USJ-R outlasts USPF for 2nd win

FORMER champion University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) got back into contention, while the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) found themselves in trouble after yesterday’s Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) college football matches at the Cebu City Sports Center.

USJ-R, which won the first four titles of the league and also had a three-peat, finally got into contention after tallying its second win of the season with a 1-0 win over USPF. USJ-R now has seven points on two wins, one draw and two losses, to jump to third.

On the other hand, USPF, which lost in the finals to the University of San Carlos (USC) in the past three years, is stuck at three points after suffering its first loss of the season. It drew all previous three games and USPF needs to pile up the victories if it wants to return to the finals for the fourth time.

Yesterday, it looked like USPF was headed for an early lead after Jeralph Tura got the ball inside the box but his shot was just too soft.

Kheven Lauron also got an early chance for USJ-R as he intercepted a weak clearance but his shot was wide and in the next play, Erwin Cortes let go of a volley but couldn’t beat the USJ-R keeper.

Then in the 16th minute, USJ-R caught the USPF defense sleeping. Dave Lauron timed his run perfectly as he beat the napping USPF defense thanks to a lovely cross, which came from the USJ-R defense.

With only Semblante to beat, he feigned once and got past the approaching keeper to give the Jaguars the lead.

USPF had three chances to equalize in the first half but they couldn’t make much of their chances. Christian Gomez got free but his quickly-taken shot was never a threat; Cloyd Abare showed his deft touch to get past two defenders but hit the side netting; and Ares Duarte outsmarted the USJ-R wall during a set-piece but his low free kick went straight to the keeper.

In the second half, USPF also got a few chances, thanks to fleet-footed Duarte, who would run circles around the USJ-R defense. However, the attempts of his crosses either went to the keeper or would go wide.

In the second game, the University of Cebu got its first win of the season after beating the University of the Visayas, 2-1.

Kenneth Archival gave UV the lead in the 36th minute but Gabriel Lim equalized in the 56th minute. UC got the winner in the 88th. (ML)