By: Brenn Allen Flores
Far Eastern University dealt De La Salle University a significant blow, handing the Green Booters a 5-2 defeat in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Collegiate Football Tournament on Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Field.
The loss puts La Salle in serious danger of missing the Final Four for a second consecutive season, with their postseason hopes now hanging by a thread.
With a semifinal berth on the line, La Salle head coach Alvin Ocampo made a surprising tactical decision, starting rookie goalkeeper Jason Salavante over senior Enrico Mangaoang.
Meanwhile, FEU head coach Roman Oliver opted to field backup goalkeeper Quintin Sanchez, who had previously conceded two goals in the second round.
“Well, it’s not easy to play your match. He (Sanchez) played a good game, made some mistakes, but he was confident with the ball and made some super saves as well,” Oliver remarked.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
The Tamaraws wasted no time asserting their dominance.
Al Christian Galario opened the scoring in the early minutes, pouncing on a loose ball and finishing with a precise left-footed strike.
FEU doubled their lead in the 10th minute when McJay Naniel capitalized on a miscalculation by Salavante, who rushed off his line, leaving the goal exposed for an easy finish.
La Salle responded strongly after halftime. Fernando Suarez halved the deficit in the 60th minute, blasting a shot into the net.
Moments later, Vin De la Cruz leveled the match at 2-2, taking advantage of a mistimed dive by Sanchez.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
However, the Tamaraws quickly reclaimed control.
Mel Baylon slotted in a goal in the 69th minute off an excellent set-piece delivery from Edgar Aban, restoring FEU’s lead at 3-2.
Another costly error by Salavante allowed Marc Celis to extend the margin in the 81st minute.
FEU sealed the match when Theo Libarnes capitalized on La Salle’s defensive lapse to score the Tamaraws’ fifth goal.
Libarnes dedicated his strike to his late grandmother, who had recently passed away.
Late in the game, Salavante was stretchered off following a collision with Libarnes, forcing La Salle to improvise.
With no substitutions remaining, Suarez stepped into the goalkeeping role for the final minutes.
Reflecting on the match, Oliver said: “Well, it was a weird game. We did a good first half, but then in one minute, we conceded two goals and struggled a bit in the second half. But we were able to come back, so at the end, we’re happy. Just a few more points and a win to secure our spot.”
FEU solidified their hold on second place with 23 points and a +21 goal difference.
Meanwhile, La Salle is on the verge of elimination, sitting in fifth place with 10 points and a -10 GD.
The Tamaraws will wrap up the elimination round against league leaders University of the Philippines on Thursday, November 28, at 7:00 p.m.
On the same day, La Salle will face Adamson University at 4:00 p.m., needing a win and external results to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
