SO FAR, so good.
Wearing the lethal gameface that catapulted them back to the UAAP summit last season, the UST Golden Booters opened their 5th Ang Liga Football Cup campaign on a high note, registering a 4-0-3 win-loss-draw card halfway into the first round.
The Season 69 UAAP champions, which finished fourth in last year’s Ang Liga edition, carved an impressive 4.75-per cent winning margin to take its first four victories in lopsided fashion.
Although UST settled for a draw against the College of Saint Benilde at home turf last July 29, its marked endgame poise carried the fight for the shorthanded Golden Booters following the 63rd-minute ejection of mid-fielder Severino Floresta for excessive contact.
Three minutes later, a bench-warming Meliton Pelayo got the red boot after figuring in an on-court scuffle between teammate Sorito Judal and a Benilde defender with 24 minutes to play in the second half.
Despite losing two key players, the Golden Booters flashed tremendous resiliency on the defensive end, repeatedly parrying wave after wave of Benilde’s attacks in the homestretch.
“We expected a tough game against them. I was proud of their performance,” coach Marjo Allado told the Varsitarian. “What is important is that we showed courage and persistence despite losing two of our best players.”
On a roll
Hobbled initially by a 29-minute defensive onslaught from the Philippine Christian University (PCU)-Cheng Hua last July 25, the Golden Booters settled down with their half court game to take a 3-0 victory.
Golden Booter Javier Clarino broke the ice in the 30th minute, evading PCU’s off-side trapping to give UST a 1-0 lead before Paul Madrona scored UST’s second goal just 15 minutes to go in stoppage time, to close the half. Judal later closed the scoring with a header in the 60th minute.
Prior to signing a scoreless truce with the Under-23 Philippine Team last July 22, UST trounced the De La Salle-Lipa, 6-2, last July 21 at the San Beda football field.
La Salle striker Yazan Aburashideh sneaked into the penalty area to slot home the marginal goal in the fifth minute. Not to be outdone, Golden Booter Vincent Villanueva scored his own three minutes later to tie the contest. The Booters never looked back from thereon, netting five goals in succession. La Salle-Lipa managed a consolation goal by Aburashideh in stoppage time.
Earlier in the tournament, the Golden Booters asserted their dominance against UAAP lightweight University of the East, 3-0, last July 18 and University of Perpetual Help-Dalta, 9-0, last July 15 to offset an opening match with NCAA champion San Beda College last July 8. With reports from Ana Mae G. Roa
