UAAP Men’s Football Final 4: UP shuts down FEU 2-0
Jinggoy Valmayor struck twice, a staunch defense pitched a shutout, and UP, the two-time defending Seniors champs, are back in the title hunt.
The Maroon Booters gain the second seed and the twice-to-beat advantage against FEU thanks to a hard-earned seeding playoff victory on Sunday at Ateneo's Erenchun Field.
With both clubs at 25 points after the second round, the league made FEU and UP play this game to determine who would be the second seed behind league leaders Ateneo.
UP take first blood in what is in effect a best-of-three series, despite FEU grabbing the lion's share of both possession and attempts. UP is now the second seed and FEU the third.
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The teams match up again on Thursday. If FEU wins, a decider will be set for Sunday, Feb 17. If the Maroons repeat, they advance to the Finals against either Ateneo or De La Salle, who also start their series on Thursday. The Blue Booters hold the twice-to-beat advantage in that semifinal. This is the first year the UAAP is using the Final Four format in Football.
Sunday's game was a remarkable turnaround for this fixture. UP was pummeled 5-0 by FEU in the first round before gaining revenge with a 1-0 win in the second.
Anto Gonzales, UP's coach, stationed Michael Sims and Nino Muros as twin holding midfielders in front of centerbacks Boiboi Fernandez and Deo Segunial, while apparently instructing the rest of the midfield not to high-press the Tamaraw ball carriers. Valmayor was the lone striker up top.
Even with such a compact defense, FEU threatened from the opening whistle, with Jonjon Melliza pulling a first-minute attempt wide left. Eight minutes later Chy Villasenor tried his luck but also missed the target.
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Then in the thirteenth minute, against the run of play, Atan De Guzman threaded a quality through ball to Valmayor, who beat FEU Michael Menzi with a shot to the keeper's right for 1-0.
FEU continued to pile on the pressure, but oftentimes with ineffective high balls that did not trouble UP's tall defenders. Maroons keeper Ace Villanueva denied Eric Giganto in the 24th and parried a free kick from Melliza in the 42nd.
Just before the half Menzi prevented an equalizer by disrupting a breakaway from Daniel Gadia.
The second half continued the story of the first: FEU turning the screws to no avail, with Giganto, Melliza, and Villasenor all producing attempts that were either saved or off-target. Meanwhile UP sat back in their dense defensive stance and waited for counterattack opportunities.
Just before the hour-mark Melliza raced forward in an attempt to latch on to a piercing through ball but Villanueva once again quashed the threat by reaching the leather first.
Three minutes later the young shot stopper blocked a free kick attempt, hurting himself mildly in the process.
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Villanueva earned the starting keeper spot over championship vet Tyrone Caballes after Caballes was benched during the season.
FEU Coach Kim Chul-su introduced defender Amani Aguinaldo into the game just before the 70th minute. Aguinaldo is a regular starter but, thinking erroneously that the game was 3pm (it was slated to kick off at 2pm) arrived just before the kickoff and was not in the starting eleven.
In spite of the withering pressure from FEU, it was UP who struck again in the 72nd. Valmayor picked up a pass from Albert Yatco, turned the corner on the defense and from the left flank drove the ball between Menzi's legs for a two-nil advantage.
FEU threw Aguinaldo forward for the rest of the game but it was too late.
With another two goals, Valmayor solidifies his reputation as one of the few strikers in the UAAP who has the height, physicality, and technique to thrive as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation.
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“Our counterattack was good. We tried to prevent them from playing down the middle and instead force them to play from the wings. Good thing the back four held tough” explained Gonzales.
“And I give credit to our goalkeeper. He played good.”
FEU assistant Jade Bejemino blamed a sluggish transition game for the defeat. He also praised Valmayor's killer instinct.
“They just give it to him, siya na ang bahala.”
OTHER NOTES: The new Erenchun Field was laid in at the beginning of the season but it is already in dire shape. The sides have grass but the turf is bumpy, uneven, spongy, and loose. Much of the center of the park is already a wasteland of sand with vestigial bits of dried grass.... After the game FEU skipper Dexter Chio, a holdover from FEU's last title in 2010, addressed the players without any of the coaches in the middle of the field.... FEU assistant coach Vince Santos was so dismayed by the result that he stalked out of the game and drove off before the final whistle.... Before the game UP assistant Frank Muescan showed off to everyone near the scorer's table a paper bag full of the team's recovery snack: steamed kamote.
Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
