned on late-game heroics to edge out the UE Red Warriors, 1-nil, earlier today, September 25, at the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub Field.
Lucas Aguilar sealed the Green Booters’ victory with a stoppage-time strike, capping off a stronger second-half performance after the team only managed two shots in the opening half.
Back-and-forth
Eager to clinch their first win of the season, the Green Booters wasted no time in threatening the Red Warriors as Aguilar fired a shot in the opening minute, only to be denied. La Salle continued to probe the defensive lines with quick passes but struggled to break through. Equally hungry, the Red-and-White nearly drew first blood in the third minute when Eldrin Madrid found the back of the net, but the attempt was called for offside. The opening minutes set the tone for a high-paced clash, with both squads trading blows and challenges right from the kickoff.
The Lasallians continued to hold possession of the ball but were unable to carve out a decisive opening as UE tightened their defense. In a physical battle, the dangerous Red Warriors made the most of their limited touches, springing forward at every opportunity. La Salle keeper Edcel Lauron would calmly collect each attempt, refusing them to convert. Despite UE’s persistent raids from all directions, the Green Booters’ backline stood firm to keep the game intact.
In the 23rd minute, Aguilar created space to give La Salle their best look at goal, but his effort sailed off target. UE responded instantly with a shot of their own, only to be thwarted by Bacchus Ekberg. With both teams growing impatient, Ekberg tried his luck from range in the 39th minute, but only hit the side of the net. La Salle continued on the defensive end to conclude the first half, missing chances for a counterattacking opportunity but remaining organized defensively to end the first half on a deadlock, 0-all.
Slowly but surely
After a rocky first-half display, the Green Booters subbed in Adrian Bacolod and Lucas Andan to make an impact in the game. La Salle remained on the back foot in the opening five minutes of the second half, as they continued to rely on their defensive composure to keep the game level. The Green-and-White had chances to break the deadlock from counterattacks from their solid defensive display, but they could not manufacture a chance.
DLSU increased their aggression in tackling to disrupt the UE momentum. Their increased intensity bore fruit as the red shirts were forced to commit fouls to deal with La Salle’s increasing ball possession. At the 56th minute, Ekberg launched a powerful free kick that UE goalkeeper Tambilawan dropped, resulting in a Bacolod tap-in. However, a foul was called on Aguilar in the build-up, causing the goal to be ruled out. The Green Booters were unfazed by this setback as they now carried momentum in the second half. The Lasallians counted on their early crossing and long passes to break down the UE defense and give John Marlou Gaverza a chance, but the striker was not able to get his shots on target with the Red Warriors surrounding him in the box.
With La Salle getting closer and closer to manufacturing a shot on target, UE made numerous substitutions to get fresher and sharper defenders on the pitch. The substitutes made the game a battle in the midfield, giving La Salle problems in controlling possession. However, the Green-and-White kept their confidence and continued to launch crosses into the box. At the 90+2’ mark, the Green Booters were finally rewarded for their persistence. Rookie Sebastian Fronda crossed the ball from the left wing to a lurking Aguilar, who shot the ball to the back of the net to give La Salle the lead and the win in added time, 1-0.
La Salle was on the back foot for most of the first half. However, their adjustments at half time proved to be the deciding factor in grabbing three points as their aggressive display in the second half was too much for the Red Warriors to handle.
After grabbing their first win of the season, the Green Booters now stand at 1-0-1. They aim to carry their momentum into their next match against the UP Fighting Maroons next Thursday, October 2, at 2 pm at the same venue.
