The DLSU Lady Booters played through a fatigue-filled thriller to knock the UP Fighting Maroons out of Final Four contention in a 0-0 (3-2) shootout victory, clinching their spot in the UAAP Season 89 Women’s Football Tournament Finals.
Jodi Banzon’s series-clinching goal in sudden death booked the Green-and-White’s fourth straight trip to the Finals, while Ushin Valencia and Elisha Lubiano each scored a goal in the penalty period. Goalie Jessica Pido stood tall with her defense, making massive stops in the outing.
For UP, Bem Aranas and Hannah Muros both scored a shootout goal, while Ainnah De Guzman kept the Fighting Maroons afloat with her defense in the exhausting 120-minute battle.
Grit and grind
The bright lights of the Rizal Memorial Stadium set the stage for an intense battle, wherein the Green-and-White’s season-long form and the Maroons’ determination to remain in the Final Four will be tested. Both squads built momentum like an engine, as La Salle took control of the pitch; chances followed. With shots in the box and flashy handling courtesy of Maegan Alforque and Lara Amante, they slowly found cracks in the Katipunan-based squad’s defense. However, the maroon shirts outputted physical defense to slow the Taft-based squad’s momentum. In the 26th minute, Banzon threaded a precise pass to find a dashing Chenny Dañoso, yet UP goalie De Guzman ultimately stopped her. As the clock rolled on, the physical affair spiraled, emphasized by a free kick for the maroon side. La Salle Captain Jessica Pido saved a goal attempt from State U Captain Aurea Reaso. Following a close call, tensions rose as the UP and La Salle faithful were sent into raucous cheers as momentum swung on the pitch.
With both squads’ backlines demonstrating stern defenses to neutralize each other’s electrifying attacks, the scoreline continued to be glued at 0-all. Sparks of brilliance flashed as UP’s Erissa Rivas found a golden chance but misfired. Similarly, Dañoso streaked down the middle for an attack only to be thwarted by the Katipunan-based defense. At the 37’ mark, the built-up suspense boiled over as UP Head Coach Andres Gonzales was called for a yellow card following his excessive action on the pitch.
A gritty first half saw intense action to the last minute, as both the maroon and green sides engineered attacks before the final whistle to no avail, 0-all.
Feeling the energy
The Lasallian faithful held their breath as the Green-and-White retained their starters to open the second half, instantly sparking a grueling battle for midfield control. The crowd roared as the Lady Booters exploited the left flank through Banzon, but the Fighting Maroons’ clogged defense neutralized the incursions attempted. On the opposite end, Lubiano anchored the La Salle backline and consistently thwarted UP’s counterattacks.
Despite living in UP’s territory, the Taft-based squad struggled to break the stalemate as the stands anticipated a breakthrough with every pass. Frustrations mounted, and the Lasallian crowd groaned following a non-call on a sliding tackle against Dañoso, while Amante endured a similar unpenalized collision moments later. The Fighting Maroons attempted to shift momentum at the 60th minute, but Pido safely cradled a shot, prompting a collective gasp of relief from the crowd. As fatigue set in, the Lady Booters deployed Keziah Rodriguez and Dani Tangjangco at the 69th minute to extract bench energy.
La Salle relentlessly pounded the penalty area with consecutive throw-ins and set pieces, drawing the tense crowd to the edge of their seats. Banzon floated multiple corner kicks into the box, but the deliveries repeatedly sailed wide. Jelena Soon, Bernadeth Florano and Lubiano succumbed to cramps, forcing a depleted Lady Booters squad to scramble defensively and drag the heart-stopping 0-all slugfest into extra time.
Too much at stake
As extra time started, the grueling physical toll of regulation immediately haunted the Lady Booters, turning the pitch into a brutal war of attrition. Florano was helped off the field, and the crowd grew tense when Soon collapsed in the fourth minute, requiring a stretcher to exit the match. The Lady Booters’ coaching staff injected fresh legs to reinforce the exhausted lineup, allowing the Green-and-White to trade relentless haymakers with UP. Valencia stepped up with crucial defensive stops, keeping the Fighting Maroons’ transition attempts at bay. Meanwhile, a midfield recovery gave Dañoso the ball against a slipping defensive backline, only for the shot to hit the mark. With fatigue crippling their execution in the final third, a sluggish DLSU free kick in the dying seconds capped off a scoreless half, leaving the grueling match deadlocked at 0-all entering the second half of extra time.
Through the fire
In the match’s gritty closing section, neither side faltered. Running on fumes, Reaso and the State U attackers bombarded the La Salle backline at all costs, unable to penetrate the last line of defense resting in Pido’s capable hands. Moments after, depleted stamina haunted the field like a plague, with numerous players going down and out, and Reaso being stretchered off the pitch. La Salle came close with a corner attempt that launched a pinball in the box, but De Guzman deflected the shot at the last second. Adding to the arduous battle, the crowd jeered at the referees for every call, signaling that time was ultimately running out. Heavy-legged passes stained the final minutes, yet the two sides sent every attack they could muster before the whistle was blown.
With the match and series dangling on a penalty shootout, the atmosphere shifted from a battle of endurance to a composure-grounded showdown. A dramatic string of saves by both Pido and De Guzman, Katipunan misses, and woodwork-rattling shots from Amante and Dañoso set the stage for a nerve-racking fifth round wherein UP’s Muros and DLSU’s Lubiano evened the penalty score. With stakes at an all-time high going into sudden death, Pido’s defensive masterclass gave La Salle breathing room. Finally, Banzon stepped up to deliver the kill shot as she buried the final penalty into the bottom-right bin, taking the cardiac win for La Salle, 0-0 (3-2).
In the dying moments of the 120-minute affair, Banzon came up clutch and shattered the gridlock to seal the victory in the penalty shootout. Yet, the breakthrough was far from an individual heroic effort; it was the culmination of a Lady Booters squad refusing to let months of preparation slip away. “We play with our hearts; we went through so much, and we don’t want it to go to waste, so that’s what kept us going”, she shared, emphasizing how their drive to bring pride to DLSU fueled their perseverance through the scoreless drought.
However, the emotional high of the Final Four win quickly gave way to a grounded reality. Surviving a marathon left the Lady Booters physically battered, making their turnaround time critical as they prepare to take on FEU. “The most important thing now for our team is to really recover”, Banzon said, acknowledging that resetting as a team must precede making any tactical adjustments.
Pushing past exhaustion to survive a brutal Final Four clash, the DLSU Lady Booters have punched their ticket to the Finals. The Green-and-White will attempt to finally break their championship curse and capture the elusive gold as they face the four-time defending champions FEU Lady Tamaraws on Friday, November 13, at the same venue.