Despite an anticlimactic end to its campaign in the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Football Tournament, University of Santo Tomas managed to return to the Final Four for the first time in five years.
A 2-0 loss at the hands of the finals-bound Ateneo de Manila University last Thursday should not discount the fact that the Golden Booters finished the elimination round strongly with two wins and a draw, earning the right to compete in the postseason.
“I’m pretty sure my team and I were not happy with the end result of the semifinal against Ateneo. However, I can say that I am truly proud of this team since we worked our way from the bottom of the leaderboards and made it all the way into the Final Four,” said co-captain Enzo Guarina.
“It was honestly a blessing for us to make it into the Final Four. I’m just truly grateful to God, my family, my friends, my coaches, my teammates, and everyone else who supported us. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think UST would have made it as far as the semifinals.”
When the referee signaled the end of the Final Four match with his final whistle, there was an air of disappointment around the Golden Booters. Despite being the fourth-ranked team, UST was actually favored heading into the match because of its previous 2-0 and 1-0 wins over the first-ranked Ateneo on February 26 and April 23.
For Guarina, there was disappointment that this is as far as he got in his lone playing year for the Espana school. There was no happy ending, but it was still one great ride with the rest of the Golden Booters.
“Due to the pandemic and my previous injuries, I was not able to play in the previous UAAP seasons, so this Season 85 was technically my first-ever UAAP experience. I actually enrolled in UST Graduate School so that I can play for UST again,” he said.
“I genuinely just wanted to give my all and win this UAAP season for God, my school, my coaches, my teammates, and everyone else. I am also extremely grateful for the opportunity to become captain in our last few games and lead the team in the semifinals.”
Now that UST’s campaign is over, Guarina will focus on finishing his degree and helping out in his family’s business. Ultimately, reaching the Final Four is a success in itself as the league table never lies.
While he will not be there next season as a player, he hopes that the success of this batch of Golden Booters will pave the way for something better come Season 86.
“I believe my team and I have learned a lot from this UAAP experience. There’s a saying that ‘the ball is round’ meaning that anything can happen at any time. I know that despite all the setbacks and obstacles our team faces, we will always find a way to break through these challenges and come back stronger.”
