What began as a simple restart from the touchline turned into the decisive weapon that sent University of the Philippines to the top of the table.
Rookie standout Jian Caraig emerged as the unlikely architect of UP’s 2-1 victory over University of Santo Tomas last Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium, turning his trademark long throw-ins into two goals that propelled the Fighting Maroons to the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Football Tournament summit.
In a tightly-contested match that offered little separation in open play, Caraig’s specialized weapon proved to be the difference. His influence was felt as early as the sixth minute, when his towering throw-in dropped inside the six-yard box and found defender Josh Merino, who rose above the defense to head home the opener.
The former De La Salle Zobel standout delivered once more when it mattered most. In stoppage time, Caraig unleashed another booming throw that sparked chaos in the penalty area.
UST failed to clear, allowing Shan Lorque to pounce on the loose ball and seal the 92nd-minute winner.
The victory secured UP the top seed in the standings with 29 points, setting up a Final Four matchup against either Ateneo de Manila University or De La Salle University.
“My thoughts for today’s game: very happy kung pano nag-perform yung team,” he said.
“Super commendable yung UST; ibang klase yung laro nila. They brought the fight, and thankfully, we were able to come through with a late win, which was very commendable for both sides.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Following his older brother Adri to Diliman after taking a gap year in Spain, Caraig has carved out a niche with a skill rarely seen at the collegiate level. His long throw-ins have become a reliable source of danger — one developed over years of instinct, repetition, and unconventional training.
The Season 85 Best Midfielder showcased the same weapon while leading the Junior Green Booters to the boys’ high school finals in 2023.
Now, the Fighting Maroons are benefiting from that specialized development, as Caraig’s throws add a new layer to UP’s attacking arsenal.
“Basically, I started football at a very young age, siguro, mga five years old. So yun nagse-seven-a-side ako sa school ko, may mas matandang player na ganun. Napansin nila may long throw ako sa seven-a-side tapos pinasa na lang,” he said.
“I trained with medicine balls so para sa akin, when I throw the football, mas magaan na siya. Tapos, as a team, prinactice nalang namin hangga’t masanay yung team mates ko sa flight nung ball at san babagsak.”
The results have been undeniable. Caraig’s throw-ins now rival set pieces in effectiveness, forcing opposing defenses into hurried clearances and goalmouth scrambles.
“Definitely (I could call it my forte) because it plays a huge role,” said Caraig. “Yun na nga, we scored two goals. One was directly from a throw na-finish ni Josh (Merino). Yung isa, indirectly, nagkaroon ng chaos sa box, which ended with a goal. Na-ca-capitalize namin yung throw-in.”
Already assured of a twice-to-beat advantage, UP enters its final elimination round match on Thursday with little at stake in the standings — unlike De La Salle, which faces a must-win situation to reach the Final Four.
Caraig, however, made it clear that the Fighting Maroons are not easing off. For the Under-23 national team player, momentum matters just as much as positioning.
“Yeah, definitely, we want to keep the momentum,” he insisted. “Hindi kami tatapak sa brakes kase La Salle, with a win, sila papsok over Ateneo.
“Pero, we want to keep the momentum going into the Final Four with that winning mentality. Gusto namin ibigay parin ang lahat and we’ll see on Thursday kung ano kakalabasan.”
