University of the Philippines overcame a sluggish start to cap its first-round campaign on a triumphant note, edging the University of Santo Tomas, 2-1, to remain unbeaten in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament, Thursday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium in Quezon City.
The Fighting Maroons wrapped up the first round atop the standings with 16 points and a goal difference of +6, tallying five wins and one draw.
“It was a collective effort from everyone,” said UP head coach Popoy Clarino. “When we’re defending, everyone is at the back. We defended against 11 players, so the players were consistently helping one another and covering one another. It’s happy to see that kind of game.”
Despite missing captain Sam Alegre and defender Jarod Punzalan due to injuries, UST managed to strike first.
Rodrigo Mariñas delivered a perfectly timed through ball to Kent Dela Peña, who calmly slotted in the go-ahead goal in the 38th minute.
However, the Golden Booters’ lead didn’t last long. UP equalized just before halftime, with Benz Samaniego taking advantage of a chaotic sequence inside the box after UST keeper Kyler Escobar denied two previous attempts.
Samaniego pounced on the rebound to slot home the equalizer in the 45th minute.
Third-year midfielder Ramil Bation III then delivered the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute.
The 21-year-old’s shot ricocheted off the post before bouncing back into play and across the goal line, handing the Fighting Maroons the advantage for good.
UST nearly found a late equalizer in stoppage time when Chris Valderama broke free inside the box, but UP goalkeeper Fonzy Gonzales produced a crucial save to preserve the victory.
“We’ll try to take it game-by-game and improve our game bit-by-bit as we prepare for the next round,” added Clarino.
With the loss, UST remains in fifth place with five points and a -1 goal difference.
The Golden Booters will aim to finish their first-round campaign on a high note when they face the University of the East on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., once again at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
