UNIVERSITY of the Philippines clinched the top seed and conquered the biggest threat to its march to the crown in the UAAP Season 78 men’s football tournament.
Rookie Kyle Magdato struck in injury time in the first half as the Fighting Maroons bundled out two-time defending champion Far Eastern U with a 1-0 win under sweltering conditions yesterday at Moro Lorenzo Field in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
Magdato showed composure, firing into an empty net after Tamaraws keeper Ray Joyel mishandled a low cross from Feb Baya in the first minute of first half added time.
The victory gave the Fighting Maroons the No. 1 seed in the semifinals, where they will face University of Santo Tomas.
La Salle clinched the No. 2 seed with a 4-0 blanking of UST in the second game, setting up a Final Four showdown with rival Ateneo on Thursday.
UP, seeking its first title in three seasons, finished the elimination round with 30 points as its rookie-laden roster coped with the departure of striker Jinggoy Valmayor to graduation.
“I think this group, in terms of work ethic, in terms of fight and stability, is as strong as it gets,” said UP coach Anton Gonzales, whose team picked up a clean sheet for the sixth straight match.
The Tamaraws saw their two-year reign end as they endured a poor start to their campaign and wound up fifth with only 24 points.
FEU also suffered an early exit in the women’s tournament, just a season after winning the crown.