De La Salle University’s Green Booters denied the University of the East their second consecutive win in UAAP Season 87, battling to a 1-1 draw at the UP Football Stadium on Thursday.
In a dramatic twist, Gabe Suarez delivered the equalizer for La Salle with a stunning free-kick goal in the 80th minute. The ball rocketed off the crossbar before finding the back of the net, a moment that electrified the Green Archers’ side of the stadium and shifted the momentum back in their favor.
The Red Warriors, coming off a confidence-boosting win over UST last Sunday, struck first. Mark Maghinay broke the deadlock just before the halftime whistle, converting a precise cross from Nicho Sumamoy to give UE a 1-0 lead.
Despite sustained pressure and a flurry of attempts from both teams in the final stretch, neither side could deliver a knockout blow, resulting in a hard-fought draw and a point shared.
For La Salle, it was the first test of the season, and while not a victory, Coach Alvin Ocampo saw plenty to build on. “We started slow, and UE came out with a lot of confidence, especially after their win against UST,” Ocampo said. “But credit to the boys, they found a way to equalize through a set piece. We’ll take the point and move forward.”
UE, which finished sixth last season, now sits with four points from their first two games. Meanwhile, La Salle is gearing up for their highly anticipated clash with Ateneo, a fixture that had to be rescheduled after last Sunday’s match was abandoned due to bad weather.
“We’ve got time to recover and refocus for the Ateneo game on October 3. It’s early in the season, and we’re just getting started,” Ocampo added.
For the Red Warriors, Coach Frank Muescan recognized the strong first-half execution but acknowledged fatigue as a factor in the second half. “The first half went according to plan, but we lost some steam in the second,” Muescan admitted. “It’s a long season ahead, and we’ll need to regroup and adjust moving forward.”
