BADLY needing a win to stay in the championship hunt, the UST Golden Booters turned to veteran David Basa.
And the steady UST midfielder responded well, netting the game’s only goal to help the Golden Booters secure a 1-0 victory over the erstwhile unbeaten De La Salle University, last Feb. 1 at the Ateneo de Manila University Erenchun field.
The La Salle squeaker gave UST its second win on top of two draws and a loss to cap the first round of the UAAP football hostilities.
Basa, Season 69 Rookie of the Year, sliced through the opposition’s center defense to deliver the haymaker in the 58th minute that pushed UST ahead for good.
“We just have to take it one game at a time,” Golden Booters coach Marjo Allado told the Varsitarian. “The players need more exposure, motivation, improvement in shooting and more importantly, puso pa.”
Golden Booters Mario Javier Clarino and Yannick Tuason each had the chance to increase the lead halfway into the second period with a pair of penalty kicks but both attempts sailed wide off the goal post.
The highly physical nature of the game saw players from both squads getting a pair of yellow cards. La Salle’s Niko Villa and Arie-Kim Smit were whistled off in the 56th and 70th minutes while UST team captain Christian Saga and Carlos Santiago got the call in the 60th and 85th minutes, respectively.
Last Jan. 29, UST drew with defending champions Far Eastern University, 2-2, four days after scoring its first goals of the season to repulse University of the East, 3-1, last Jan. 25.
The Golden Booters settled for a scoreless truce with UAAP Season 70 runner-up Ateneo last Jan. 21.
Opening-day jitters cost UST a 0-1 loss to the University of the Philippines last Jan. 18.
Lack of focus
In women’s play, the UST Lady Booters held defending champions FEU to a scoreless stand-off last Feb.1 at the Ateneo Ocampo Field.
Lady Booter Marianne Narciso tried to put UST on the board twice, but ended up being carried out of the pitch on a stretcher after bumping with an FEU defender in the 80th minute. A minute later, Prescila Rubio laid on the same stretcher after figuring in a scuffle for the loose ball.
UST had the chance to break the scoring ice in the final minute, but Lady Booter Carra Dagandara’s attempt from the penalty box skidded outside the right corner of the goal post.
“We lack focus,” coach Rozano Estrabon said. “Attitude and determination are good keys in winning any game. It is just that the team’s concentration is not enough.”
Last Jan. 28, UST blanked the error-prone University of the Philippines, 2-0, thanks to a pair of goals from Narciso and Jowe-Ann Barruga in the 1st and 36th minutes, respectively.
The Lady Booters split the outcomes of their first two games of the season, falling to La Salle, 1-2, last Jan. 22 but winning over Ateneo, 3-1, last Jan. 18.
