Top seeds De La Salle University and Far Eastern University ousted their respective foes with late goals on Sunday to set up the showdown for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 77 men’s football title.

In the first game, a returning Gelo Diamante sank a five-yard goal and lifted the number one seed Green Archers closer to ending their seventeer-year title drought and dashed Ateneo de Manila University’s campaign, 1-0.

On the other hand, Arnel Amita’s rebound off his penalty kick during the first half of extra time secured defending champion Far Eastern University’s passage to the title round past Season 76 finals foe University of the Philippines.

The Green Archers and the Blue Eagles, traditional archrivals in the UAAP, engaged in a rugged defensive match with both teams having a hard time to penetrate each other’s defensive line.

Atenean midfielder Christian Michael Castillo almost scored a goal late in the first half but he went off-side prior to his breakaway strike.

Several substitutes were fielded in by both teams in the second half but it was late sub Diamante who finally broke the ice in the ’88th minute mark, receiving an overhead pass striking the ball left of the penalty box, leaving goalkeeper Jose Paolo Oracion as the only challenger to his shot.

“I think it was that small lapse of Ateneo that made me score that goal. They sort of blinked first and I was left alone against their goalkeeper,” Diamante, coming off a one-month layoff due to an injured shoulder, said after the game.

According to head coach Hans Smit, the Green Archers are “sick and tired” of “having one foot in the finals only to settle for fourth place.”

As for Ateneo head coach Jaypee Merida, the season “was not for us” and the suspension of chief midfielder Mikko Mabanag made the semis match difficult for the Blue Eagles.

In the second game, the rematch of last year’s finals was physical as expected, with UP dominating possession by employing a stingy midfield defense against the Tamaraws.

FEU adjusted in the second half though as they played from the flanks, booting four shots on goal only to be caught by Maroon goalkeeper Ace Villanueva.

The game ended in a scoreless tally at full time.

In the first extra period, the Tamaraws maintained form and almost sank a goal off a direct free kick by Audie Menzi from the left elbow but the referee nullified it after he took the shot without cue.

The Tamaraws were unfazed though as, in the 97th minute, as rookie full-back Julian Clarino palmed the ball inside FEU’s penalty box resulting in a penalty kick.

Midfielder Arnel Amita did the honors for the Tamaraws but his penalty kick was deflected by Villanueva. Amita, maintaining focus, kicked the ball again off the rebound and sank the winning goal for the return ticket to the finals.

“It was just a stroke of luck,” Amita said in Tagalog. “We are happy to be back again in the finals. We just played our game and focused on team play.”

De La Salle eyes their first men’s football crown since 1998, while FEU aims to join De La Salle, Ateneo, and UP as the only teams that have won back-to-back titles in the tournament’s history since 1994.

The all-or-nothing match for the title will be played on Sunday, March 8, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.