By Angel Joyce C. Basa

Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Booters’ 10-woman squad claimed victory over championship rival De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Booters, 3-2, in the University Athletic Association (UAAP) Season 86 women's football tournament earlier tonight, March 16, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch in Quezon City.

Tamaraw Lady Booter Janly Fontamillas was called out of the game with a red card during the 36th minute.

Early in the first half, DLSU initiated the first goal of the match during the 22nd minute, courtesy of Angelica Teves.

Team Captain and Woman of the Match Dionesa Tolentin answered back with a goal on the 40-minute mark after multiple back-and-forth passes, ending the first half at 1-1.

The second half started in favor of DLSU after Anicka Castañeda earned a goal at the 61st minute to bring the scores at 1-2.

However, FEU immediately answered back with consecutive goals by Katrina Magbitang at the 69-minute mark and rookie Tiffany Trinidad at the 88th minute to close the match.

In a post-game interview, Head Coach Let Dimzon highlighted the resiliency of the team after being down one woman early in the match.

“Down to 10, so mahirap ‘yung adjustments especially [since] we are not playing at that kind of system–’yung formation ng 4-4-1–so normally it’s 4-2-3-1, so mahirap mag-adjust especially one of the player na bumaba sa defender is midfield, but I think ‘yung pinaka-best do'n is ‘yung resilience ng players (Down to 10, so the adjustments were complicated especially since we are not playing at that kind of system–the 4-4-1 formation–so normally it’s 4-2-3-1, so it was hard to adjust especially because the one player who went down is a midfield defender, but I think the best outcome of that was the resiliency of the players),” she stated.

During the same interview, Trinidad expressed how she felt after scoring the finisher goal on her rookie year in the champion team.

“Happy po [ako] kasi pinangarap ko rin ‘tong maging team ng FEU po at saka maging line up po for UAAP season 86 po, saka proud din ako kasi alam ko rin na nanood si papa, nakita nya [at] proud din siya sa akin ngayon (I am happy because it is my dream to be in the FEU team and be lined up for the UAAP season 86, and I am also proud because I know my father is watching, he saw me and he is alao proud of me),” she said.

The Diliman-based team is now at a 3-0-0 win-draw-loss record and will face the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons next Saturday, March 23, at the same venue.

(Photo courtesy of Patrick Pampilon/FEU Athletics)