De La Salle University and the University of the Philippines (UP) frustrated each other’s chance at an outright finals slot as the Lady Archers and the Fighting Maroons settled with 1-1 draw in the UAAP women’s football nightcap Saturday in UP Diliman.
Usual winger Stephanie Goñe, who started the game as a center forward, thumped the Lady Archers’ opening goal in the 36th minute, gathering a rebound off a missed shot by striker Maria Layacan from the right wing.
Attacking midfielder Aurea Reaso quickly answered for UP in the very next possession, scoring on a 30-yard volley on goal from top of the penalty box to level the game.
It was all futile attempts from both squads thereafter.
In the first half stoppage time, La Salle escaped with a tackle on an attacking Reaso inside their penalty area, which was adjudged as clean by the referees.
It was the Fighting Maroons’ final chance to win the game as La Salle dominated possession in the second half with high pressing defense and relentless attacking from Layacan and substitutes Shai del Campo and Mikaela Villacin.
Villacin’s 1v1 strike coming into the 80th minute was stymied though by Kaitlyn Dabalos while Layacan’s attempt from inside the box in the 89th minute was saved by goalkeeper Frances Acelo.
“I think our midfield towards the end ay naubusan. When the defenders get the ball, we were not so active in constructing our attack,” said UP head coach Anto Gonzales, crediting La Salle’s “game-changer” substitutes in frustrating UP’s offense.
For his part, La Salle coach Hans-Peter Smit did not mince words about his team’s performance.
“They played like shit. All the training we did, nothing. That only goal that we scored, that came from a play. The rest, wala,” Smit said in frustration.
As a result, Far Eastern University (FEU) drifted away from both squads with 15 points, as the Lady Archers, with one game left, need to win their final game versus the Lady Tamaraws on May 6 for a better chance in the outright finals berth. The Lady Tamaraws need at least a win of their final two games to make it to the finals.
UP, for their part, still has a chance to overtake La Salle (even if they win against FEU) and possibly FEU (if they lose all games) as they could still add six more tournament points of the 11 points they currently hold with a season-ender sweep.
The University of Santo Tomas still has a tiny window to enter the finals provided they win their remaining games while La Salle and UP lose theirs.
