Although the path to the big dance required an extra 90 minutes of grit, the defending champions have reached their desired destination.
With the semifinals complete, Far Eastern University is just one win away from a successful title defense.
Karl Absalon and Selwyn Mamon provided the spark, while substitute McJay Neniel iced the match as FEU eliminated the Kyler Escobar-led University of Santo Tomas, 3-2, in their do-or-die Final Four clash in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament, Friday at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Tamaraws, who bounced back from a 2-1 loss to the Golden Booters last Sunday, have now reached the finals for the fourth straight season.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Standing in their way are the UP Fighting Maroons, who needed extra time to defeat the DLSU Green Booters, 1-0, last Sunday.
The Tamaraws lost to the Fighting Maroons twice in the elimination round, but the winner-take-all championship is a different story.
A victory for FEU would not only mark its first successful title defense since Season 77 but also secure a 12th men’s division trophy and another step toward the school’s fourth treble.
“Very happy,” said coach Jake Morallo. “The mentality of the players — as you can see in the first half, they scored two (goals) agad — was very good. After ng first games namin, the following days, we did a game analysis. Dun namin nakita lahat ng pagkakamali at pano naman i-handle tong second game.
“Now we see naayos namin yung mga mali na yun. The tactics were there; everything: puso, yung lumalaban sila kahit sobrang pagod na, they’re still there fighting para makapasok sa championship game.”
Still reeling from their loss last Sunday, FEU made sure to impose itself on UST early on, with Absalon pulling the strings. The Masbate City native first carved open the UST defense to set up Mamon’s fifth-minute opener.
He then doubled the lead himself in the 14th minute with a header off a Czam Acuesta cross.
Escobar, however, gave the Golden Booters a lifeline just before halftime. From the right flank, the UST captain sent a deep cross into the box that caught Tamaraws goalkeeper Mon Diansuy off guard, allowing the ball to sail over him and into the net in the 34th minute.
But UST could only rue a massive missed opportunity to level the score in the second half.
Rodrigo Mariñas found himself with the goal at his mercy from point-blank range, but he fired wide — a wasted chance that would ultimately haunt the Golden Booters.
Neniel delivered the knockout blow in the 89th minute, showing composure to round UST goalkeeper Marg Daig and slot home, restoring FEU’s two-goal cushion.
While Escobar managed to pull one back for UST with a clinical finish in the 90+7 minute, it proved to be mere consolation. The final whistle blew moments later, confirming FEU’s return to the championship stage.
“I knew mananalo kami today,” said Morallo. “Alam ng mga players kung ano kailangan i-improve. Alam namin it’s in our hands itong game na ito.”
He admitted, “It wasn’t an easy game. We know na UST has a strong team also, especially in transitions and in the second half. Happy kami na na-manage and good substitution din kay Neniel. Happy kami.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The only downside for the Tamaraws, however, is that Mamon’s availability for the final is now in question.
Mamon, who is now the leader of the Golden Booters race with 11 goals, picked up yellow cards today and last Sunday, putting his participation in the February 23 showdown in doubt.
Mamon’s potential absence makes things tougher for FEU, considering it lost 3-1 and 1-0 to UP in the elimination round on September 25 and January 15, respectively.
Still, Morallo remains optimistic.
“It will be a very good game (against UP) kahit may kulang kaming tao sa taas,” said Morallo. “We will find a way para makalagay kami ng tao diyan. We will adjust our system, our plays.
“We’ll study more about UP’s game. Let’s see. Paghahandaan natin sila. I believe nung naglaro kami sa second game laban sa kanila, nanalo sila 1-0 against us. It was okay, but this time around it’s a different story,” the first-year head coach added.
As for UST, the Golden Booters have earned the bronze medal for Season 88 and will bid farewell to the likes of Escobar, Archie Belluga, and Chris Valderama due to graduation.
