In a long-winded clash of endurance, the DLSU Green Booters saw their defensive masterclass eventually succumb to the weight of exhaustion, falling 1-0 to the top-seeded UP Fighting Maroons in their UAAP Men’s Football Tournament Final Four clash last night, February 8, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Ramil Bation III’s free kick at the 120+7’ mark breached through the Green-and-White’s backline, handing the league’s strongest team their ticket to the Finals and ending La Salle’s bid to return to the championships.
Full force
The Lasallian stands of the Rizal Memorial Stadium ushered in a grandeur atmosphere, welcoming the Green Booters back into the Final Four. The Maroons gained control of the pitch early on with set pieces that found cracks in the Green-and-White’s box. Resoundingly, DLSU’s defense remained headstrong as Adrian Aparilla’s chill-inducing save prevented UP from gaining the upperhand. While their box was unbreakable, La Salle’s control in the midfield kept them from opening chances. At the 25th-minute mark, a show of offensive exchanges started to ramp up, setting the tone for the rest of the half.
High-octane attacks were sparked by the green shirts, applying pressure with forward passes and quick counters. Soon after, James Sibla found himself inside the box with the best opportunity to score for the Green-and-White thus far. However, the powerful shot struck the top crossbar, failing to see the net. The latter minutes of the first half brought more Lasallian chances that went unconverted, sealing it at nil-all.
The war of attrition
La Salle threw the second half wide open with an attempt to seize the dominance through a tactical gamble aimed to suffocate the Fighting Maroons. While the strategy initially disrupted the game’s flow, the physical toll of the high-intensity surge became evident as the minutes ticked on. The top-seeded team began to identify the gaps La Salle’s tiring midfield could no longer plug, with Bation III’s 56th-minute sprint into the box serving as the first genuine crack in the Booters’ central defense.
As frequent showdowns and collisions became the norm, the narrative has also shifted from a gegenpress maneuver to pure survival for La Salle. Rhythmic warnings of a coming breakthrough for UP followed the air, with Florenz Tacardon’s near-goal free kick, Gabriel Galsim’s unconverted cross, and overall heavy ball possession on the UP side. In response to the signs of an impending doom, Frank Labayen and Bacchus Ekberg anchored a defensive stand, with goalkeeper Jason Salavante forced into a series of reflex saves. Despite a levelled score at fulltime, 0-all, the momentum had clearly tilted toward UP, whose side still had the legs to chase a goal going into extra time.
Who wanted it more
Coming into the extra time seemed to have become a totally new match. This time, the clash has distilled down to a singular question of who still possessed the energy to answer the high-stakes pressure of a knockout semifinal. La Salle attempted to rekindle their pressing rhythm in the extension’s initial minutes, but their execution lacked the sharpness they had in the first half. Efforts from John Gaverza and Lucas Aguilar missed their marks, reflecting the heavy legs of a squad battling through cramps and anxiety.
Desperation painted the field in yellow as fouls tattered nearly every possession. DLSU continued to push themselves past their limits, grabbing every chance at a breakthrough. With a glimmer of hope, a long forward pass connected with Aguilar bursting full-steam ahead. What looked to be jubilation was put to a stop as the striker collided with Maroon goalkeeper Alfonso Gonzalez, halting the play and ruling the goal out. Fatigue struck harder as more errors came from both squads, inching closer to the final whistle.
For UP, the persistence finally met its reward in the dying embers of the match. While La Salle’s defense, amplified by the tireless Ekberg, managed to clear headers and deny corners, the cumulative pressure of added extra time proved too much to withstand. In the 127th minute, Bation III released a clinical conversion from the free-kick spot. The warning finally became a reality for both teams, making it a 1-0 game that ended La Salle’s yearning to see the Finals.
Although the young team of DLSU had to say goodbye to their championship pursuit, the squad remained proud of what they had achieved and hopeful for what is next for the team. With Team Captain Labayen acknowledging the caliber of their opponents, he noted that UP had only suffered one loss the entire season, which notably came at the hands of the Green Booters.
Looking ahead to the next season, Labayen emphasized that the current squad—despite being young—will return with a different edge. “[Our team] will be much, much more mature, especially the rookies,” he shared, pointing out that having reached the Final Four has provided them with invaluable confidence. Combined with the arrival of experienced recruits, Labayen remains firm that the Green Booters will return with “more force” to challenge for the championship once again.
