By Aine Peralta
Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraw Booter Judie Arevalo delivered a Player of the Match performance to lead her squad to a convincing 3-2 win over the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Blue Eagles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 89 women’s football tournament earlier today, October 3, at the University of the Philippines Diliman Football Pitch in Quezon City.
Early in the match, FEU pressed heavily despite initial resistance from Ateneo’s backline.
The Lady Tamaraw Booters broke the stalemate in the 15th minute when rookie defender Knazeya Abellar fired a long shot that bounced off the turf and past the keeper, 1-0.
Continuing the offensive surge, green-and-gold standout Arevalo pounced on a loose rebound inside the box off a setup from teammates’ Marienell Cristobal and Althea Rebosura, doubling the lead in the 25th minute, 2-0.
Late into stoppage time, the Let Dimzon-led squad conceded at the 45+3 mark as Blue Eagle Kassandra Zalamea connected with forward Jada Bicierro to trim FEU’s advantage heading into the break, 2-1.
The Morayta-based squad sustained their offensive onslaught through set pieces in the second half, nearly extending the lead when a Tiffany Trinidad corner found Rebosura for a sharp header before goalie Brielle Bacca made the save for Ateneo.
FEU faced renewed pressure when Katipunan-based rookie Cassandra Zaldarriaga equalized the score at the 76th minute mark, 2-2.
Arevalo answered back in the 82nd minute, converting a pinpoint pass from Sarahgen Tulabing to put the green-and-gold squad back on top, 3-2.
Despite securing the hard-fought victory, FEU Lady Tamaraw Booters head coach Dimzon emphasized the need for better strategy execution moving forward.
“I think ‘yung ano lang talaga, adjustment... Kaso lang kasi kanina, ang nagiging problem namin and from last game is the selection of passes. Like kanina, there were a lot of offside calls which is ‘yung kailan nila kailangan i-deliver. So mostly, understanding lang sa set of plays (I think it really just comes down to adjustments. But the problem we had earlier, and from the last game, is the selection of passes. Like earlier, there were a lot of offside calls regarding when they needed to deliver the passes. So mostly, it’s just about understanding the set of plays),” she said in a post-game interview.
The head coach, however, praised Arevalo’s determination and clutch output, additionally stressing the importance of sustained growth for the young striker.
“I think magandang performance for her na every game niya, nagso-show up siya, but again, consistency is very important... Kailangan niya lang maging mas consistent sa ginagawa niya and also improve pa ‘yung understanding when it comes in front of the goal (I think it’s a good performance for her that she shows up every game, but again, consistency is very important. She just needs to be more consistent in what she does and also improve her understanding in front of the goal),” she highlighted.
Sitting atop with a 4-0 win-loss slate, the Lady Tamaraw Booters look to cap off a sweep of the first round against rival De La Salle University on Wednesday, October 7, at the same venue.
(Photo by Rian Balagtas/FEU Advocate)