A loss may dishearten most people, but some turn it to motivation
When the University of Santo Tomas Golden Booters stepped into the Rizal Memorial Stadium for their semifinal match against the defending champions Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, no one noticed that there was something special with the team.
It turned out, as head coach Marjo Allado shared just after the match, that second-year forward Conrad Dimacali’s father has passed away.
“Namatay siya ng Monday ng madaling-araw,” the third-year Thomasian student himself shared. “Siyempre, nung una pa lang, masakit. Pero ginawa ko siyang inspirasyon para sa game na ‘to. Hiningi ko siya na gabayan niya ‘ko, bigyan niya ko goal.
“At humingi rin ako ng tulong sa Itaas na bigyan ako ng lakas sa paglalaro.”
Nonetheless, the younger Dimacali has to wait for his chance to do his stuff as he was not part of the starting XI. However, while sitting on the bench, he had nothing on his mind but to win.
“Kahit nasa sub ako, iniisip ko talaga panalo. Hanggang sa ipanalangin ako na sana ipasok ako ni coach. Iniisip ko rin ‘nun, goal, goal para sa dad ko.”
Scouring for answers, Allado finally decided to field in the lanky striker to perhaps miraculously turn it around for the Golden Booters. And in the 105th minute — call it stroke of fate, divine intervention, or simply luck — but Dimacali was in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the back of the net and put UST on the board.
“Na-feel ko talaga na andyan ‘yung dad ko,” he shared. “Kahit hindi ko siya nakikita, alam ko nasa tabi ko siya, gina-guide niya ‘ko sa laro.”
The goal he envisioned happened and turned out to be the wall that stopped the España-based team’s six-year Finals drought.
Dimacali not only succeeded in making his father proud on the pitch, but with just a year left to obtain a degree at the Royal and Pontifical University, he is only a year away form fulfilling a wish.
“Lagi niyang sinasabi sa ‘kin na mag-aral ako ng mabuti,” he said.
“Makatapos ako ng pag-aaral, makatulong ako sa kanila, at mabalik ko lahat ng binigay nila sa kin.”
With these words, his father must surely be smiling from above.
