When Richard Leyble took over the De La Salle University men’s football program last year, he inherited more than just a team in transition.
With the sudden departures of Alvin Ocampo’s two successors and a program struggling to regain its footing after two seasons of missing the semifinals, the Green Booters needed direction — and fast.
Against the odds, Leyble guided La Salle to a remarkable turnaround in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament.
A late-season surge saw the Green Booters win two of their final three matches, including a stunning victory over top-seeded University of the Philippines in the elimination round finale, earning them a spot in the semifinals.
Last Sunday, La Salle faced UP once more, entering the match as the fourth seed needing to win twice to reach the finals for the first time since Season 81.
The Green Booters — considered underdogs against a squad packed with UAAP champions and national team players — refused to fold.
They pushed the Fighting Maroons to 120 minutes of grueling football, keeping the scoreline level until the final seconds of extra time.
That’s when Ramil Bation III’s free kick — awarded after a foul by Frank Labayen — shattered La Salle’s Cinderella run.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Despite the heartache, Leyble praised his players for their relentless effort.
“Let’s talk about UP. We know that UP is a very strong team. They have a lot of national players, and the coaches have a lot of experience coaching national teams,” Leyble said.
“But as we prepared this week, we won’t give up. We played until the final whistle. We tried our best and I’m still proud of these players, because for me, we did a very good game against UP.”
The narrow loss offered Leyble a clear view of where the team must improve.
La Salle’s defense stood tall for much of the match, but fatigue in the final minutes allowed UP to create opportunities and ultimately deliver the decisive goal in the 120+7th minute.
“We need to find strong defenders for next season. That’s what we assessed with this team,” Leyble explained.
“We need more training and maybe more good preparation na dapat mag-last sila even 120 minutes. Yung final moment ng time, mga last 10 minutes or five minutes, ubos na, hindi na-sustain. That’s what we need to fix up before Season 89.”
Though the semifinal exit stings, Season 88 marked meaningful progress for La Salle. Unlike last year, Leyble now has the time and stability to build his own team and prepare for a stronger run in Season 89.
“We can prepare for the next season,” the former national team player concluded.
“We need to fix things… We can prepare now.”
