Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

AU

Jake Vicen saves Saint Benilde’s season, forces winner-take-all


For most of the match, College of Saint Benilde Blazers’ goalkeeper Jake Vicen was under pressure. However, that just set up his heroics in the end.

The third-year custodian came up big with two huge denials in the shootout, as the Blazers won 4-2 after the match ended at 3-3 after 120 minutes against the Arellano University Chiefs, Friday evening at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Applying the same game plan and using their speed advantage, the Chiefs pummeled the Blazers’ defense, plucking a chance at the set piece. The free kick went for naught, but the succeeding sequence turned into the go-ahead goal.

In the seventh minute, the ball bounced in front of Arellano captain Cymun Sanquilos, who blasted the ball into the top corner past the outstretched arms of Jake Vicen.

The rest of the first period was a defensive clinic from the Season 91 champions, as Saint Benilde were left scouring for opportunities to level the match. The green-shirts simply waited for that moment, as their possession improved and their attacking aggressiveness increased in the following period.

At the hour mark, Dean Ebarle received a low cross inside the penalty area, and finding himself unmarked, slotted the ball into the bag for the equalizer.

Both teams tried to break the deadlock once more, only neither team could not barge through the opposing defense in the remaining minutes of the second half and the whole of extra time.

Thus, the match has to be decided on kicks from the penalty spot.

Vicen and Jericho Desalisa denied the second kickers setting up a dramatic finish, to which the former turned his focus, “Sabi ko sa coaches, ‘Kukunin ko ‘to. Yung shoot out di naturalist hangga’t ‘di pumipito yung ref.”

Patrick Bernarte missed miserably wide as Vicen was on point, setting up long-time teammate Moiselle Alforque for the winning spot kick.

#ReadMore  No regrets nor excuses for CJ Perez

Head coach Marlon Maro was pleased on how the Blazers had responded in this game. As for the sudden-death match, he commented, “May the best team win.”

That third and deciding match is scheduled on Wednesday also at 6:00pm.

Grew to appreciate various sports from tennis to judo. True-maroon kiddo since the new millennium. Fanboy. Singer. Occasional sports writer.


You May Also Like

Football

The Philippine Under-23 Men’s National Team began its 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification campaign on a disappointing note, losing 5-0 to host nation...

Football

After a long wait, United City showed the chasing pack what was missing last year. Up against Maharlina Manila, the defending Philippines Football League...

Football

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has appointed Australian coach Alen Stajcic as head coach of the Philippine Women’s Football National Team (PWFNT). One of...

Football

It’s not just in basketball and volleyball that see Filipinos being tapped as imports in Japan. In the pioneering WE.League of Japan, two of...

Football

After securing entry into the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India last month, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team headed by veteran mentor...

Football

Hot on the coattails of getting back-to-back victories in the qualifying phase of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup last month, the Philippine Women’s...

Football

For the 10th time in its history, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team has qualified for the continent’s biggest international competition. The Filipinas secured...

Football

The Philippines Women’s National Football Team dug deep in dramatic circumstances to edge closer to a berth in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup....

Advertisement