The University of the Philippines Lady Maroons have had an inconsistent UAAP Season 78 Women’s Football Tournament campaign so far.
UP defeated their counterparts from Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomas, but lost to De La Salle University and Far Eastern University in the first round. Last Saturday, UP defeated UST, 3-1, in their first game of the second round.
It was a welcome result for the Lady Maroons, as they showed that winning despite conceding the first goal wasn’t impossible for them. Crucial to that UP win was Mary Rose Obra, who leveled the scores in the 60th minute and was one of the Lady Maroons’ key forwards in that match. Despite being down 0-1, Obra was one of the players who took on responsibility for her team, and her efforts were rewarded with the important equalizer that allowed UP to gain momentum.
No surprises, then, that Obra believes that UP still has room for improvement. “We have to start stronger next time kasi ang baba ng intensity nung first half and then we need to step up if we want to be champions this year.”
When asked to elaborate further, Obra simply said “puso.” The Lady Maroons started the match wrong, and needed a half-time dressing down from UP head coach Anto Gonzales for them to improve after the break.
“We gave everything nung last half namin. We realized na tama yung sinabi ng coach namin na ‘we have to believe in ourselves because we really worked hard for this.’ No vacation for us. Vacation namin two days lang not like other schools na they had a week, or a month, or something. We really have to give everything,” explained Obra.
Inconsistency has plagued UP this season. Their results in the first round very much canceled each other out.
With La Salle virtually in the Finals already, it’s up to UP to control their own destiny. For that to happen, though, Obra feels some self-belief will go a long way. “Tiwala sa sarili kasi feeling namin we weren’t really believing in ourselves kasi we know we have the skills, we have everything like stamina, everything, but then tiwala sa sarili minsan nawawala,” she said. “Feeling ko this second round, if we believe in ourselves that we can do it, kaya.”
In contrast to self-belief, Obra isn’t really sure what has caused the Lady Maroons to be so anxious before games, although she offered up a suggestion: “Siguro magkamali. Our team kasi if we make a mistake, usually natatatak sa ulo namin, ‘Ah! Ayaw namin mangyari ito.’ We never think of ‘Ah! Ito yung gagawin ko!’ Feeling ko tumatatak sa amin yung pagkakamali namin. Yun yung nakakasira ng game namin.”
With three more games before the Finals, Obra called on her teammates to be a bit more constructive in giving criticism. “Kasi sometimes nagiging negative yung nasasabi namin without knowing na nagiging negative na yung sinasabi. We have to push everyone up kaysa pulling everyone down,” she said. Perhaps winning games lessens the questions.
To win games, though, a little more positivity and self-belief will definitely be needed. And who knows? If Obra and the rest of her team can muster those, then what can stop UP from clinching a maiden UAAP Women’s Football title?
