Defending champions FEU Tamaraw Booters will have a chance to win back-to-back titles in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Football Finals as they square up against the UP Fighting Maroons Booters.
UP and FEU, perhaps not coincidentally, won the title in each of the past two seasons, with UP winning the championship in Season 86 and FEU claiming the crown in Season 87. For the Morayta-based squad, this final will be its fourth straight, having made it to the gold-medal game in each of Seasons 85, 86, 87, and now 88. FEU also won gold in Season 85.
FEU Going All In Even Without Selwyn Mamon
The Tamaraws are the defending champs for a reason.
FEU finished the elimination round as the second seed with a total of 26 points. And despite showing some signs of vulnerability in some of its regular-season matches, the Tamaraws still excelled with main man Selwyn Mamon leading the way.
In the Final Four, Mamon showed why he is the star of his team, scoring two goals in each of FEU’s two matches against the UST Golden Booters—a 1-2 loss and a 3-2 victory to keep their title defense going.
Unfortunately for the defending champs, they will miss Mamon’s services, as he was handed a suspension after receiving a yellow card against the Golden Booters.
FEU, though, will still have the dynamic duo of Karl Absalon and Theo Libarnes, who will look to make sure that UP doesn’t get a third win over FEU this season.
Will a Dominant UP Season End in a Gold?
UP, in contrast, has been superb all tournament long, losing only once in 12 matches for a record of 9 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. It’s really hard not to imagine UP not playing in the finals.
A major reason for the Fighting Maroons’ dominant season so far is Ramil Bation III, who has been consistent throughout the season and was again superb in UP’s Final Four win over La Salle.
Bation has been UP’s top scorer, but he has gotten plenty of help from standouts like Flor Tacardon and Lorenz Tortona. With a lineup full of talent playing at its best, a championship is looking closer than ever for the Katipunan-based Booters.
Defending Champs as Underdogs?
This final could be a classic, with a full-strength UP side trying to take the crown against an FEU squad without its top player. From this vantage point, it seems like the defending champs are the underdogs, especially with the Fighting Maroons aiming to establish their own reign in UAAP men’s football.
Needless to say, the final between green and gold and maroon and white shouldn’t be missed. The gold-medal match will take place on Monday, February 23, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
