It was a tale of two halves as UAAP players past and present clashed in today’s riveting PFF Women’s League semi-finals. Top-seeded Kaya FC came from behind to secure a finals berth with a 2-1 victory over De La Salle University (DLSU).
The Lady Archers scored the opener through Lyka Teves, but former University of Santo Tomas (UST) stars Shelah Cadag and Hazel Lustan answered back in the second half for Kaya.
Capitalizing on chances
The two sides tussled for control and would not let the other build up a sense of momentum, leading to the stop-and-start nature of the first half. While Kaya put together more attacking spells, the Lasallians were more productive when they had the ball in transition—always looking to release their strikers quickly and catch out the opposing defenders.
The collegiate squad broke the deadlock in the 19th minute as Maria Layacan charged down the left flank, getting on the end of a ball threaded by Filipinas forward Alisha Del Campo, who was playing deeper in the midfield for her university.
Alert to the low pass from Layacan, veteran Filipinas defender Hali Long tried to clear, but Del Campo stuck her leg out and the deflection allowed the ball to fall kindly in front of Teves. Taking advantage, La Salle’s top scorer sent the ball sizzling past DLSU alumna Inna Palacios, now tallying 18 goals in 10 PFFWL games.
Between the posts, Jessica Pido also played an important part in preserving her team’s advantage. Whether a set piece or one of the several crosses from Christine Hulleza and former Atenean Camille Rodriguez on the right, the ball was calmly collected before any of the Kaya players could direct a shot on target. At the 36’ mark, Cadag received the ball on the left and looked to be through on goal, but the DLSU keeper came off her line to deny the ex-UST forward.
One of Kaya’s better chances of the half came two minutes later, with Analou Amita intercepting the opponents’ passing lanes and dribbling forward. She sent the ball to Cadag, who found a bit of space to get her shot off, but it sailed over the crossbar.
On the opposite end, an overhead ball to Samantha Toledo nearly netted DLSU their second at the stroke of halftime. Toledo drove towards the box and played a short pass to Teves, but Palacios was ready for her strike and kept the scoreline at 1-0 going into the break.
Kaya bounce back
For the next 45 minutes, Kaya came back with a vengeance, turning up the intensity and hounding the Lasallian defense. It did not take them long to find the equalizer—just four minutes into the half. Gaining possession near the right touchline, Rodriguez then dribbled into the box and cut it back for Cadag, who slotted the ball home.
At the hour mark, Del Campo broke free on the counter and looked to re-establish her team’s advantage. Palacios, however, was a fraction of a moment quicker, rushing out to snatch the ball away before the Lasallian could get a boot to it.
Rodriguez’s sudden switch to the left wing in the 65th minute paid dividends. As she tried to slip past and break free from the hold of Jan Reese Jumawan, the Filipinas forward went down inside the box to gift Kaya a penalty kick. Stepping up to the spot, Lustan sent the ball coolly into the bottom left corner, turning the tables now completely in Kaya’s favor.
As the clock winded down, DLSU grew more frantic as they looked to put another on the board, and few opportunities came for the team from Taft. At the 84’ mark, Del Campo had the ball on the left wing and tried to bring it inside, but Long kept a close watch and dispossessed her before she could create a clear chance.
Another ex-Lasallian in Irish Navaja nearly put the nail in the coffin in the next moment, as she found herself with space on the edge of the box. But she could not strike the ball cleanly, as her curled effort bounced harmlessly in front of the keeper.
Despite holding on to a slim lead, Kaya kept their cool until extra time, and when the whistle had finally been blown, they knew they had done enough to earn themselves a spot in the finals.
Kaya FC will now have a chance at taking home the PFFWL crown when they go up against Manila Digger FC, who defeated Far Eastern University (FEU) via a penalty shootout. Meanwhile, DLSU and FEU will vie for bronze, a rematch of the UAAP Season 85 finals where the Tamaraws narrowly came out on top.
A scientist by day, Erinne is unapologetically passionate about football. She covered the UAAP as a campus journalist in college. Now she continues to support the national team and local leagues, as well as Spurs’ men’s team and the women’s side of Wolfsburg and Lyon.
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