WHEN the UST Growling Booters entered the 2002 UAAP football finals, they knew they were facing daunting odds in their quest to recapture their lost crown.
Not only were the España-based Booters squaring off with the same team that dethroned them a year ago, they were doing so without reliable mid-fielder Randy Leyble, who was suspended after being slapped with a red-card violation in their previous game.
In the end, the Growling Booters failed to exorcise the ghost of the previous year’s dismal season as they fell once again to the rugged University of the Philippines (UP) squad.
With one lucky but lethal blow, the UP Booters successfully defended their championship as they narrowly squeaked past the UST Growling Booters in the UAAP Football Finals last Mar. 3 at the Ateneo field.
With the score tied, 1-1 in the 14th minute of the overtime period, UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) Ariel Zerrudo fired a seemingly off-target goal attempt that eluded the defense of UST goalie Eric Legaspi and miraculously found itself behind the net to the wild celebration of the huge Maroon crowd.
“It was the breaks of the game. Everybody knows it was a wind-aided shot. However, the goal could have been prevented if not for the error in the judgement of the goalkeeper. Pero we congratulated UP and we’ll be back next year,” a visibly upset UST coach Marcelino Carpio said.
Eager to start the game on the right track, the Growling Booters clamped down on the Maroons vaunted kick-then-header play as they prevented UP goals in the opening stages of the match.
However, the Maroon offense finally clicked in the 44th minute as UP striker Miguel Guttierez scored on a header off a timely cross by teammate Arden Villasis.
Their confidence soaring after puncturing the UST defense, the Maroon Booters further intensified their drive to retain their title as UAAP Best Goalie Raffy Dinglasan emphatically rejected a goal attempt by UST’s Antonni Cesar Tano in the closing moments of the first half.
With the prospect of losing once again to the nemesis they haven’t beaten in two previous matches, the Growling Booters entered the second half with fire in their eyes and the goal of evening up matters with the defending champions.
Growling Booter veteran Russell Quiroquiro tried to shift the momentum in UST’s favor but his goal attempt in the 48th minute was blocked by UP goalie Dinglasan.
With the Growling Booters groping for form, UP forward Andres Gonzales almost scored on another header.
His attempt, however, was caught by UST goalie Legaspi in the 53rd minute.
Finally, the Growling Booters sent the game back to square one as UST’s Perfecto Tabale eluded the tough defense of Dinglasan to score on a game-tying goal in the 56th minute.
Action picked up moments later as UP’s Villasis was slapped with a yellow card violation after a dangerous tackle on UST’s Quiroquiro.
In the 76th minute, UAAP best defender Rozano Estrabon almost gave the victory to the España-based booters but his kick attempt narrowly missed the crossbar.
In the final seconds of regulation play, UST hotshot Froilan Ambrocio almost won the game for the Growling Booters but UP goalie Dinglasan foiled his header attempt as the game went into extension period.
In the extra period, the Growling Booters had numerous chances at scoring the pivotal goal but sadly, fate had other plans for them.
Tiger rookie sensation Tomas Liao started the hostilities in the overtime session with his aggressive play but his powerful kick from the right side in the fourth minute was narrowly saved by Dinglasan.
In the 11th minute, UST forward Rodney Leyble broke free from the tough UP full court defense but his kick attempt sailed straight into the hands of Dinglasan.
Finally, UP ended the contest in a fashion as Zerrudo hit the title-clinching goal in the 13th minute that sent the UP crowd into wild jubilation and silenced the large UST crowd that gathered in the field.
It was a dismal ending to what seemed to be an explosive season for the Growling Booters. After falling to third place the year before, the España-based Booters started this season in high gear as they blasted opponents on their way to an unblemished 6-0 start.
However, the team’s weakness in the mid-field position was magnified during encounters with eventual titlist UP and the Ateneo Booters.
Considered the engine that runs the offensive attack of a football team, the Growling Booters lacked a reliable mid-fielder to run the show.
After the game, Carpio reiterated his team’s weakness in the mid-field position as the main reason for their dismal season.
“We had a relatively weak mid-field position in this game due to the absence of Randy (Leyble). However, even with him (Leyble) in the line-up, we were really weak in the mid-field this year. I hope I’ll be able to recruit good mid-fielders for next year’s campaign. Although our goal was really to win the championship, I’m still satisfied with their performance because at least, we got second place. We’ll just bounce back next year,” Carpio said
