After months on the sidelines, Josh Meriño finally made his full UAAP debut — and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
The 20-year-old defender helped the University of the Philippines secure the twice-to-beat advantage in the Season 88 Men’s Football Final Four, ending a long stretch of injuries and recovery that had kept him out of action since July.
Meriño first suffered a torn hamstring during the semifinal of the 2025 Mandiri Cup against Vietnam, sidelining him for four months. His return to the pitch came slowly: he saw brief minutes as a substitute in the second-round opener against the University of the East, only to sprain his ankle during training ahead of the following match against Ateneo de Manila University.
Two weeks of recovery later, he was back in action with the Philippine men’s U22 national team for the Southeast Asian Games in December.
Now fully recovered, Meriño felt thrilled to learn he would start against Far Eastern University in UP’s first match back.
“In yesterday’s team meeting, they were showing the starting lineup. I was surprised, but also ready, because I worked hard for this ever since I came back from injury,” said the Fighting Maroons winger.
Meriño’s first UAAP start came at the perfect moment. The Fighting Maroons needed to neutralize FEU’s vaunted attack — a task Meriño and the rest of UP’s five-man backline, led by captain Charles Lobitaña, handled expertly.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“It feels good starting again and being back after four to five months of injury, which is a new experience for me, especially playing overseas for the youth national team. UAAP is a whole different level; I’m blessed, and at the same time, it was a surreal experience for me,” Meriño said.
Playing a full 90 minutes, Meriño admitted he felt both surprised and delighted by his performance.
“I was shocked that I lasted for 90 minutes, because this is my first time 90 minutes in months. So, my body can do it, and I want to thank God for giving me the energy and everything. I’m ready for the upcoming games, and, hopefully, we’ll win the championship.”
FEU fought hard to equalize after Lorenz Tortona’s 19th-minute goal, but Meriño and the UP backline kept the defending champions at bay, giving goalkeeper Alfonso Gonzales the support he needed to secure the win.
Tortona’s goal stood, sending UP to the Final Four with the twice-to-beat advantage — a feat the Fighting Maroons last achieved in Season 76 — and capping a memorable debut for Meriño.
“It was definitely a team effort, because we hit our objectives. We trusted ourselves, we trusted our abilities, and we took our responsibilities. I think in this game, there were errors we need to fix, but then again, we took care of the game, and we then go back to our drawing board,” Meriño reflected.
With three matches remaining before the semifinals, Meriño hopes UP can regain its offensive firepower. The Fighting Maroons, the league’s second-highest scoring team with 17 goals, have only managed a single goal in their last two matches against Ateneo and FEU, and top scorer Ramil Bation has yet to find the net since his brace against UE.
“I guess more goals for us, and we have to take advantage of our chances. Tonight, we didn’t really take advantage of those chances. It’s something we need to work on, and hopefully, put the ball at the back of the net,” Meriño said.
