HAMPERED by a cold start, the UST Golden Booters fought their heart out and played the game of their lives to buck a scoreless first half and outsteady surprise finalist Far Eastern University (FEU), 4-2, and regain the UAAP men’s football crown via a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out last Feb. 18 at the Ateneo Erenchun Field.
Team captain Arman Esteben sent home the marginal goal for the Golden Booters by unleashing a razor-sharp floater that grazed through the rightmost portion of the net to finally end UST’s six-year title drought in the discipline.
“I never doubted the ability of my players,” UST Golden Booters coach Marjo Allado, who was named Season 69 Coach of the Year, told the Varsitarian. “Our patience in the early goings of the game and composure also helped us contain FEU’s pesky defense.”
Coming off a 2-2 standoff at the end of regulation, the Golden Booters engaged the Tamaraws in a war of attrition throughout the 10-minute extension, battling for every possession and checking every Tamarraw attack en route to a decisive penalty shoot-out.
Season 69 MVP and Best Midfielder Ricardo Becite began the penalty onslaught for UST as he matched the early goal conversion of FEU’s Lester Sobresima with a low-lying shot to knot the count at one apiece.
Rookie striker Paul Madrona then took charge to push the Golden Booters on top, 2-1, after FEU’s Francis Gustillo and Jovanie Simpron muffed their respective attempts in the ensuing plays.
UST surged anew on Meliton Pelayo’s try before Kristian Macaspac responded at the turn for FEU’s second goal that closed the gap at 3-2.
But there was no stopping UST’s date with destiny as Esteban nailed the game-winner to the delight of the Thomasian crowd.
Down by one early in the second half, Golden Booter Adrian Guillermo scored the equalizer with a follow through off a wayward kick from Pelayo in the 55th minute. Pelayo later joined the scoring barrage in the 77th minute with a short kick from the right side of the penalty area for a 2-1 UST cushion.
The Tamaraws, however, refused to falter easily as Jason Cordova knocked in a game-tying header in the 90th minute off a bungled free kick from Gustillo, forcing the 10-minute extension that eventually spelled FEU’s doom.
Earlier, UST survived a 0-0 draw from the rookie-laden Ateneo de Manila University last Feb. 11 after racking up three straight victories against University of the Philippines (2-1) last Feb. 4, FEU (2-0) last Feb. 1, and University of the East (3-0) last Jan. 28 to top the eliminations with a 5-1-2 win-loss-draw record for a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.
In the first round, the Golden Booters blanked FEU, 2-0 last Jan. 25 after drawing with Ateneo, 1-1, last Jan. 21 and winning over UP (2-1) last Jan. 17 and UE (3-0) last Jan. 14.
Bridesmaids anew
While their male counterparts flourished in the homestretch, the Lady Booters tumbled in the dying minutes of their tension-packed finals encounter with FEU to settle for another bridesmaid finish, 0-1, at the Ateneo Ocampo Field.
Despite thwarting several of FEU’s long-range attempts, the Lady Booters still failed to break their scoring jinx as the Morayta-based strikers continued pestering Ignacio and UST’s other offensive options in Dorelyn Mendaza and Josephine Luto from all sides of the pitch.
The haymaker came for the Lady Tamaraws in the 86th minute when Season 69 MVP and national team standout Shella Ninobla beat UST goal keeper Desiree Saligao in a mad scramble inside the six-yard box for a barreling goal that shattered the Lady Booters’ title hopes for good.
“FEU is a strong team so I am proud about the way our players handled the situation against a more experienced roster,” said coach Jade Bejemino, who took the Best Coach award in the women’s division.
Meanwhile, the Golden Booters received the Fair Play Award while Mark David Basa and Johnson Lee were hailed Rookie of the Year and Best Goalkeeper in the men’s division, respectively. In women’s play, sweeper Louella Arnamio won the ROY plum.
