The DLSU Lady Booters’ swan song came in a hard-fought 1-0 loss to the FEU Lady Tamaraws. For the fifth year in a row, the Green-and-White finished on the podium, capping off a stellar run in the UAAP Season 89 Women’s Football Tournament Finals, yesterday, November 13, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Best Goalkeeper Awardee and Senior Jessica Pido’s mastery in the box held the Taft-based squad high; she was aided by the league’s Best Defender, Elisha Lubiano.
Meanwhile, FEU’s lone goal was launched by Jelan Paubaya at the ninth minute, securing the Lady Tamaraws’ five-peat.
For whom the bell tolls
The heavy stakes of the season’s final match echoed through the stands that emphatically awaited a champion. The Lady Booters then channeled their prior grueling week into immediate pressure, gaining control of the midfield early on. Even as the Tamaraw offense penetrated the box, Pido stood tall as La Salle’s defensive stronghold. However, the Lady Tamaraws’ championship pedigree prevented the Lasallians from fully taking over. It was this unbending will that the defending champions’ counters found gaps. In the ninth minute, a charging Pabuaya drew up a golden chance for FEU as she ran straight down the left wing, outpacing multiple green shirts to pierce the net, 1-0.
The Green-and-White’s hopes for an equalizer were still in sight despite conceding an early goal. As their physicality granted Paubaya a yellow card and calculated passes captured key possessions and overall pitch control, DLSU maintained the edge, as shots on target from Keziah Rodriguez and Jodi Banzon knocked at the Tamaraw box. Showing that regardless of the scoreline, the Lady Booters forced a tremendous fight on the pitch and even looked like the team with more control.
By the midway point of the half, contrasting tactics had become evident. FEU relied on speedy counterattacks, while DLSU maintained its side of the pitch through methodical attacks and defensive play. At the 40’ mark, Sarahgen Tulabing was called for a yellow card, which opened a chance for a DLSU equalizer, However, it was deflected and cleared, as the yellow shirts’ composure kept their lead safe, even with relentless pressure from La Salle. The half’s final moments saw yet another chance from a Banzon corner kick that connected with a Rodriguez header that went over the crossbar. Despite a 1-0 deficit, the Lady Booters charged into the break determined to find the equalizer.
Leaving no stone unturned
With a scalding rush of hunger and vigor, the Lady Booters entered the second half with a more defensive blueprint, battling for every ball and colliding with their opponents when necessary. With sharper ball-handling and a half-opened opportunity through a corner kick, the Green-and-White knew there was no time to fragment. Another corner kick in the 58th minute saw Banzon nearly orchestrate a goal-bound delivery to Valencia, who rose above the Tamaraw flock but sent her attempt over the crossbar.
Looking to gain the upper hand in this game of cat and mouse, however, the gold shirts began pushing the attacking third from the 65th minute onward. La Salle goalkeeper Pido got to work, stretching from post to post to keep the goal intact while collecting three shots in the process. With Dani Tanjangco being introduced as a fresh threat, the Lady Tamaraws grew increasingly eager to double their lead. The mounting physicality eventually resulted in a yellow card for Pabuaya following a collision with Pido.
Fatigue began to creep into the Green-and-White’s legs as the minutes dwindled, yet Lubiano’s free kick briefly rekindled hopes of a last-minute reprieve. Misfortune, however, thwarted that attempt and the ensuing efforts to salvage an equalizer. Wanting to put a firm resolution to the match, the reigning champions orchestrated another attempt through Zenliah Catalonia, exploiting the right flank before the eager Lasallians stepped in to thwart their advance.
As the match entered six minutes of added time, the tempo gradually waned as the Morayta-based squad increasingly stifled the Green-and-White’s attacking efforts. Still intent on reversing their fortunes, DLSU searched for a decisive opening, with Lubiano spearheading another charge that culminated in a failed attempt near the byline. Banzon’s ensuing corner kick offered the Green-and-White one final avenue to claw back, but the opportunity went begging, as the Lady Tamaraws sealed their fifth crown, 1-0.
In an interview with The LaSallian, Lady Booter stalwart Tanjangco revealed the resolve that propelled her through the Finals despite competing below full strength. “The mindset was really just doing it, not just for myself, but for my teammates, for my family who came to watch, and [everyone who] really came to support,” she shared.
Reflecting on the ebbs and flows that shaped the squad’s campaign and brought them in proximity to the crown, Tanjangco identified unity as the team’s defining strength. Their fifth Finals encounter only reaffirmed this collective drive, with the forward stressing the importance of giving “most that we can” and leaving “with no regrets.”
When asked about the team’s outlook for Season 90, Tanjangco stressed that preparation would begin with preserving “the environment that we cultivated.” As the Lady Booters set their sights on a comeback, the Lasallian community can look forward to a more reinvigorated and better-equipped squad, one that has regrouped, learned from their defeat, and remains determined to “really be a team.”
In a season marked by adversity, the Lady Booters found themselves in a familiar position, finishing in second place. Yet, what keeps them standing tall is their commitment to doing things the Green-and-White way: through unity and belief.