UAAP: FEU women take down La Salle for first round sweep

MANILA — Far Eastern University on Wednesday completed a first round sweep of the UAAP Season 89 women’s football tournament after edging La Salle, 1-0, at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

Jelani Pabuaya scored the marginal goal for the Lady Tamaraws, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by the Lady Booters to ensure that her team would have all three points.

With the result, FEU ended the first round with a perfect 15 points and a plus-12 goal difference.

The Lady Tamaraws are three points clear of La Salle, which has 12 points after four wins and this defeat.

“I’m very happy and content with the result of the game, it’s not just about the quality of the game, but the concentration of the players,” said longtime FEU head coach Let Dimzon.

“‘Yung objective namin ngayon is to be target-locked. And then they were able to do that,” she added.

The Lady Booters had several opportunities to breach the Lady Tamaraws’ defense, with their biggest chance coming in added time. Dani Tanjangco tried to equalize as the clock wound down, but her effort was eventually cleared by the Lady Tamaraws, who held on to secure all three points.

The match began with a minute of silence in memory of the late DLSU and national team goalkeeper Frances Santos Roces, who passed away on September 22.

Despite completing a first-round sweep, Dimzon wants to see more creativity and determination from her wards when they get opportunities in front of goal in the second round.

“I think ‘yun lang—’yung kailangan, ‘yung eagerness to receive it, eagerness to score,” she said. “I mentioned to them, kailangan laging meron kayong striking mentality na every time you have the chances in front or inside the box, you have to take the opportunity na ma-convert nila into scores.”