By: Brenn Allen Flores
Ramil Bation III scored a first-half hat trick as University of the Philippines secured a dominant 6-1 victory over University of Santo Tomas, booking their spot in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Football tournament on Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Field.
Meanwhile, UST’s loss means that De La Salle University and University of the East still have a chance to claim the final spot in the Final Four.
UP head coach Popoy Clarino shared that the team’s goal for the season was to reach the semifinals. Now, with that achieved, they can focus on preparing for the next stage.
“The target before the season was, of course, to get into the Final Four. But once you’re in the Final Four, it’s a whole different game,” Clarino said.
“So now that we’ve clinched a spot, we can focus on improving and getting more prepared for the semifinals. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
The match began with Ralken Comla playing a perfectly placed through ball to Bation, who finished calmly in the 17th minute to give UP an early lead.
Jarred Regis equalized for UST in the 28th minute with a powerful volley off a set piece, but the Fighting Maroons quickly regained the lead in the 30th minute. Captain Marc Tobias scored from a well-timed right-foot finish.
In the 40th minute, Bation doubled UP’s advantage by capitalizing on a mistake by UST’s Jose Abada, extending the lead to 3-1.
Just two minutes later, Bation completed his hat trick with a composed finish, putting UP ahead 4-1 at the break.
The second half saw more of the same, as Lorenz Tortona and Joses Azur added goals for UP in the 49th and 54th minutes, respectively, completing the 6-1 scoreline.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“We’ve always trusted Ramil with his ability. Even though he couldn’t score in the first round, the work he puts in day in and day out is vital to the team’s performance. He’s a fantastic player and also a very good friend,” Clarino said of Bation’s hat-trick heroics.
With the win, UP clinched third place with 22 points and a plus-15 goal difference. UST remains in the Final Four hunt in fourth place with 14 points and a minus-5 goal difference.
UP will next face Far Eastern University on Thursday, Nov. 28, at 7:00 PM.
UST must win its final game against Ateneo on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 7:00 PM to secure the last Final Four spot.
