The Far Eastern University punctuated their climb in the standings with a 4-2 triumph over the University of Santo Tomas.
FEU look to improve their football season after finishing the UAAP in last place. The Ateneo de Manila University have gifted them 3 points after defaulting a match, and with another full set of points from a 4-2 win over UAAP Season 79 finalists University of Santo Tomas, the Morayta squad are now sitting pretty in fourth place.
Kim Cupal gave the early advantage with a goal forty seconds after kick off. But Jan Cleofe cancelled it out eight minutes later.
In the eighteenth minute, FEU had the lead again when Jean Brigette Kadil looped a shot from twenty yards. With five minutes to go before the half, Suet Simoy doubled their lead from even further out. But it was Nina Yanto who had the last say of the half by pulling another one back for UST with a minute left.
FEU stayed in attack mode for much of the remaining half, but it wasn’t until the 82nd minute that they found the goal to seal their win, thanks to captain Jovelle Sudaria off another long shot.
“Ang focus pa rin namin since natapos na yung UAAP ay kailangan mayroon pa rin kaming makuha from this league. Sa next games namin, priority pa rin namin saka yung objective namin is to win yung mga games,” head coach Let Dimzon said after the game.
But for that to become a certain reality, Dimzon hopes that her players will pick up soon, especially with converting chances.
“Since before UAAP, nagiging problema na namin yung technical abilities ng players hindi nagfi-fit dun sa attacking play. So yung mga chances namin na maka-attack o maka-score in front of the goal nawawala kasi yung lapses or weakness ng team talaga is yung finishing,” she acknowledged.
Injury-plagued OutKast FC’s slump continues with 2-3 upset loss to Hiraya FC
Hiraya FC pulled off an upset of sorts when they beat one of the top club teams in the league, OutKast FC. The latter suffered their second straight defeat, with many of their key players missing due to injuries.
Natasha Alquiros’ corner in the eighth minute found Inez Achacoso’s head to put Hiraya FC one up. Nine minutes later, Aiza Mondero’s one touch shot made it two-nil. An own goal in the 31st minute that was instigated by Frankie Abraham’s cross made it three to nothing. It was later credited to Cecilia Dayrit, who was in the box.
OutKast attempted to mount a comeback in the second half after two goals scored by Lindsay Whaley within a space of ten minutes, but Hiraya FC held on for the 3-2 win.
Mentor Philip Dinglasan was very pleased with the win, especially on their first game back from the long layoff. “Hopefully this can be a good momentum for us going into finishing the first round and going into the second round,” he said.
Dinglasan credited playing in small tournaments during the break for helping keep the team’s chemistry intact.
“I think being able to play about three tournaments during the break helped the girls establish more chemistry, not lose their fitness. I think the most important part that the tournaments really helped with is the chemistry and teamwork, it’s still there. So hindi alienated from each other yung players because they’re still seeing each other and playing with each other,” he explained.
Dinglasan also made sure to credit his midfielder Patrice Impelido, who is fresh off national team duty as a player on the senior team and coach of the youth team.
“On paper our lineup is not weak, I mean we have some players who were formerly national players and we have one who is actually part of the national team also now whose role in the game for me was crucial because her experience was, or her match fitness helped us finish the game with a win.”
GAU FC punish shorthanded TYFA for third straight win, 4-0
Green Archers United FC continue to surge forward, taking full advantage of the Younghusband FA’s shortage of players. TYFA played the match with only eleven players available for the evening, with one field player hastily converted to goalkeeper.
Alisha Del Campo’s strike within nineteen minutes opened things up for the Alabang-based squad.
In the 32nd minute, Glynnes Dela Cruz delivered a cross that Michaela Maligalig nonchalantly slotted in to double GAU’s lead.
Two minutes later Del Campo struck again to pad the lead further. Three minutes after that, an Anicka Castañeda 50-yard screamer completed the five-minute blitz.
“Overall, we are happy we have a lot more players today although we have mga injuries so that’s the setback,” said GAU FC mentor Eleonora Dillera, referring to their opponent’s small numbers.
Dillera looked content that the team is coming together and was confident they will be ready for their next match in less than twenty four hours.
“We need to cool down properly because we need to recover for tomorrow. Good thing is we have a lot of young players in our team so it’s a good balance. We have seniors and a lot of incoming, you know, yung future ng football nandito din sa team. So it’s a good mix,” she said.
