In a match that lasted almost four hours and endured 18 shots in a penalty shootout, it was a connection from Angelo Pagdanganan and a narrow miss from Francis Jay Vercide that proved the difference between the joy of victory and the agony of defeat.
Pagdanganan’s crucial spot-kick in the sudden death penalty shootout sent University of the Philippines to the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Football Final at the expense of University of Santo Tomas, 1-1 (ATE, 8-7 on pen), on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Diliman-based side will be gunning for its 19th UAAP title against the defending champions, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, next Thursday at 5:00 PM in the same Malate stadium.
The Tamaraws narrowly escaped the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles earlier in the night with a 2-1 extra-time victory in the other semifinal match.
“Of course, we want to give back to the UP community. It was our way of showing appreciation to them,” said first-year head coach Popoy Clarino, a long-time deputy to former mentor Anto Gonzales.
“With the support they have given us, we’ve given our best inside the field – offering ourselves.”
The senior defender needed a huge performance to pull off the victory in the nerve-wracking shootout, as UP trailed early. Rookie CJ Donato missed the first attempt of this portion of the match.
With the season on the line and needing a stop with the shootout tied at three goals apiece, Fighting Maroons rookie goalkeeper Alfonso Gonzalez came through.
He made the greatest save of his short collegiate career so far – denying Andrew Gregg Ramos a go-ahead goal.
That set up Pagdanganan’s heroics and the eventual hit by Vercide to the crossbar, signaling the end of the match and UP’s passage to the final.
(C) Nicks Hernandez/UAAP Season 86 Media Team
The game was settled from the spot as 120 minutes were not enough to break the deadlock. Francis Tacardon had scored the goal for the Fighting Maroons just before the halftime break, followed by an equalizer by TJ Garciano in the 57th minute.
(C) Nicks Hernandez/UAAP Season 86 Media Team
UP carved its way back into the championship match after missing the Final Four the previous season.
Thursday will see the squad make its seventh finals appearance in the last 11 seasons, securing four championships in the same span – the last of which came in Season 80 against UST via Ian Clarino’s header.
“It’s good to be back in the finals, but the job is not yet done. FEU is a very strong team, championship-caliber. They have lots of natural players. We are looking forward to the finals. We go back, we rest first, then, we prepare for the Finals on May 16,” Clarino concluded.
Carlo Fernandez and Carlos Orale bid farewell to the UST Golden Booters, who will finish third this season.
UP XI: Gonzalez (GK), Bongolan, Lobitaña, Tobias, Caraig, Pagdanganan, Tacardon, Palacio, Galsim, Lampayan, Bation III.
UST XI: Abada (GK), Alegre, Escobar, Songalia, Belluga, Botavara, Selarde, Valderama, Vercide, De Sagun, Regis.
