UAAP Women's Football Final set, FEU and DLSU seek 12th title

c/o UAAP

Match Friday at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium

5 p.m. - FEU vs DLSU

For the third straight season, Far Eastern University and La Salle are set to tangle for the right to be considered as the best collegiate football program for women's football, as they face off for the UAAP title this Friday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

Kick-off is scheduled at 5pm, with one of these two teams set to claim their twelfth title that evening.

Both teams got a win against each other in the previous two finals appearances, with the Taft-based booters claiming their three-peat in Season 81 with a 2-0 victory pre-pandemic, while the Lady Tamaraws securing theirs with a 2-1 triumph in extra time.

FEU won both elimination round meetings this season, overcoming a personnel disadvantage to win 3-2 back on March 16, and then a 3-1 dress rehearsal last April 27 with both teams having already locked in their finals berths.

With a one-game final, anything can happen, and the defending champions are very aware of the situation.

Sarah Tulabing said after their 7-0 demolition of Ateneo this past Saturday, "Pag dating sa finals wag lang po kami pakampante."

She adds, "Alam po namin na La Salle is malakas talaga na kalaban namin. Ibigay lang po namin yung best po namin sumabay lang sa system ni coach."

A championship tonight would allow FEU to match La Salle's achievement back in 2017 (Season 79) of winning all nine of its scheduled fixtures in a season.

Head Coach Let Dimzon is aware of the magnitude of the event and hopes her wards can handle the moment.

She says, "Rizal Memorial is near La Salle so mas maraming tao. So we need support coming from the FEU community. At the same time, yung preparation namin for the final, kailangan pa rin mataas."

The former student-athlete adds, "Kailangan yung focus namin toward that game, kung ano yung mga wins na nangyari in the first round and second round, kailangan mapataas pa namin yung performance nila individually, especially when they’re in front of the goal."

"Even now, marami pa kaming chances in front. Hindi pa rin namin silang na-convert into scoring, especially coming from Dionesa. I think yun na lang yung kailangan namin tutukan na focusing on some players na maayos nila yung lapses nila sa harapan."

Amidst their two defeats to the defending champions, La Salle is still a force to reckon with, having players with senior national team experience in Anicka Castaneda, Maye Mendano, and Shai del Campo, who is neck-and-neck with fellow recent call-up Dionesa Tolentin in the Golden Boot race.

Tolentin has nine goals so far this season, with del Campo notching eight. Shai's teammate Maria Layacan is not that far behind with six goals so far.

The Lady Booters have been in this situation before and were able to overcome it back in Season 80, with eventual Finals MVP Kyla Inquig scoring both goals in their 2-1 knockout of UST.

The team believes that the key for the match is overcoming the psychological challenge.

Layacan shares, "For me ung eagerness to play with heart yun yung the best na kailangan namin puso namin talaga eh. Kailangan namin gigil: gigil magtulungan sa loob, magsalita sa loob, gigil makascore at gigil ilaro. Hindi lang para sa teammates kung di sa community ng La Salle and sa mga sponsors namin."

Head coach Alvin Ocampo believes that a Season 80 repeat would be a major feather in their cap.

"We played them already in the PFF Women’s League twice. We played them in the first round and second round. It would be the greatest feeling to beat them in the final because hindi pa kami nananalo. It would be nice to break that jinx come Friday."