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Monday, October 10, 2005
UV, USJ-R make finals
By Mike T. Limpag
Sun.Star Correspondent
IT WASN’T easy, but the University of the Visayas (UV) and the University of San Jose-Recoletos survived their tough semifinal matches yesterday to set up an exciting Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. football final at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit field.
The top-ranked UV had to dig deep into its bag of tricks to survive a gritty University of San Carlos (USC), 1-0, while the four-time champion USJ-R endured a late game onslaught by the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) to advance, 2-1.
To avoid a repeat of the University of Cebu walkout last Sunday, tournament manager Bro. Mari Aberasturi moved the technical bench to the other side of the field and limited access to coaches and players.
Too many people
“Last week, there were too many people not with the coaching staff but sat near (the players’) bench and they influenced the team to walkout,” Aberasturi said.
UV and USJ-R will meet for the title on Sunday, while USC will battle USPF for third still at the SHS-J field.
It was a different USC squad that showed up in the first semifinal as it matched every move of the top-seed. In their first encounter, USC lost, 1-4, despite scoring first.
UV played shorthanded yesterday with Melvin Culibra serving a suspension and workhorse Junard Aguilar, who has scored nine goals in five matches, unable to play due to tonsillitis.
Kurt Acre struck from left in the 26th minute but the ball sailed high. With their offense struggling, the wily Julius Acre, Kurt’s younger brother, pulled one just beyond the halfcourt and struck paydirt as he hit the top right corner for a 1-0 lead in the 40th.
The younger Acre’s crisp passes in the second half could have added more to the score but Junar Labastida hit the post, while Josaphat Sacil’s shot sailed too high.
USC got a chance in a goalmouth scramble in the 70th before goalkeeper Frederick Alazas recovered his composure and the ball to preserve the shutout.
Luckily
“I got hit after getting the ball, luckily it dropped near me and nobody was there,” Alazas said after the match.
In the second game, Mark Gallardo’s perfectly taken 30-yard free kick got past Oscar Lemence to put USP up, 1-0, in the first three minutes.
Jade Paghubasan made sure there was no repeat of their 1-2 loss to USPF in the eliminations as he drove from left in the 14th for the equalizer before Jonathan Sollo scored the go-ahead in the 33rd.
It was a spirited second half as USP tried to equalize, coming close a few times on Lemence’s errors on his approach. Lemence mistimed the drop of the ball and left the goal unguarded but USP failed to take advantage as USJ-R earned a fifth straight Cesafi finals appearance.
(October 10, 2005 issue)
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