Adamson stuns UP with draw; FEU blasts UE

 

By Santino Honasan  | ABS-CBN Sport & Action

Adamson University ended their first season back in UAAP Football on a high note after managing to draw Final Four contender University of the Philippines, 1-1, Sunday at the Moro Lorenzo Football Field.

With yet another trip to the post season in the bag for UP, a win for the Maroons would have given them a chance to finish in second place at the end of eliminations.

State U went ahead in the 26th minute as team leading goal-scorer Jinggoy Valmayor converted his 15^th goal of the season for a 1-0 cushion going into the break.

For most of the second half, the Maroons controlled the pace, finding numerous opportunities to push their lead up, but ultimately came up fruitless.

With just two minutes left in regulation, Bless Brian II Jumo saved the day for the Falcons, scoring the equalizer.

Simultaneously at the FEU-Diliman Football Field, defending champions Far Eastern University closed out the eliminations in dominant fashion, blasting University of the East, 5-0.

The Tamaraws once again put on an offensive display, led by Jhan Jhan Melliza and Arnel Amita. Melliza got going early, scoring twice in the first ten minutes of action, making the UE defense pay in the third and ninth minutes.

Not long after, Amita got in on the scoring party, scoring a brace of his own in the 20^th and 37^th minutes, pushing the Tamaraw lead to 4-0. With just four minutes remaining in the first half, league-leading scorer Eric Giganto knocked in his 16^th goal of the year to give the defending champs a 5-0 halftime lead.

In the second half of action, neither team managed to alter the scoreboards, sealing the win for FEU.

This match also marked the return of UAAP Season 76 Men’s Football MVP Paolo Bugas, who checked in for Jhan Jhan Melliza late in the second half. Bugas missed basically all of the second round after suffering a knee injury in their first round matchup against UP. 

The win pushes Far Eastern University back up in the standings with 30 points as of posting, while UP sits in second with 28 points. UE finishes the season at seventh place with four points, while Adamson ends at eighth place with two points.