UST bounce back with streak-buster vs UP

c/o UAAP

In the first completed night time match of the season at the UP Diliman Football Stadium, the University of Santo Tomas eked out a 1-0 squeaker against the University of the Philippines on Thursday at the UAAP Season 87 Men's Football Tournament.

Kyler Escobar scored the lone goal of the game in the 28th minute. taking advantage of an error by UP keeper Alfonso Gonzales.

Gonzales' counterpart with the Golden Booters, Jose Miguel Abada, managed a clean sheet, denying the Fighitng Maroons chances to convert an equalizer in the second half.

Assistant coach Arman Esteban shares, post-match, "All credits sa players kase naglaro sila ng all heart, talagang buhos sila. Yung mga tacticals nila nandun tsaka yung mga sinasabi ni Coach Marjo (Allado) sinunod."

He adds, "Nag-step up sila matapos ang pagkatalo nila sa huling laro sa UE. Talagang nag-step up ang mga players dahil gusto nilang makabawi at manalo, lalo na laban sa UP na ilang taon nang hindi nila natalo. Kaya't kahit papaano, ngayon, nakagawa na ng kwento ang mga bata na nanalo sila against UP."

It was a bounce back moment for UST, days after a 1-2 defeat to the University of the East to open the season. The triumph is their first against UP since March 10, 2016, pulling off an identical scoreline. The Golden Booters have lost nine of their last twelve meetings against the defending champions.

The Fighting Maroons played their first match of the season with a few of their key players from their title run earlier this year, including UAAP Season 86 Most Valuable Player Francis Tacardon.

The league is set to pause the men's competition to give way to the AFC U-20 Qualifying Tournament, with the Philippines flying to Thailand as part of Group H alongside Iraq and Brunei. Action there takes place from September 25-29.

Action will resume on October 3 with a triple-header, including the rescheduled fixture of Ateneo vs La Salle.