After going through a tumultuous first round of the UAAP Women’s Football Tournament, the UP Lady Maroons find themselves level with last year’s champions FEU in second place. By merely looking at the table, it seems that the UP is in a good position to enter the finals again. However, the girls from Diliman know they have to do a lot better for them to go at least as far as last time around.
Performances on the field haven’t really been up to par according to their coach Anto Gonzales, who frankly thought the team thoroughly deserved the loss to the current league leaders. Aware of her coach’s lamentations, Lady Maroon Monica Louise “Molly” Manalansan urged her teammates to step up, and perhaps including herself, while it’s not yet too late. “It’s everyone’s extra effort, not anymore perfect effort. If only the team really put that extra effort, if only we work together [we could have played better]. It can’t only be two to three people fighting inside the pitch,” the veteran expounded.
A versatile player, Manalansan added that she is baffled with how the team has been getting as the season goes on. “I think that we started off good the first game but then I don’t know. I’m actually speechless because we’ve put in every single work. We didn’t go on vacation,” the fifth year player wondered. Things were going quite well for the Lady Maroons at the start of the season. UP won their first two games on the back of two contrasting displays. Unfortunately, they not only failed to replicate those in their next two games as they also suffered defeats to the embattled FEU and surging DLSU teams.
While uncertain about the actual reasons behind the decline in performance, Manalansan is willing to act on it to make sure they wouldn’t stagnate and fall behind the other teams. “I think next round we’re gonna come back stronger and I’ll do everything just to make everything in place” she vowed. As one of the seniors in the team, Manalansan also plans to remind her teammates to go all out for their beloved alma mater.
“Whenever you go on the pitch, you shouldn’t be playing for yourself but you’re playing for the whole UP community and more than anything else I think that the motivation should come from within. It’s the most important thing for me. If you’re going to wait for the validation of others, walang mangyayari sa’yo,” Manalansan preached. Citing that the girls are driven to play football, one of Gonzales’ most experienced players wishes that the team will be determined more than ever to bounce back.
The opportunity for the Lady Maroons to redeem themselves comes around this weekend. UP will have a chance to rekindle the bright form they’ve had early in the season when they take on UST this Saturday. It was also their first match in the previous round, so it might be the best chance for the Lady Maroons to arrest their losing skid. Kickoff is slated at 5:30 in the afternoon at the McKinley Hill Stadium.
