Green and Gold Glory: FEU captures UAAP Football Men’s and Women’s titles
Recaps of both Men's and Women's Game Twos from Sunday's UAAP Season 76 Football Finals matches at the FEU Diliman pitch.
Men's Game Two: FEU 1, UP 0.
In the end, resistance was futile.
The FEU Tamaraws capped their season-long brilliance with a deserved Finals win, sweeping the best-of-three series 2-0 against the UP Fighting Maroons thanks to a solid Game 2 victory against UP.
The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Tams defender Chy Villaseñor sent a long diagonal pass from the halfway line towards the UP penalty box.
The ball bounced near FEU marksman Jhan Jhan Melliza, and wasn't dealt with by two nearby UP defenders. That allowed Melliza to head the ball over an onrushing Maroons keeper Ace Villanueva for the go-ahead strike.
UP was unable to mount any successful attacks afterwards, and when referee Jimmy Liman blew his whistle in the 94rd minute, wild scenes of celebration erupted on the field, with fans and the FEU women's team joining the revelry.
In the first game of the series last Thursday, FEU came up on top 4-1 in extra time, forcing UP to win on Sunday to force a decider on Thursday. But Anto Gonzales' men just couldn't bring out the magic on Sunday, and the Maroons lose their second Finals in a row. They have appeared in the Finals for the last four years consecutively.
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It's the first men's Football championship for Morayta since 2010, when coach Dolfo Alicante defeated UST in the finals with the help of Jason Cordova, Jake Hugo, and Jovanie Simpron.
The scoreline fails to show just how dominant Far Eastern was in the match, outshooting their rivals eighteen to six, with an astonishing fifteen of the eighteen FEU shots on target.
FEU came out like a house on fire with Melliza shooting to Villanueva in the fourth minute with his weaker right foot. What followed were quality chances from Arnel Amita, Nicholas Ferrer, Raymart Cubon, and Eric Giganto. Ferrer hit the post in the 26th and just before the halftime whistle Giganto's try, into an empty net when Villanueva strayed upfield, was brilliantly cleared off the line by Patxi Santos.
UP had only three chances in the first half, from Daniel Gadia, Jacob Ochoa, and surprise starter Gabe Mendoza. UP were missing the services of Jinggoy Valmayor, who was red carded for violent conduct in the semis and was thus ineligible for the first two games of this series. Had UP won on Sunday, the U23 Azkal could have played in game three.
Gonzales tried to spark a punchless UP offense by switching sides for wingers James Condat and Carlos Monfort, but the move did not prosper.
FEU came close in the second half when Val Jurao blasted over in the 64th and Melliza volleyed wide five minutes later.
FEU's Paolo Bugas nearly got the opener in the 71st when he picked up a neat Amita thru ball and tried to beat Villanueva but his scuffed attempt bounced off the keeper's left foot.
Then a minute later, Melliza broke through.
UP tried but failed to get their equalizer, such was the quality of FEU's rejiggered backline of Villaseñor, Van Rey Diaz, Val Jurao, and Cubon. Coach Kim Chul Su benched defenders Joshua Mulero, the Nigerian who got the go-ahead goal for FEU in Game One, and Arjay Joyel.
See highlights of the game here.
“This title was a long time coming” said FEU Football Program director Vince Santos, who said he and Kim began retooling the FEU Football program six years ago.
FEU also picked up individual awards, with Melliza garnering the Best Striker plum. Although Valmayor did score one more goal than Melliza with twelve strikes, his Final Four red card rendered him ineligible for any honors.
Bugas was adjudged Most Valuable Player and Amita best midfielder. UST's Shirmar Felongco won best defender for the midfielder's work in the first round when he was forced to play out of position. Villanueva, who was superb in the series, got the best GK title and UP's Santos was named Rookie of the Year.
Women's Game Two: FEU 2, UST 1.
Let Dimzon's ladies are back-to-back UAAP women's champs after disposing of the Tigresses in their game two showdown.
FEU were the better club, but a gritty Santo Tomas squad were a worthy opponent who made FEU earn the win. FEU also won Game One last Thursday via a 1-0 score.
Charmaine Siaotong struck first for FEU in the 20th minute, steering in a Barbie Sobredo cross past UST keeper Rara Luna, who stormed out off her line but was unable to parry Siaotong's glancing kick.
In the 57th minute FEU went 2-0 ahead when Jovelle Sudaria's corner was nodded into the firm artificial turf by defender Alesa Dolino from close range. The ball bounced off the ground over Luna and a defender by the post and into the corner of the frame.
The Tigresses looked dead and buried, but there would be one more dramatic turn to the story.
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In the 88th minute Tigress Jan Cleofe supplied a sweet one-touch ball into the box and Marice Magdolot left-footed it in powerfully past FEU goalie Sheramae Ramos inside the far post.
That set up a frantic last few minutes as UST tried to force extra time, but it was not to be as the Lady Tams held on for the crown.
Sobredo won both best midfielder and best striker awards, while the league gave Luna a deserving best goalie award. The best defender is Jena Abuan of UST, the top rookie trophy goes to UP's Mary Rose Obra and the MVP title goes to FEU skipper Mae Sulllano.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
