UST FORWARD Rodrigo Mariñas fired a brace to lift the Golden Booters past the UE Red Warriors, 2-0, to close Round 1 of the UAAP Season 88 men’s football tournament on Sunday, Oct. 19, at the UP Diliman Football Pitch.
The España-based squad now sits in a three-way tie with Ateneo and DLSU in third place, carrying a 2-2-2 win-loss-draw record going into the second round.
UST wasted no time asserting control, as Mariñas broke through early in the seventh minute, converting a long cross that slipped past UE’s backline to give his side a 1-0 edge.
Dominant in possession and pressure, the Golden Booters fired five shots on target in the first half while limiting UE to just one.
Mariñas doubled the cushion in the 68th minute, calmly slotting home a pass from Chris Valderama inside the box to make it 2-0 and seal UST’s second win of the season.
The Golden Booters were relentless on offense, unleashing 17 total shots, 10 on target, while the Red Warriors managed only five, with two on goal.
The schedule for the second round of the tournament has yet to be announced. F
