A first-half goal by Nicolas Ferrer Jr. was enough for the Far Eastern University Tamaraws to record their fourth win in as many games this season, as they edged past the De La Salle University Green Archers, who have now lost three games on the trot.
The game, played at the Moro Lorenzo Football Field in Ateneo, was a cagey affair from start to finish. Chances did not come early in the game as the players looked to decipher the other team’s tactics on the pitch.
The initial test for either goalkeeper came in the 26th minute, when RJ Joyel routinely caught a decent header from Marcus Garcia. The rookie rose above his marker to meet Jose Montelibano’s cross, which was sent on target but not strong enough to beat the FEU goalkeeper.
The next chance in the game came eight minutes later, when it was the Tamaraws who had their attempt on goal. Unlike La Salle, FEU managed to find the back of the net when Ferrer sneaked behind the DLSU defense to guide Paolo Bugas’ cross from the left into the goal.
While the balance of play was pretty even, the Tamaraws looked sharper in the attacking third and nearly went two goals up at halftime. A Rico Andes header inside the box just before the break was gathered by DLSU goalkeeper Paeng de Guzman to keep the margin down to just one.
Early in the second half, the Green Archers took control in the game as they were chasing down a deficit. Before their dominance, however, came a sloppy chance presented to Andes. The sophomore midfielder won the ball in a promising position but couldn’t do anything to punish the DLSU defense.
It was a rare chance for the Tamaraws in the second period, as La Salle slowly got their bearings to pile pressure on them. With the ball mostly staying in the FEU half, the Green Archers forced their way through, albeit unsuccessfully.
It left La Salle a bit vulnerable on the defensive end, but the Tamaraws couldn’t produce a sequence to unlock their opponents’ defense. A couple of shots from Dave Deloso were the best they could muster midway through the second half.
The likes of Mathew Custodio, Cristian Zubiri, Christopher Lawless, and Mauro Acot spearheaded DLSU’s pursuit for an equalizer as the clock approached the 90. The best chance to bring La Salle back on level terms came in the 86th minute, when Custodio whipped the ball in only to strike the post that bailed out Joyel and the Tamaraws.
In the end, FEU held on for all three points to extend their winning streak to four games. Despite the positive results coming their way, FEU Head Coach Vince Santos remains barely satisfied with his team.
“We’re happy to pick up the win but we’re really still processing our game. It’s a long way to go,” the new FEU mentor noted.
The Tamaraws go again on Thursday, March 2, when they take on the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in what is billed to be a titanic clash between the last two champions of UAAP men’s football. As for DLSU, they bid to arrest their losing skid when they play against the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday, February 26.