Dillera, who also subbed in as keeper, noted their team’s failure to score in the second half and attributed it to poor transition play.
“We still need to work on our touches with the ball and we have to work on our transition. The moment we lose the ball medyo matagal bumalik,” she admitted.
Hiraya FC master UP for second straight win of the weekend, 2-0
The Philippine Football Federation has scheduled some teams to play two games a weekend in a bid to finish the league’s first round quickly. One of these teams is Hiraya FC, who were tasked to play the University of the Philippines and remarkably, the club team prevailed again.
Hiraya FC beat their opponents to the scoreboard for the second straight game when Vanessa Anne Fabon latched onto the ball to slam it home after a brief scramble in the box inside 14 minutes.
In the 69th minute, the lead was doubled after a foul led to a Natasha Alquiros free kick that curved into the top corner.
UP struggled to build momentum for their side, and they weren’t helped by the steady defense of Hiraya — including great custodian work by goalkeeper Gely Tiu.
Among the defenders who stonewalled UP was Molly Manalansan, a former key member of that squad who said that she felt some sympathy for her old teammates.
“It was awkward, I kind of didn’t want to hurt them so usually yung ginagawa ko nalang I’d tap the ball out but in the second half medyo naka-adjust parang okay, they’re not my teammates anymore. But of course you know my sympathy whenever they get hurt nandoon pa rin. I still care for them a lot. Especially my best friend Cristina (De Los Reyes),” the Season 78 MVP shared.
Yet the winner’s mentality is also there for Manalansan, who had no qualms beating her old teammates to even better her new team’s record, after having already won the previous day. “Not really [surprised at this outcome] because we know we also worked hard for it. Bugbog na bugbog lang,” she added.
Manalansan also revealed that Hiraya relied on the team’s rich experience to get the full six points from the weekend.
“I think we focused more on communication this time and we worked on our strengths because unlike the other schools and the other teams we’re not fit and we don’t train. Basically we always discuss what the weakness of the other team is and then we capitalize on that. As what Tasha (Alquiros) says nga, they’re faster but we’re smarter because we’re older [and more experienced].”
GAU FC’s firm grip of second tightens at UST’s expense, 3-1
Aside from Hiraya FC, Green Archers United FC were also perfect over the weekend. Late Sunday night, they dealt the University of Santo Tomas their second straight loss, keeping them winless since their runner-up finish in UAAP Season 79.
It was Anicka Castañeda who handed GAU FC the lead in the 23rd minute. UST didn’t take this lightly and they fought for an equalizer which they found only eighteen minutes later via Shelah Mae Cadag. A slight change up put the usual defender in attack and she outsmarted goalie Natasha Lacson to level things up.
Both teams were probing for the go-ahead goal and it was the Alabang-based squad that took it in the 62nd minute. Substitute Isabel Montelibano ran after a ball that almost went out of bounds. Fearful of being called offside for a pass, she took a shot, and it was too much for the outstretched arms of UST custodian Tuesday Laxamana.
Alisha Del Campo later scored GAU’s third goal in the 77th minute with a slick collect-and-fire move that sealed the win.
This was a big win for GAU FC, who were playing their second game in less than 24 hours — and against the recent UAAP finalists — to secure the second spot in the league, so super-sub Montelibano could not help but feel stunned.
“I was actually surprised knowing that we were up against a much younger team, [one that] just came from UAAP. So for me it was just about thinking that we can do it, because like I said, it’s all just combined effort. Since UST gets to train more and they play together all the time. For us it’s more of not playing UST’s game but playing our own game,” Montelibano stated.
GAU’s offensive contribution usually comes from their young strikers so it also came off as a surprise that one of its elder veterans did manage to score. Montelibano later related how their team gets it to work.
“Every time we can, we talk, we plan together, we talk together. Because unlike other teams who get to train every week, we only get to train once or twice a week and we’re not even complete. So for me it’s just playing with each other, seeing how each one plays and adjusting to each other. They learn from us, we learn from them.”
On Deck
The PFF Women’s League continues this weekend at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
On Saturday, June 17, two matches are lined up: TYFA (8) vs. OutKast FC (3) at 8:00 a.m., FEU (4) vs. Hiraya FC (7) at 10:30 a.m.
On Sunday, June 18, there will be two games: OutKast FC (3) vs. UST (9) at 8:00 a.m., ADMU (5) vs. GAU FC (2) at 10:30 a.m.
