The DLSU Green Booters showcased clinical and aggressive play to dismantle the UE Red Warriors in their 2-0 battle in the UAAP Season 89 Men’s Football Tournament earlier tonight, October 8, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
John Gaverza set the tempo with an early goal in the eighth minute, which was then followed up by a crisp goal from Lance Locsin in the 52nd minute, putting the match beyond reach for the Red Warriors.
Relentless pursuit
The Green-and-White looked to establish pitch control right from the kickoff. Lasallian midfielders began to apply constant pressure, forcing UE to commit ill-advised passes. Capitalizing on their energy, Uriel Dalapo emphasized his prowess in the box as he launched three shots within the first six minutes. Their aggression continued to surge, as they engineered an instant counter that Joaquin Collo and John Gaverza executed perfectly, with the latter netting a goal to secure an early 1-nil advantage for the green shirts at the eighth minute.
La Salle’s defense clogged the halfway line, but the UE forwards saw a breakthrough for their first chance in the penalty area, only for naught. Turning on the jets, La Salle began to rekindle their spark, and soon enough, a clear difference in flair was evident in the match. At the 30’ mark, Argos Alingalan energized the squad with his flashy footwork through a shot, but misfired. The rest of the squad rallied behind that energy, as Collo and Dalapo penetrated the box, with their shots suffering the same fate. A key substitution at the 39th minute brought fresh legs to the pitch, aspiring to double their lead by halftime. However, UE defender Jaymark Hernan notched a crucial stop at the 45th minute. In added time, Gaverza crossed it from the right flank to reach the newly subbed Lucas Aguilar, failing to net the goal, bringing the half to an end, 1-0.
Pushing the tempo
Following a dominant defensive first half by the Green Booters, UE tried to pick up the pace by making more aggressive advances toward the box than before. However, they were quickly answered by Aguilar, who launched several offensive attacks into the teeth of the Red Warriors’ defense, nearly finding the back of the net in the 48th minute. This aggression paid off as Lance Locsin smoothly scored a mid-range goal after a crisp pass from Collo, extending the Green-and-White’s lead to 2-nil in the 52nd minute.
Riding on this momentum, Aguilar and Collo continued to dominate the midfield, with both coming close to scoring in the 61st and 67th minutes, respectively. Despite La Salle’s momentum, Red Warriors goalkeeper Mhike Cimat firmly held the attackers at bay, repeatedly cleaning up lapses in UE’s defensive line. Following a blocked cross pass by Collo in the 85th minute, both teams slowed the pace. Still, Cimat continuously thwarted close-range attempts by Aguilar and Collo up until the final buzzer sounded.
Despite UE’s increased pace and aggression, anchored by Cimat’s solid goalkeeping, the Red Warriors were unable to capitalize on the offensive end in the second half. The Green Booters’ lead and aggression proved too overwhelming for the Red-and-White, as La Salle ultimately secured a 2-nil victory.
Following their dominant second win, the DLSU Green Booters shift focus onto their next matchup as they face last season’s finalists, FEU Tamaraws, on October 11, at 2 pm at the same venue.