THE UST Golden Booters yielded to the top-seeded UP Fighting Maroons, 4-0, to conclude the eliminations of the UAAP Season 86 men’s football tournament at the UP Diliman Football Pitch on Sunday, April 28.
UST dropped to a 6-4-2 win-loss-draw record for the third seed, while UP remained on top with a 9-3-0 record.
This marked the Golden Booters’ highest placing since Season 80 in 2018, when UST also placed third with a 7-4-3 slate.
UST head coach Marjo Allado decided to deploy his reserves in the final game in the eliminations to prevent his starters from getting yellow cards that could harm their eligibility in the semifinals.
“What’s important dito is ‘yong semifinals e,” he told the Varsitarian. “Kung iga-gamble mo ‘yong starters for the last game, tapos makukulangan ka lang sa semifinals, it’s useless kasi pasok na kami.”
It took 44 minutes before UP’s Francis Tacardon nailed a screamer and gave the Fighting Maroons a 1-0 lead at the half.
UP’s midfielder Lorenz Tortona tapped in a goal in the 53rd minute to bury UST down a two-point hole, 2-0.
Orlan Togores scored UP’s third goal in the 81st minute, followed by a game-sealing conversion by Vincent Parpan five minutes later.
“Back to basics muna kami, back to zero. We have to address everything ahead of the semis,” Allado said.
UST will await the result of the clash between the second-seeded FEU Tamaraws and the sixth-placed UE Red Warriors on Thursday, May 2, to determine their Final Four foe.
An FEU win would place UP at the second seed, while the Tamaraws will take the same should they lose to UE.
The UST Golden Booters are scheduled to play in the semifinals on May 9, Thursday, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
