Diamante Spares La Salle’s Blushes with Late Penalty in Season-Opener Against FEU

The De La Salle University Men’s Football Team may not have started its UAAP Season 82 Men’s Football Tournament campaign with a win but it demonstrated its never-say-die personality.

Against a championship contender in the shape of the FEU Tamaraws, the Green Archers secured a 1-1 stalemate, Thursday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila. The result gives both schools a point each in the standings.

Veteran midfielder Jed Diamante converted an 86th minute penalty to equalize for La Salle after substitute forward Akim Dalam was brought down in the FEU box. Diamante’s goal cancelled out the wonder strike by Tamaraws forward Geri Martini Rey at the 13th minute.

“We still have quite a young team. I’m satisfied with the one point. One point is better than zero points considering that we were, for 80 percent of the game, catching up,” said La Salle coach Hans-Peter Smit.

Up next for La Salle is a date against Adamson University on March 8, 2020, 4:00 PM at the same venue.

"