MANILA, Philippines – Far Eastern University has become the home of UAAP Season 87 football champions.
The FEU Tamaraws ruled the UAAP men’s and women’s football tournaments, taking down the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the De La Salle University Lady Green Booters to secure the crowns for both seniors divisions at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Tamaraws dealt the top-seeded Blue Eagles a heartbreak in the penalty shootout, 5-4, to hand FEU its second men’s football title in three years on Sunday, December 15.
After 120 minutes of regulation and extra time ended at a 1-1 deadlock, Rico Braga gave FEU its final goal before goalkeeper Mon Diansuy stopped Ateneo’s last attempt, allowing the Tamaraws to clinch the title.
“We fought. We deserved the win. We had more chances than them in the 90 and 120 minutes. And then in the penalties, we missed the second, we were struggling, but we always came back. The gold is back home, so we’re very happy about that,” said first-year FEU head coach Roman Oliver.
Oliver, a Spanish native, was the latest in the list of foreign coaches who guided the Tamaraws to a UAAP football championship after Korean Kim Chul-Su led FEU to the Seasons 76 and 77 crowns.
FEU’s Theo Jico Libarnes scored the match’s first goal at the 65th minute before Leo Maquiling equalized for Ateneo with an impressive right-flank strike at the 72nd mark.
Libarnes and Maquiling also opened the penalty shootout with their respective goals to knot it up at 2-2.
Ateneo then grabbed a 3-2 lead as Dov Carino netted the go-ahead goal for the Blue Eagles after Edgar Agan’s shot got deflected.
Mcjay Nañiel kept FEU in the match with an equalizer, 3-3, before Javier Bengson put the Blue Eagles back in the driver seat, 4-3.
Abdulnasser Mustapa tied the match once more, 4-4, setting up one of Diansuy’s crucial saves in the shootout.
Braga then fired the title-clinching goal as the Tamaraws ended the Blue Eagles’ season with a heartbreaker.
The win gave FEU its 12th overall title in men’s division as the Tamaraws repeated their victory over the Blue Eagles in the Season 85 finals.
Meanwhile, the Lady Tamaraws completed a three-peat in the women’s football tournament, warding off the Lady Green Booters, 3-2, on Saturday, December 14.
Regine Rebosura’s header at the 67th minute gave FEU the lead after a fierce back-and-forth in the first half of the match.
Judie Arevalo opened up the scoring for the Lady Tamaraws at the 28th minute before La Salle’s Chenny Mae Dañoso answered back five minutes later.
Marinelle Cristobal handed FEU the lead just before halftime following a penalty kick, but La Salle’s Maye Mendaño had the equalizer at the 56th minute, setting up Rebosura’s heroics.
The Lady Tamaraws extended their league record to 13 championships and replicated their three-peat run from 2013 to 2015.
“We’re still looking for more. This is a good gift for those who are graduating this school year. They’re the ones working hard on the field,” said FEU head coach Let Dimzon, who also got her seventh title as the Lady Tamaraws’ mentor. – Rappler.com
