Despite a momentous first half, the DLSU Green Booters were unable to see out the full 90 minutes, settling for a 1-all draw against rivals ADMU Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Football Tournament yesterday, January 15, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
The Green Booters’ lone goal, which earned them the head start, came from James Sibla’s wide open kick, which he netted at the 32′ mark.
On the other hand, the Blue Eagles’ critical counter was handed at the 80th minute by Kofi Agyei’s composed left-footed finish, forcing their archrivals to share the spoils.
Heated rivalry
Wandering through a stadium awash in blue, the welcoming outing from the two-month break was nothing but an old fashioned heated rivalry. The DLSU Green Booters arrived early to find rhythm, hopping over stumbles and carving space beyond the bodily duels. The first three minutes was full of aggressiveness displayed by Sibla off the race, tracking down the defense of the Blue Eagles to dictate possession. Yet, the Katipunan squad carried the same intent, where offensive runs stretched the field beyond the penalty area.
Persistence defined the Taft-based squad as Sibla and Sebastian Fronda probed down open flanks and crafting openings, however Ateneo’s interception was accurately timed to close spaces and stand with walls. Aggressiveness from Bacchus Ekberg’s spins to Jason Salavante’s extra work behind the posts were yet to be painted to precision as they were unrewarded, with the Eagles absorbing the pressure. Passing displayed by the latter opened up clearance for them to force the Green Booters to take extra caution in protecting the net.
By the 32nd minute, tension flickered like a matchstick as Agyei and Frank Labayen held possession intensely with composure and stood firm between to guard each other until Ekberg collided with Ateneo bodies, a clash heated up a yellow for Labayen. This opened the field loosely for a golden opportunity, which Sibla converted to put La Salle ahead, 1-0.
Pressure mounted for an equalizer but the intensity grounded DLSU’s defense. Prince Reyes lunged to block a surging threat while Ekberg orchestrated counter-presses, stabilizing the midfield. As momentum settled, the Green Booters locked down the flanks and closed every pocket to head into halftime with the lead with rivalry’s tension still flaming in the night air.
Score, denial
On the hunt for an equalizer, the Katipunan-based team opened the second half with a heightened pace and increased physicality. The Green Booters, quick to recognize the shift, immediately acted upon the rising threat and sought to extend their lead. Two promising chances, however, were frustrated by Juan Tansingco’s tightening guard at the net.
Ateneo’s potential breakthrough was first signaled by Captain Dov Cariño, whose delivery was squarely collected by Salavante. What followed was a tense battle between the goalkeepers. For DLSU, a build-up orchestrated by Lucas Aguilar ended with the ball landing in Tansingco’s secure hands before Sibla could connect for a header. Another opportunity would subsequently open for Ateneo’s Raphael Aljama, but Salavante once more, refused to yield his defensive position.
Sustained Ateneo offense at the 59’ mark seemed destined to force a deadlock, yet fate remained in favor of the Green Booters. In a near-highlight sequence, Joziah Rance slipped the ball to Agyei, whose initial strike hit the crossbar before the rebound fell to him once more as Salavante denied the follow-up. The Blue Eagles continued to probe down the flanks but ultimately remained goalless.
The Katipunan-based squad’s persistence finally paid off in the 80th minute. As the match began to slow down due to successive cramping incidents on both sides, Agyei found space and buried a left-footed finish to level the game at 1-all. This automatically alarmed the Taft-based squad as they hurriedly prompted a late push to reestablish their lead. Much to their disappointment, however, Tansingco had already marked the net as impenetrable territory.
After multiple to and fros, the game began to stagnate as fatigue set in. Nonetheless, the Green Booters, vehement to lay claim to the game one last time, made one final attempt, which came to no avail as the match concluded in a 1-all draw.
After the game, Coach Richard Leyble mused on the team’s performance. Despite preparations to shake off post-break jitters, he noted lapses in focus and in-game adjustments. “Bumaba na ‘yung fitness nila, nawala na yung focus, so nag-struggle tayo in the last eight or ten minutes,” he said.
(Their fitness dropped, and they lost focus, so we struggled in the last eight or ten minutes.)
He emphasized the need for consistency to sustain intensity. “Kailangan ma-sustain nila ‘yung 90 minutes. Hindi puwedeng sa last remaining minutes bibigay tayo… sayang ‘yung effort at hard work nila sa field,” he pointed out.
(They need to sustain their performance for the full 90 minutes. We can’t afford to give in during the last minutes… all their effort and hard work on the field would go to waste.)
The Green Booters now look to sharpen every department and resolve in-game lapses as they regroup for a dictating outing against the FEU Tamaraws on Sunday, January 18, at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
