UAAP Football: Tamaraws, Maroons book Finals berths
Recaps of Thursday's UAAP Final Four Football matches at FEU Diliman.
UP 5, UST 1
The UP Fighting Maroons will make their fourth consecutive UAAP finals appearance with a handsome rout of fourth-seeded UST. But the state university's joy was tempered by a straight red card to star striker Jinggoy Valmayor that keeps the league's leading scorer out of Game One of the finals series with FEU.
The game got off to a nightmarish start for the Tigers in the ninth minute when a routine catch for UST keeper Alber Llevares off a corner kick went through his hands behind him. UST's Darwin Busmion was at the far post and he alertly cleared it but only as far as UP centerback Fe Baya, who volleyed it into the net for 1-0.
Four minutes later UP's James Condat was felled just inside the box by a UST defender and referee Ariel Montaña pointed to the spot. Valmayor stroked the ensuing penalty to the keeper's left for 2-0.
In the 26th minute the Maroons made it 3-0 when a loose ball found Carlos Monfort in the box and the Ateneo high school product slotted home with his left foot.
Three minutes before the hour mark Baya got his double when he fired from close range only for Llevares to save well. Unfortunately for UST the ball rebounded back to the San Carlos City defender and he made no mistake with his second bite of the cherry. Baya said afterwards it's the first time he has ever scored twice in a competitive game.
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But in the 65th minute Valmayor got into a tussle with UST's Nicanor Palacio as they both challenged for a ball. The pair briefly knocked foreheads before the UP fourth-year striker delivered a weak punch to the face that was reciprocated by Palacio.
Montaña displayed a red rectangle to both players. Valmayor now misses the first match of a UAAP final due to suspension for the second year in a row. Last year he missed out on Game One against Ateneo and UP lost on penalties.
UST's Jean Clarino pulled one back with a fine finish against UP keeper Ace Villanueva on a breakaway 1v1 in the 70th minute but that was negated by a fine strike eight minutes from time by UP sub Gabe Mendoza.
“In a critical moment, bumigay siya (Valmayor)” said UP coach Anto Gonzales, who is looking for his fourth UAAP title as coach of the Maroons. “He should have been more mature.”
UST did play a bigger part in the match than the score suggests, with several tries from Shirmar Felongco that narrowly missed the mark. Clarino also impressed with his deft dribbling.
UST's Season 76 roster features thirteen rookies. Coach Marjo Allado says several may continue playing in the UFL after the season concludes.
Watch highlights of the match here.
FEU 2, DLSU 1
FEU's forgotten man delivered when his team needed him the most.
With the score in the Tams' Final Four match with DLSU knotted at one-all and with just fourteen minutes to go, FEU substitute Dexter Jae Chio found space, time, and the ball outside the Archers' penalty box. While the DLSU defense dithered in front of him, the Bukidnon native unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that roared past DLSU Josh Cruz keeper into the net for what proved to be the winning goal.
FEU now storms into the best-of-three finals series against UP thanks in huge part to the last remnant of Far Eastern's last UAAP-winning squad from 2010.
Chio is rarely used by coach Chu Sul Kim but on Thursday he delighted the home crowd in FEU Diliman with his epic strike.
A scoreless first half that was dominated by the top-seeded Tams, with Van Rey Diaz, Val Jurao, Jhan Jhan Melliza and Chy Villaseñor all coming close for Far Eastern.
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Melliza finally broke the ice in the 54th minute when he gathered a great diagonal pass from Paolo Bugas, brought the ball into the box, danced around Archer defenders Matt Nierras and Greggy Yang, then booted past Cruz with his favored left foot.
But six minutes later La Salle were level when a Yang free kick ricocheted off the FEU wall straight to Carl Amisola, who gave the ball one touch then half-volleyed gloriously past FEU keeper Michael Menzi from twenty-five yards out.
That only set up Chio's famous long-range winner that gives FEU a sweep of all three matches against DLSU this season. The Tams now face off against UP on February 20 in the first game of a best-of-three series.
Watch match highlights here.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
