UST’S FOOTBALL teams have not made much noise in the UAAP in the past two years but they are looking to turn things around this season.
The Golden Booters grabbed the top spot early last year before collapsing to fourth place in the second round. They still barged into the semifinals but crashed out against the University of the Philippines, which won the title eventually.
The Lady Booters, who appeared in the finals in 2014, finished last in the last two seasons.
Golden Booters coach Marjo Allado said the problem boiled down to his player’s lack of motivation.
“I always tell my players that if we have matches, even if it is not in the UAAP, they need to maintain their confidence and determination at a high level as soon they enter the pitch,” he said.
The Golden Booters lost four players to graduation. Scoring machine Stephen Anotado will also be out for the second straight year due to injury.
Anotado, who led UST in scoring in 2015, already nursed his medial collateral ligament injury that sidelined him last season and said he was ready to suit up for the upcoming UAAP football tournament but suffered the same injury during one of the Golden Booters’ training session.
But UST, which won the Ang Liga football championship recently at the expense of UP and the Ateneo de Manila University, will still have a solid core in team captain Darrel Regala, Ian de Castro, Renz Umban, Marvin Bricenio and goalkeeper Zaldy Abraham.
The Lady Booters have to start from scratch after 15 players were removed from the team and were replaced with neophytes.
Priscilla “Aging” Rubio, who replaced JR Judal as head coach of the Lady Booters, said the team did not have any recruits this year and instead focused on the changing the system.
The Lady Booters won only one game in six outings last year and Rubio associated their dismal season not because of their lack of talent and skill but because of attitude problems, noting that some players were “uncoachable” and stubborn.
Now that she has instilled discipline among members of the team, the team’s low skill level and football IQ are what the player-turned-coach plans to address.
“We trained every day, morning and afternoon, and worked hard because we want to achieve something. We do not want to feel the same of what we experienced last year,” the former UAAP gold medalist added.
Second-year talents Charisa Lemoran, MJ Indac, Hazel Lustan, Shelah Cadag and team captain Aira Ilan showed remarkable improvement during the ongoing Philippine Football Federation Women’s League, as assessed by Rubio.
“As team captain, I need to lift up their morale and keep in mind that we should not waste what we have been training for,” Ilan said.
The last time the Golden Booters won the championship was in 2007 while the Lady Booters took home the title in 2012.
