UST Final Four hopes now rest on NU and Ateneo
UST Final Four hopes remain alive, but only just. The University of Santo Tomas Lady Booters beat the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons 2-0 on Wednesday at the UP Diliman Football Pitch, closing the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women's Football Tournament elimination round on 11 points.
That tally came from three wins, two draws and five losses. It is not yet enough to confirm a postseason place. Wednesday was the final matchday of the elimination round, and UST now has no fixture left to influence its own fate.
The scenarios are narrow. An NU victory over Ateneo de Manila University would automatically secure UST a spot in the Final Four. A draw would force a playoff between UST and Ateneo for the last postseason berth.
Hodge and Añonuevo break a stubborn UP
Allanis Hodge broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, ending a goalless first half and giving the Lady Booters the lead their campaign needed. Gleydille Añonuevo doubled the advantage in the 79th minute, capitalizing on a costly error by UP goalkeeper Mariel Sancho.
UP arrived already bound for the Final Four and had beaten UST 1-0 on September 30 through a lone Erissa Rivas goal. On Wednesday the Fighting Maroons struggled to impose their rhythm throughout the encounter, and their best chance came late.
In the 86th minute Isalyn Tundag unleashed a long-range attempt that UST goalkeeper Ilah Adolfo saved comfortably. The shutout held, and with it a result the Lady Booters could not afford to lose.
Marjo Allado on belief and a young squad
UST head coach Marjo Allado framed the win around attitude rather than arithmetic. "In this game you can see the players — they did not just fight, they were capable of winning," he said. "That is the attitude the UST Women's Football Team will maintain."
He acknowledged the uncertainty hanging over the result. "Even if we say we are 50-50 for the top four, the players do not care about that as long as they are focused on the game," Allado said, describing his side's top-four chances as even before the Ateneo–NU fixture.
He was equally candid about the limits of his control. "We are still alive, but of course the result of NU and Ateneo is beyond us," he said. "The best thing the girls showed is that we finished the elimination round on a high note, especially with a lot of first years playing, so for next season they have gained experience."
UP's third place and the stepladder path
UP finished the elimination round in third place with 15 points, behind second-ranked De La Salle University. Depending on the Ateneo–NU outcome, the Fighting Maroons could face either UST or Ateneo in the stepladder semifinals, or take on La Salle in the Final Four.
For UST, the same fixture decides whether 11 points buys a place outright or a playoff. The Lady Booters have done what they could: a win on the last day, two scorers, and a clean sheet against a team already through.
What to watch in the Ateneo–NU fixture
- An NU win: UST qualifies for the Final Four without kicking another ball.
- A draw: UST and Ateneo meet in a playoff for the final berth.
- UP: the same result sets whether the Fighting Maroons enter the stepladder or the Final Four, and against whom.
Both outcomes leave UST watching rather than playing. The Lady Booters' season now depends on a match they are not part of, and on a result that will read as either reprieve or elimination.
This report draws on the original coverage by tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
