Just when defeat seemed inevitable for Far Eastern University in its Season 86 final rematch against University of the Philippines during the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament last Sunday, rookie striker Theo Jico Libarnes found a way to break the hearts of the Fighting Maroons and their fans.
Libarnes, a proud son of Zamboanga del Sur, headed the ball home with seconds remaining in stoppage time, salvaging a 1-1 draw for the Tamaraws.
The team celebrated wildly in front of their supporters at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.
For the 20-year-old, this outcome was a testament to both FEU’s character and coach Roman Oliver’s instructions.
“Hindi na kase bago yun sa FEU. Yung FEU way ay di talaga sumusuko hangga’t matapos ung laro,” said Libarnes.
He went on, “Unang-una, madaming injuries, ta’s may red card (last game), kaya maraming nabago sa line-up namin. Yung formation namin, nanibago kami kasi bago lang ginamit namin na system.
“Malaking adjustments talaga at risk yung ginawa ng coach namin, pero, yun nga, nag-trust lang kami kay coach at sa system namin. Ginawa lang namin yung gusto ipagawa ni coach sa’min.”
As a standout from FEU-Diliman, Libarnes has mixed emotions about Season 86.
He was part of the Baby Tamaraws squad that won FEU-D its 12th straight championship, dominating University of Santo Tomas, 3-0, in the final.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
However, he also experienced the heartbreak of watching the Tamaraws lose 1-0 to the Fighting Maroons in the collegiate men’s division championship.
Despite being a newcomer to the senior team, that loss left a lasting impact, making his last-second equalizer all the more gratifying.
“Sabi ng mga seniors namin, dahil wala po kase ako (last season) kasi nasa juniors pa ako, gusto nilang bumawi. Gusto nila bawian ang UP ngayon. Kaya kaming mga rookies na nag-start, nag-step up kami. Last year, nakita din namin yung sakit pagkatapos ng championship (game) kasi nanood kami last year,” he said.
“(Kaya ngayon,) sobrang saya,” he added. “Last one minute, so parang wala na talaga, wala na chance. So yun, grinab ko lang ung opportunity na pumunta sa goal at mag-score. Nakaka-overwhelm.”
Libarnes has a bright future ahead in football. A few months ago, he was called up to train with the national team, a significant achievement for him at that time since he was still in high school.
His motivation to improve every day comes from repaying FEU for its faith in him and from wanting to ease the financial burden on his parents through his scholarship.
In terms of technical skills, he aims to enhance his finishing in front of goal, aspiring to become a clinical striker for the Tamaraws this season. Although he acknowledges that he has much work to do, his performance has already shown significant progress, culminating in a goal that made the draw feel like a win for FEU.
“Well, he scored, he’s improving, he’s a rookie, and he will be a good football player,” said Oliver.
