The DLSU Lady Booters returned to their winning ways with a dominant 4-2 victory over the UP Fighting Maroons earlier today, October 11, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
Goals from Dani Tanjangco and Mari Layacan gave the Lady Booters the advantage in the first half, before second half strikes from Chenny Dañoso and Mikaela Villacin secured the match despite two consolation goals from Isalyn Tundag and Erisa Rivas.
On the front foot
Looking to control the tempo from kickoff, the Lady Booters pressed high early in the match and ensured most of the play occurred in UP’s half. Their persistence paid off in the 11th minute when Tanjangco stole the ball from the Fighting Maroons centerback in their own box before slotting the ball past UP goalkeeper Mariel Sancho in the bottom left corner to break the deadlock early, 1-0.
For most of the first half, the Green-and-White enjoyed the lion’s share of possession but were unable to create many clear-cut chances in front of goal. However, the Fighting Maroons found a lifeline in the 30th minute when UP Team Captain Jeri Facturanan’s through ball was mishandled by La Salle goalkeeper Jessica Pido, allowing UP midfielder Tundag to tap the ball into an open goal, knotting the game at 1-all.
The Taft-based squad immediately responded in the 33rd minute after Lady Booters forward Villacin’s shot ricocheted off the goalie into the path of winger Layacan, allowing her to easily score off the rebound to restore the advantage back to La Salle, 2-1.
The Green-and-White continued to pile on pressure until the halftime whistle, entering the break with a one-goal lead.
Seeing it through
The second half opened in similar fashion to the first, with DLSU constantly testing the defensive solidity of UP. The Lasallians stowed high pressure on the Maroons, forcing multiple dangerous turnovers near the penalty area. This paid off in the 55th minute when Dañoso punished a loose pass from Sancho, unleashing a vicious shot into the top left corner to make it 3-1 for La Salle, to put more daylight between themselves and UP.
Poor distribution from Sancho would continue to plague the UP backline, as multiple interceptions from La Salle trapped the Fighting Maroons in their own half. The Lasallians maintained control of possession, with UP’s 5-4-1 shape allowing Lubiano to remain unchallenged at the back for DLSU.
As the game entered the final stages, La Salle remained the more aggressive side. In the 74th minute, the white shirts were awarded a free kick. Villacin took the succeeding set piece successfully, sending a clinical curling shot into the top left corner to make it 4-1 for the Lasallians. However, just a minute later, the Lady Booters suffered a similar fate when UP forward Rivas successfully fired a free kick into the same top left corner of the net, 4-2. Time, however, ran out for the Diliman-based squad, as the final whistle quickly approached and ended the encounter in favor of La Salle.
After the match, Head Coach Alvin Ocampo lamented being unable to generate a positive response in their previous outing but commended the team’s bounce-back effort. “They accepted the adjustments that we had to make against UP,” Coach Ocampo shared. Looking ahead, Coach Ocampo highlighted the necessity of respecting all opponents, most especially FEU, the current top-seed. “We don’t want them to sweep the whole second round. All the teams are still in it for the second and third round. It’s not a matter of points anymore,” he stated.
Now firmly at second place in the rankings, the DLSU Lady Booters will continue their Round Two campaign in a clash against rivals ADMU Blue Eagles on Saturday, October 25, at 4 pm, at the same venue.
