Two goals from Jovelle Sudaria and one from Barbie Sobredo booked the FEU Women’s Football Team a place in the finals of the 2015 PFF Women’s Invitational Cup at the expense of UST.
For FEU coach Let Dimzon, everything went according to plan. Having scouted UST extensively with how they attack and defend, her players were drilled well enough to cope up with their opposition’s aggressiveness. Come the second half, a few adjustments were made not least with the technique of her players in playing the ball as Dimzon instructed them to poke it with their toes for them to control it properly on a wet pitch.
Adjusting the positions of her two central midfielders is what Dimzon notes to have changed the game for FEU in the second half. “Medyo ang problema din namin ang passing naming sa gitna, so medyo masikip, medyo naging crowded ang gitna namin so yung adjustment namin sa second half medyo naluwagan na.”
During her halftime team talk, Dimzon says that she had to modify her players’ positions on the pitch in order to find shorten the gap between her team’s defense and midfield while reiterating that central midfield was too crowded for her liking. Dimzon narrates, “So yung nga naging masyadong malaki ang distance sa defense line at midfield line so pinaakyat ko yung dalawang defenders and then pinaluwag ko yung dalawang central midfield. Kase yung nagiging problem, everytime nasa amin yung bola ay masyadong nakadikit si Barbie at Bidang so nawawala yung chances namin.”
Furthermore, Dimzon states that she told her team to modify how they pass the ball so as to take care of it better on the wet pitch. Continuing their pressing against UST and taking full advantage of the flanks were her last instructions for her players before the start of the second half.
Solidifying her team’s defensive backline is what Dimzon wants to do in preparation for the finals game against DLSU. “Yung isang nasa likuran ko is first year and then yung balance nung line, yung distance nila from side to the middle tapos kung sinong kukuha sa tao so siguro dun lang ako magfofocus.” Dimzon wants FEU to be an attacking team because she feels that with the ball being retained by her players in the opposition’s half of the field, whoever will play against them will have a hard time scoring and will eventually falter in the end.
This past game and the finals which will take place on Sunday, September 20, 2015 is a bad time for FEU as their players have to deal with their academic workload.
FEU Lady Tamaraw Alesa Dolino shares that their training sessions before their win versus UST were disrupted because of the players’ examinations which will also be a factor coming into the finals game against DLSU. “Everyday po kasi kaming nagtetrain though this past week, exam week namin. So tactical, basic skills ginawa namin. Marami kaming rookies na tinutulungan naming lahat para mag-excel.”
Dimzon admits that training sessions haven’t been as thorough as they should be because of her players’ need to fulfill academic requirements.
“It’s either nagtatraining lang kami sa campus so hindi kami nakapagpractice ng play. So puro it’s either jogging and then mga drills lang kasi hindi nacocomplete ang team. So by next week, same pa rin. Finals week pa rin.”
However, Dimzon has no problem dealing with the cards she’s dealt with.
Shooting on target from just above the penalty area is one of Dimzon’s pre-requisites from her players and nothing is going to change that having pointed out that the first goal came from her main instruction. “So siguro ayun pa rin. Wala kaming magagawa so although since yung first team ko is from last year pa rin, although may mga kaunting bago, lagi ko na lang nirerecap ang laging play. May mga times nga na once in a week, pinapractice lang namin yung attacking play from defense to attack hanggang strikers and then more on finishing kami. Kaya yung mga attempt namin, top of the box kasi yun yung kinukuha ko sa kanila. Pag top of the box, laging shots lang ng shots kaya yung first goal came from that situation.”
